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(Full stories open in new windows.) $1,000,000 AND WISE PROFESSORS TO ENHANCE AMERICAN HISTORY INSTRUCTION The University of Virginia's Center for the Liberal Arts has secured nearly $1 million from the U.S. Department of Education "so that children in that region can learn American history in the most engaging ways possible." The collaborative project will be fulfilled in part by history professors from the University of Virginia at Wise. Full story. COPLAC SCHOOLS ATTRACT DISTINGUISHED COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS Ronald Tschetter, the national director of the Peace Corps, is among the notable visitors who will be enriching commencement celebrations at COPLAC campuses this spring. He is set to address graduates at the College of Charleston, one of many COPLAC schools lauded for strong participation in service programs like the Peace Corps. UNCA TO SHARE IN $500,000 TO IMRPOVE UNDERGRAD RESEARCH AT APPALACHIAN SCHOOLS The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded a $500,000 grant to the Appalachian College Association (ACA) that will expand undergraduate research expertise and opportunities for faculty and students in the humanities and humanistic social sciences at more than two dozen colleges in Central Appalachia, including a new collaboration with the University of North Carolina Asheville. Full story. NEW COLLEGE STUDENT CREDITS COPLAC SCHOOL WITH GOLDWATER SUCCESS A New College of Florida junior, Josh Abbott, one of only 321 students nationwide to win a prestigious Barry M. Goldwater scholarship, credits the COPLAC institution, which he chose over Penn State and Humboldt, with providing 'the right solution' for his mathematical interests. Full story. MORE GREEN ON THE PUBLIC LIBERAL ARTS SCENE COPLAC schools continue to excel in green campus initiatives. Both Keene State College and Eastern Connecticut were recently awarded LEED® certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). NATION'S PREMIERE ENERGY SERVICE COMPANY A PARTNER IN UMW'S GREEN PLAN A student-led environmental campaign at the University of Mary Washington, sparking a dramatic shift in energy-saving behaviors on campus, is a direct result of a partnership between the university and NORESCO, "the nation's premier energy service company." Full story. UMM BRIEFS SENATE AS A LEADING CLEAN ENERGY CAMPUS At a recent Senate hearing, University of Minnesota, Morris Chancellor Jacqueline Johnson was among three leading educators who described the way American colleges and their students are leading the fight against global climate change. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee session was convened to highlight the importance of college and university research on clean energy and to spotlight the leadership of college students in fighting greenhouse gas pollution. Others giving testimony were Dr. Richard C. Levin, president of Yale University, and Dr. Robert Birgeneau, chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley. Full story. GCSU EDUCATION SCHOOL WINS WISNIEWSKI AWARD Georgia College and State University's John H. Lounsbury School of Education recently received the prestigious 2008 Wisniewski Award, which annually recognizes one institution that has made "singularly significant contributions to the theory and practice of teacher education." The award is conferred by the Society of Professors of Education, the oldest professional organization for teacher educators in the United States. Full story. KEENE STATE NEWSPAPER SHINES IN NATIONAL COMPETITION The Society for Collegiate Journalists, a national organization of collegiate mass communication, has announced that the Keene State College student newspaper, The Equinox, received 15 awards in the national 2007 competition, including second place for overall excellence for weekly newspapers. Full story. SUPERIOR BREAKS GROUND ON NEW STUDENT CENTER University of Wisconsin-Superior Chancellor Julius Erlenbach joined students April 7 to break ground for the university's new $20.9 million student center. Full story. ANGELA DAVIS VISITS CHARLESTON Internationally renowned scholar and activist Angela Davis will speak at the College of Charleston this spring. Currently a Professor of History of Consciousness at the University of California, Davis may be best known for her past affiliations with the Black Panther and Communist USA parties. Full story. RENOWNED ASTROPHYSICIST VISITS EVERGREEN The Evergreen State College welcomes Neil deGrasse Tyson, a national leader in science, astronomy, and education, to campus this spring. The renowned astrophysicist, director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City and host of PBS's Nova Science Now, will take questions from the audience following his presentation on April 29, 2008. Full story. NOW WE'RE IN THE TOP TEN! Readers may remember stories heralding "Top 25" status for COPLAC schools in Peace Corps volunteerism. Now St. Mary's College of Maryland breaks the top 10! You may access a Word document press release here. (New/blank window may open) ACCLAIMED AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR TO ADDRESS EDUCATION CONFERENCE AT WISE