Margaret Mi, professor of business, was the guest speaker for the monthly meeting of the Fredericksburg Society of Human Resource Management last Thursday. Dr. Mi had members participate in several interactive and group exercises based on the topic, “A New Kind of Diversity: Age-Friendly Work Environments.” Members received continuing credits for their certification in the one-hour session.
Janusz Konieczny Publishes in Archive for Mathematical Logic
Janusz Konieczny, professor of mathematics, has co-authored a research article, A method for finding new sets of axioms for classes of semigroups, published in the journal Archive for Mathematical Logic.
Nabil Al-Tikriti Presents Great Lives Lecture
On Tuesday, April 17, Nabil Al-Tikriti delivered a lecture entitled “‘Ghazi’ Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, 1881-1938” as part of the Chappell Great Lives lecture series at Dodd Auditorium on the UMW campus. The prezi visuals which accompanied the presentation can be accessed here: “‘Ghazi’ Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, 1881-1938”
Zach Whalen Publishes Scholarly Essay on Early Video Game Console
Zach Whalen, Assistant Professor in ELC, recently contributed an essay to Before the Crash: Early Video Game History, edited by Mark J.P. Wolf and published by Wayne State University Press. Whalen’s essay, “Channel F for Forgotten: The Fairchild Video Entertainment System,” examines the historical contex, aesthetic affordances and underyling technology of this innovative (though never very popular) early video game platform.
Steve Watkins’ Novel Named to “Best Books” List
Professor of English Steve Watkins’ 2011 young adult novel “What Comes After” has been named to Bank Street’s list of 2012 Best Books of the Year. “What Comes After” is one of 46 books in the category for children older than 14-years-old.
The Bank Street College of Education chose the books for the annual list based on several criteria, including literary quality and the potential emotional impact of the books on young readers. Bank Street is a private institution composed of children’s programs, a graduate school and a research and policy initiative.
Watkins’ novel also is a finalist for the 2012-2013 Georgia Peach Book Award, given by the Georgia Library Media Association, Georgia Library Association, Georgia Public Library Service and the Georgia Education Association. Watkins is one of 20 nominees in the teen readers category. Teens will read and rate the books to determine the winner of the award, which will be announced in April 2013.
Gary Richards Presents at Southern Literature Conference
Gary Richards, assistant professor of English, presented a paper, “Where The Wind Done Gone Done Went: An Unauthorized Anniversary Parody,” at the Society for the Study of Southern Literature Conference in Nashville, Tenn., held Thursday, March 29 through Saturday, March 31. A member of the SSSL Executive Committee, Richards also was part of the four-person program committee for the conference.
Richards facilitated the Breakfast Book Club discussion of Tennessee Williams’s short fiction at the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival in New Orleans, La., held Wednesday, March 21 through Sunday, March 25.
Stephen Farnsworth Presents Paper in Chicago
Stephen J. Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the University’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, presented a co-authored paper entitled “The 2008 US Presidential Nomination Campaign on German and UK Television: Policy, Horserace and Character Coverage from Across the Atlantic” at the April annual meeting of the Midwest Political Science Association in Chicago.
Cate Brewer Participates in New Play Workshops
Cate Brewer, visiting assistant professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance, participated in two new play development workshops last month. Working with Artists’ Bloc, an organization rooted in the support for professional artists, Cate played the roles of Sarah in Interconnected by Brian Schwartz and Karen Snyder, and the role of Amy in Hannah Fogler’s new play, The Green Sweater.
Faleh Alshameri Attends IMF Meeting
Faleh Jassem Alshameri, professor of computer and information systems, has been accredited to attend the 2012 Spring Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group, which will be held in Washington D.C. from Friday, April 20 through Sunday, April 22. He also will participate in the Civil Society Policy Forum that will be held during the week of the meetings.
Charles Shields Contributes Article to Journal & Presents at Conferences
Charles J. Shields
Charles J. Shields, associate director of the Chappell Great Lives Lecture Series, has contributed an article titled, “If Jesus Did Stand-Up: The Comic Parables of Kurt Vonnegut” to the quarterly journal, Studies in American Humor, for the fall issue.
Also, Shields will present at two conferences in late May: first, at Biographers International Organization (BIO), May 18-21 in Los Angeles, he will appear on a panel, “Ex-Wives, Angry Children, and Other Delicate Relationships,” about working with the relatives of a biographical subject. He will also teach a workshop on literary biography with Tracy Daugherty, author of “Just One Catch: A Biography of Joseph Heller.” Later that week, on May 26, he will appear the panel, “Kurt Vonnegut and Biography” at the American Literature Association conference in San Francisco.