Steve Stageberg, associate professor of economics, was the featured guest during two interviews on Voice of Russia Radio. In the first interview, he discusses the UBS rogue trading scandal and in the second interview, he discusses the Federal Reserve’s recent decision to sell short-term government bonds.
Charles Shields Writes Op-Ed and Prepares for Interview
Charles J. Shields, associate director of the Great Lives public lecture series,wrote an op-ed that appeared in a recent edition of The Free Lance-Star. In the op-ed, Shields discusses why the genre of biography is important.
In late October, the Biography Channel will interview Shields about the subjects of two of his biographies, Harper Lee and Kurt Vonnegut, for a series of three-minute episodes about the lives of famous American novelists.
Shields’ publisher, Henry Holt & Co., recently nominated his upcoming biography, “And So It Goes: Kurt Vonnegut, A Life,” for a Pulitzer Prize.
Biology Professors Publish Article
Michael Killian, senior instructor in biological sciences, and Jay McGhee, former visiting assistant professor in biological sciences at UMW, had their paper “Salamander Diversity at C.F. Phelps Wildlife Management Area, Fauquier and Culpeper Counties, Virginia” published in the peer-reviewed journal Northeast Naturalist.
Michael Killian
Mehdi Aminrazavi Held Book Discussion at GMU
Mehdi Aminrazavi, professor of philosophy and religion and co-director of the Center for Asian Studies, discussed his book, “The Wine of Wisdom: The Life, Poetry and Philosophy of Omar Khayyam,” at George Mason University on Thursday, Sept. 22. The book discussion was presented by the Ali Vural Ak Center for Global Islamic Studies in coordination with Fall for the Book 2011.
“Nourished by an admiration of Khayyam that has been with him since childhood, Aminrazavi’s comprehensive new biography reintroduces the figure of Omar Khayyam, and his great achievements, to the Western world. Blending a readable and accessible narrative with scholarly ambition and years of research, Aminrazavi’s work covers not only Khayyam’s well-known poetry, but also his extraordinary life, his neglected philosophical writings and the impact of his work in the West. It features a variety of supporting material, including original translations and the full text of Fitzgerald’s Rubaiyyat, and will prove an ideal biography for those who want to know more about the poets inspired by Rumi.” — from the book jacket
Claudia Emerson to Read at National Book Festival
Claudia Emerson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and English professor at the University of Mary Washington, will read from her work at the Library of Congress’ National Book Festival. Emerson’s reading will take place on Saturday, September 24 from 2:35 p.m. to 3:20 p.m. on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The festival is free and open to the public.
Emerson will read from “Pharaoh, Pharaoh,” “Pinion: An Elegy,” “Late Wife” and her latest work, “Figure Studies,” as part of the Poetry & Prose pavilion at the festival. Fellow authors at the pavilion include Michael Cunningham, Dave Eggers and Rita Dove. A book signing session will follow Emerson’s reading from 4 to 5 p.m.
Ernie Ackermann Offers Opinion on D.C. Radio Program
Ernie Ackermann, professor of computer science, was a featured guest on Voice of Russia Radio on Wednesday, September 14. In the interview, Ackermann discusses the rise of and increased action against cyber criminals and politically motivated hackers.
Two UMW Faculty Members Contribute to Online Volume
Jim Groom, instructional technology specialist, and Jeff McClurken, associate professor of history and American studies, contributed chapters to “Hacking the Academy, The Edited Volume.” The volume, published online through an open-access license, will be available in print next year.
Groom co-wrote the chapter, “Voices: Learning Management Systems.”
McClurken co-wrote the chapter, “Digital Literacy and the Undergraduate Curriculum.”
For more information about the project, visit http://www.digitalculture.org/hacking-the-academy/.
Jason Davidson Offers Opinion on D.C. Radio Program
Jason Davidson, associate professor of political science, was a featured guest on Voice of Russia radio on September 7. In the interview, Davidson discusses the legacy of 9/11 and the changes in security since the attack.
UMW Professor Receives Prestigious Fulbright Grant
University of Mary Washington faculty member Mukesh Srivastava has been selected to receive a Fulbright Specialist grant for 2011-12. Srivastava, associate dean of the College of Business and associate professor of management information systems, will spend the month of October in Tunisia to develop a graduate program in management and information technology for the Tunis Business School at Tunis University. He is the first faculty member of the College of Business to receive a Fulbright award.
As a recipient of the Fulbright Specialist grant, Srivastava will work with Tunis Business School faculty to refine and implement a new master’s program in information technology. His work at Tunis University will strengthen connections between Tunisia and the United States, allowing for future collaborations including student exchanges, abroad programs and visiting faculty.
Jim Groom Speaks at Elon University and Publishes Article
Jim Groom, instructional technology specialist, presented the closing plenary at Elon University’s 8th Annual Teaching and Learning Conference on August 18, 2011. His presentation “Independent Domains – Thresholds to Teaching and Learning on the Open Web” featured the innovative work being done by faculty and students at UMW in regards to teaching and learning technologies. Following is an excerpt of the positive reception of the session from Elon University’s Teaching and Learning Center blog as well as the slides and audio from his presentation.
In the closing plenary, Jim Groom, in a lively display of humor and insight, posited that independent domains and open web tools provide students, faculty, and people outside the university from all walks of life and around the world opportunities to express, exhibit, and be discovered online with the encumbrance of institutional rules and regulations. He described how MWU [sic] applied simple blog technology (WordPress MU) to create a living nexus of business, information, and highly creative self-expression. The platform also enabled unprecedented participation in open courses by people from around the world.
Groom also published a piece on the problems of learning management systems in the crowdsourced book published by the University of Michigan Library titled Hacking the Academy.
This volume was assembled and edited by Dan Cohen and Tom Scheinfeldt of the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University from the best of over 300 submissions received during a spirited week when the two editors actively solicited ideas for how the academy could be beneficially reformed using digital media and technology. For more on the unusual way this book was put together, please start with Cohen and Scheinfeldt’s preface.