Author and illustrator Rosemary Wells will speak at the 16th annual Early Childhood Education Conference at The University of Virginia's College at Wise. Wells, creator of the animated Nick Jr. television show "Max and Ruby," will be joined at the conference by musician Darrell House. Full story. ST. MARY'S WELCOMES BROKAW AND BRADLEE... St. Mary's College of Maryland recently hosted a forum with one of America's most distinguished journalists, Tom Brokaw, former NBC news anchor, focusing on Brokaw's recent books, world events, the state of journalism, and current politics, including the history-making presidential campaign. Also participating was Benjamin C. Bradlee, legendary editor of The Washington Post. Click here for a downloadable press release in Word format. ...WHILE MSU WELCOMES BOB DOLE The final event of Midwestern State University's 2008 Artist-Lecture Series featured Bob Dole, Senate Majority Leader and candidate for President of the United States who also served as chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee. Full story. SEVENTH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FOR TRUMAN SWIMMERS For the seventh time in eight years, the Truman State Univesity women's swmming team won the NCAA Division II Swimming and Division Championship this spring. In addition, all 14 swimmers earned all-American honors. Full story. HAMPLE TO HEAD MARY WASHINGTON The University of Mary Washington Board recently announced the selection of Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Chancellor Judy G. Hample to serve as the eighth president of the institution, effective July 1, 2008. Dr. Hample has been chancellor of Pennsylvania's 14-campus, 110,000-student public university system since August 2001. Previously, she was chancellor of the State University System of Florida and also spent nearly two decades on college campuses, serving in a variety of faculty and academic administrative positions. Full story. COPLAC CAMPUSES OUTPERFORM DEBATE AND MOCK TRIAL COMPETITORS Debaters from the Truman State University Forensic Union captured the 2008 State Debate Sweepstakes Championship at the Missouri Association of Forensic Activities State Tournament recently. Meanwhile, members of the University of Minnesota, Morris Mock Trial team bested opponents from Carleton, St. John's, and the U of MN's Twin Cities campus during the Upper Midwest Durst Memorial Regional Competition in Superior, WI. WELCH NEXT PRESIDENT OF HENDERSON Dr. Charles Welch has been named Henderson State University's 15th president. Welch will officially assume presidential duties at Henderson on July 1. Full story. GC&SU AND KEENE STATE AMONG NATIONAL COMMUNITY SERVICE HONOREES Keene State and Georgia College & State University are among those to receive presidential recognition for extraordinary contributions to community service through the Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. COPLAC ATHLETES TAKE CHAMPIONSHIPS FROM PRIVATE SCHOOL RIVALS The women's hockey team at UW-Superior swept Finlandia recently to clinch the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association while the women of Keene State College ended Bentley's six-year reign over the New England Intercollegiate Swimming and Diving championship. The Owl men, meanwhile, won the Little East Alliance Indoor track title. Congrats to all competitors! CHARLESTON FOLKS BUILD HOME IN TWO WEEKS It's called a blitz build. With the help of more than 500 College of Charleston students, staff, faculty and community member volunteers, a needy family's home at 351 N. Nassau Street in downtown Charleston will be built in a total of two weeks. Full story. KEENE RECEIVES GRANT TO DEVELOP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCIENCE ENRICHMENT PROGRAM Keene State College has been awarded a $20,000 Bank of America Charitable Foundation grant to develop Science Out of the Box, an enrichment program that will engage elementary school students with direct experience and experimentation to enhance essential concepts and principles in science. Full story. EASTERN GRAD NAMED WEST AFRICAN ARTIST OF THE YEAR Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a 2001 graduate of Eastern Connecticut State University, has been named Nigeria, West Africa's Artist of the Year. Earlier this year, Adichie won the Orange Prize for Fiction, Britain's top literary prize, for her second novel, Half of a Yellow Sun (2006). Adichie, 29, became a nationally acclaimed author with her debut novel, Purple Hibiscus (2003), which received wide critical acclaim. UMW PROFESSOR AWARDED $50,000 TO CLEAN UP PETROLEUM PROCESS Janet Asper, assistant professor of chemistry at the University of Mary Washington, was awarded a $50,000 grant from the American Chemical Society Petroluem Research Fund for her research project titled "New Reagents for the Solution Phase Synthesis of Alkylguanidines." The research will investigate whether molecules that contain a specific arrangement of carbon and nitrogen atoms can be made without using any organic solvents. If this approach is successful, it will provide a more environmentally friendly way to prepare biologically relevant molecules. Full story. PARKINSON'S