Category: Professional Notes

The College Orchestra Directors Association has recognized UMW President Richard V. Hurley for his support of the university’s collegiate orchestra program. UMW Philharmonic Director Kevin P. Bartram presented Hurley with the national award during the orchestra’s “March Musical Mix” concert on Saturday, March 17.

The College Orchestra Directors Association (CODA) is the largest professional organization of collegiate orchestra conductors across the country. The award honors individuals within member colleges and universities who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to support the work of college and university orchestras.

National CODA President Anthony Holland said that Hurley “surpasses expectations as a supporter of the Arts and of his community. It is apparent that President Hurley has demonstrated extraordinary faith in the ability of the UMW Philharmonic to promote the institution as a community partner. He sets an example for all of us.”

The honor, given every two years at the association’s national conference, is the organization’s most significant award. Past recipients have included major financial donors, presidents of institutions, board chairs, department heads and fellow college, university and community musicians.

For more information about the award, read the full news release from Saturday, March 17.

Eric G. Lorentzen, associate professor of English, gave a scholarly talk on Friday, March 16 at the Northeastern Modern Language Association annual conference entitled “‘You ask rather too many questions’: Co-Opting the Catechistic Method in Jane Eyre.”

Chris Foss, associate professor of English, is a featured panelist at the Plenary Kickoff Workshop on Thursday, March 22 for the Cripples, Idiots, Lepers, and Freaks: Extraordinary Bodies/Extraordinary Minds conference at CUNY (City University of New York).

The workshop is titled, “Constructions of Autism: Theorizing Voice and Identity ‘On the Spectrum,” and Foss is one of four autism studies scholars presenting work-in-progress and discussing the place of autism in both academia and society.

He also will participate in the conference’s Disability and Pedagogy roundtable that day with six other disability studies instructors.

The  conference is co-sponsored by the CUNY Graduate Center Ph.D. Program in English, the English Student Association, The Center for the Study of Women and Society, The Mellon Committee for Interdisciplinary Science Studies, the Doctoral Students’ Council, The Center for Lesbian and Gay Studies and The Center for the Humanities.

Professor of Political Science and International Affairs Elizabeth Freund Larus’ new book “Politics and Society in Contemporary China” is available through Lynne Rienner Publishers.

Elizabeth Larus begins with a broad sweep of China’s modern history—from the imperial era to the present—providing essential context for understanding the current political environment. She then makes sense of the dramatic political, social, and economic changes that have occurred across some six decades. The result is a rich and detailed analysis that is both thought-provoking and accessible, appropriate for students at all levels.

– excerpt from the publisher’s description

Stephen J. Farnsworth, professor of political science and director of the university’s Center for Leadership and Media Studies, is co-author of a refereed research article entitled, “The Structure of Scientific Opinion on Climate Change,” published in the Spring 2012 issue of the International Journal of Public Opinion Research.