RESEARCHER PLEDGES 1 MILLION TO TRUMAN STATE One of the nation's foremost researchers on Parkinson's disease has made a planned commitment of $1 million to establish Truman State University's first-ever endowed professorship. Greg Gerhardt, Ph.D., a 1979 graduate, has pledged $1 million through his estate to create the Greg A. and Paulette C. Danielle-Gerhardt Endowed Professorship in Science. Click here to see a PDF newsletter story in a new window. TWO NEW GREEN BUILDINGS AT FARMINGTON, LEED CERTIFIED Two newly constructed "green" buildings at University of Maine at Farmington have received official LEED. certification from the United States Green Building Council. Both the Education Center, the new home of the UMF College of Education, Health and Rehabilitation; and Frances Allen Black Hall, a student residence building, offer financially viable alternatives to traditional building methods and represent the University's commitment to environmental stewardship and to graduating responsible global citizens who care about the environment. Full story. UW-SUPERIOR STUDENT WINS NATIONAL KFC VIDEO CONTEST University of Wisconsin-Superior's Ryan Leer, a video production major from Minnetonka, MN, won a nationwide contest to produce the most creative "chicken dance" to promote Kentucky Fried Chicken's new Hot Wings product. See his clever production here. FORT LEWIS QUARTER MILLION DOLLAR GRANT IS FOR THE BIRDS The Colorado Division of Wildlife and Colorado Bird Atlas Partnership has initiated the second round of a project to study and document the breeding birds of Colorado, which includes five years of funding at $50,000 per year for Fort Lewis, which will oversee the statewide effort. Full story. UMM LEADERS PRESENT GREEN LEARNING AT AAC&U University of Minnesota, Morris Chancellor Jacqueline Johnson, along with Lowell Rasmussen (associate vice chancellor for physical plant and master planning) and Sandy Olson-Loy (vice chancellor for student affairs) presented the topic, "Back to the Future: Re-inventing a "Green" Learning Environment," during the Association of American Colleges and Universities Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. Full story. BOEING AND TRUMAN TO IMPROVE MATH AND SCIENCE TEACHERS The Boeing Company has partnered with Truman State University in a special initiative designed to increase the level of academic achievement in mathematics and science among Missouri high school students through the Boeing Teacher-Scholars for Advanced Study in Mathematics and Sciences, a $75,000 scholarship fund that will provide special preparation for 40 teachers in Truman's Advanced Placement (AP) program. Full story. COPLAC SCHOOLS SHINE IN KIPLINGER RANKINGS Congratulations to SUNY Geneseo, identified by Kiplinger's annual "100 Best Values" list as the top public college in the nation for Out-of-State students. New College of Florida, meanwhile, enjoys its 8th straight year in the top 10, coming in this year as the nation's fifth best value among public colleges and universities. CHARLESTON BOASTS TWO FULBRIGHT PROFESSORS The College of Charleston's Giacomo DiTullio, an associate professor in the Department of Biology, and Mary Heston, an associate professor in the Department of Art History, have been awarded 2007-2008 Fulbright Scholar grants. DiTullio will work at the world-famous Stazione Zoologica in Naples, Italy. Heston has been in Thiruvananthapuram, India at the University of Kerala since July 2007 working on a research project entitled "The Book of War: A Commentary on Kingship in the Ramayana Murals, Mattancheri Palace." Full story. UMF WINS STUDENT-LIFE LEADERSHIP AWARDS University of Maine at Farmington student-life leaders Samantha Starrett, Hollie Ingraham and Melvin D. Adams III received three prestigious awards at the recent National Association of Student Personnel Administrators conference, as featured in the Daily Bulldog. Starrett received the Catch a Rising Star award given to a student who has excelled in academics and has shown great campus leadership. Ingraham, director of student life, received the Outstanding Institutional Leadership award, and Adams, assistant director for student involvement, received the Outstanding Mid-Level Professional award. UMM STUDENT MUSICIANS QUALIFY FOR CBDNA HONOR BAND Six musicians of the University of Minnesota, Morris Symphonic Winds were selected as members of the 2008 Intercollegiate Honor Band, hosted by the College Band Directors' National Association. Students who will perform are Sara Friedrichs (alto saxophone), Jessica Henry (French horn), James Jarvie (trumpet), Brian Kotila (euphonium), Lisa Musielewicz (trumpet) and Joshua Nyquist (tuba). They will represent UMM in this highly competitive and prestigious ensemble featuring only the leading musicians from university music programs. The Intercollegiate Honor Band will rehearse with five selected guest conductors and perform in February 2008. UMF PROGRAM AMONG 1ST IN NATION TO RECEIVE NEW YOUNG EDUCATION ACCREDITATION The University of Maine at Farmington Sweatt-Winter Child Care and Education Program is one of the first programs in the country to receive the new accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Full story. MSU STUDENTS AMONG TOP 10% ON NATIONAL BUSINESS EXAM Four graduating seniors from Midwestern State University have scored in the top 10 percent nationally of all business students taking the Educational Testing Service's Major Field Test in Business. Full story. KEENE STATE CONTINUES COPLAC ATHLETIC DOMINANCE Sophomore Jackie Foster had a record-setting day winning three events to lead the Keene State College women's swiming/diving team to the 2007 Little East Conference Championships recently. The Keene State men also had a record-setting weekend at the ECAC Division III Meet. Full story. GENESEO STUDENTS GRAB $15,000 FED CHALLENGE PRIZE Fresh from victory at the district level in New York City, students from the State University of New York at Geneseo will compete for the national championship in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York 2007 College Fed Challenge. SUNY Geneseo will compete with regional winners from the Boston, Chicago and Richmond Federal Reserve districts on Nov. 27 at the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors in Washington, D.C. for the $25,000 top prize. Full story. SMCM STUDENT CAR CRASH SURVIVOR IN IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Brian Boyle, a junior majoring in art at St. Mary's College of Maryland, brings new meaning to the words perseverance, commitment and endurance. Boyle, who survived a near fatal auto accident three years ago, completed the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii in October. His story will be part of an NBC Sports special. Full story as a Word doc. AUGUSTANA NATIONAL RUNNING CHAMPS...AGAIN! The University of Alberta Augustana Campus men's cross country team recently secured their 3rd national championship in five years. The women's team placed second after taking the championship at the CCAA National Championship Races the previous two years. Full story. UMW ADMINISTRATOR RECEIVES FULBRIGHT AWARD Christopher Musick, director of International Academic Services at the University of Mary Washington, is the latest COPLAC school employee to receive a prestigious Fulbright Scholar grant. He will attend the U.S.-Germany International Education Administrators Program. Full story. SONOMA 'TRUTH' PROGRAM NAMED ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR Sonoma State University's media research program, Project Censored, was recently honored as the Community Organization of the Year for 2007 at Sonoma County's Annual Peacemaker Awards Dinner. Director Peter Phillips, Assistant Director Andy Roth and staff members Tricia Boreta and Kate Sims, along with over a hundred volunteers were cited as "models of social activism and consciousness raisers in a world too busy to realize that the truth is not being reported." Full story. NATIONAL HONORS FOR RAMAPO STUDENT/FACULTY BIOINFORMATICS RESEARCH Ramapo College students Melissa Hee Chung and Gadareth Higgs, together with professors Paramjeet S. Bagga and Lawrence D'Antonio, won first prize for their presentation, "G-Quadruplexes Are Conserved Near RNA Processing Sites of Proto-Oncogenes" at the Undergraduate Research Symposium held at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in October. The bioinformatics research team received additional accolades in October when a presentation, "Alternatively Process Sites in Apoptotic Genes Are Associated with Special G-Quadruplex Motifs" won first prize at the Metropolitan Association of College and University Biologists tri-state undergraduate research conference at St. John's University, NY. Full story. CHERYL CONTANT NAMED DEAN AT UMM Dr. Cheryl K. Contant has been named the next vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean at the University of Minnesota, Morris. Contant, who earned a doctoral degree in civil engineering form Stanford University, has served since 1999 as professor and director of the City and Regional Planning Program in the College of Architecture at Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. Full story. AUGUSTANA STUDENT TEACHING ROBOTS TO LEARN Researching in the field of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), University of Alberta, Augusta Campus student Anna Koop is exploring ways to eventually make robots operate independently, adapt to new environments, and continually learn and update their information without human intervention. "My recent work has been considering the best ways of finding out what information is useful for a robot...where robots can take in new information and incorporate it into their programming." Full story. UMF ANNOUNCES UNDERGRAD RESEARCH FELLOWS Like many COPLAC schools, the University of Maine at Farmington boasts a strong undergraduate research program and recently named its 2007 research scholars and fellows. Each student's original research project is awarded funding that underwrites expenses and helps encourage and promote continuing academic investigation. Full story. UNCA RECEIVES NATIONAL HONORS FOR REDESIGNED GEN ED PROGRAM UNC Asheville's Integrative Liberal Studies Program received top honors recently from the Association of General and Liberal Studies, a national forum addressing the improvement of undergraduate education. The 2007 Award for Improving General Education was accepted on behalf of the university by Edward Katz, UNC Asheville dean of University Programs and professor of literature and language, who led the intensive faculty effort to create the program. Full story. CHARLESTON NAMED NATIONAL HOME OF AFTERSCHOOL NETWORK The College of Charleston is now the national home of the Afterschool and Community Learning Network. Along with the new Network, the College received a $450,000 four-year grant from the CS Mott Foundation to support the program. The Afterschool and Community Learning Network helps mayors, legislators, and local, state and national organizations across America to develop strategies, policies, and partnerships to expand the availability and quality of after school and community learning centers for children and families. Full story. MSU STUDENTS WINS FREE SEMESTER IN FRANCE Juliana Lehman of Midwestern State University has won one of only two Rotary scholarships available throughout the midwest, worth $23,000, to study at the University of Nantes in France next fall. Full story. ROBERT F. KENNEDY, JR., SPEAKS AT HENDERSON Environmentalist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke at Henderson State University recently about "Our Environmental Destiny." Kennedy, one of Time magazine's "Heroes for the Planet," serves as chief prosecuting attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper and president of Waterkeeper Alliance. He is also a clinical professor and supervising attorney at Pace University School of Law's Environmental Litigation Clinic and is co-host of Ring of Fire on Air America Radio. Full story. UMMers ONLY UNDERGRAD PRESENTERS AT OOPSLA niversity of Minnesota, Morris computer science students Eli Mayfield and Kyle Roth presented a poster about their research on Java generics at the prestigious OOPSLA (Object-Oriented Programming, Systems, Languages, and Applications) Conference in Montreal, Canada, recently. The UMM submission was apparently the only one by undergraduate students. Full story. UNCA RECEIVES $1 MILLION FROM THE CLIFFS FOR HEALTH & WELLNESS The University of North Carolina Asheville and The Cliffs Communities announced recently that The Cliffs is gifting $1 million to the University's North Carolina Center for Health & Wellness. The Center will be a hub for educating health and wellness professionals, conducting interdisciplinary research, building community and statewide partnerships, and incubating community programs around critical health-and-wellness issues. The Center's initial focus will be on three of North Carolina's most pressing wellness concerns: childhood obesity, workplace wellness and senior wellness. Full story. NAPOLEAN HILL INCREASES WISE SCHOLARSHIP POOL BY $100G The Napoleon Hill Foundation Scholarship at The University of Virginia's College at Wise grew by $100,000 with a donation presented by Dr. Charles Johnson, chairman, and Don Green, executive director and vice president, both of the Napoleon Hill Foundation. The scholarship fund now stands at more than $400,000. Full story. STUDENT FUNDS MAKE COPLAC SCHOOL FIRST IN MARYLAND TO GO 100% GREEN St. Mary's College of Maryland took another giant step toward carbon neutrality with the purchase of credits from renewable energy sources for 100% of its annual electricity consumption, taking effect immediately. The College is the first public institution in the state of Maryland to adopt such clean-energy standards. Ninety-six percent of the purchase is to come from student funds. Full story. FORT LEWIS ATHLETE NAMED ALL-ROCKY PLAYER OF THE YEAR Fort Lewis College volleyball player Nicole Schwab has been named the 2007 Academic All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Player of the Year. Schwab was also a unanimous Academic All-RMAC First Team selection. Full story. GCSU PROF RECEIVES $150K+ FOR MARINE CONSERVATION In recognition of his work in microbiology, Georgia College & State University Associate Professor of Biology, Dave Bachoon, is the recipient of a research grant from the University of Puerto Rico 2007 Sea Grant College Program. Worth over $150,000, the grant is awarded for completive research in the area of marine conservation. Full story. RAMAPO BREAKS GROUND ON SUSTANABILITY EDUCATION CENTER A groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction on a new Sustainability Education Center took place recently at New Jersey's Ramapo College. "Ramapo College's academic programs will benefit from the addition of the Sustainability Center," said President Mercer. "The Center will further incorporate environmental learning and understanding of sustainability into the Ramapo curriculum across disciplines." Full story. NEW STUDENT HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER FOR MSU Ground has been broken; construction is expected to be completed next summer. Click here for a list of features including an outdoor heated recreational aquatics center. USAO DRAMA PRODUCTION WINS ACTF HONORS For most people, death is the end of a long journey. But for the drama department at the University of Science and Arts at Oklahoma, it's just the beginning. Its recent fall production, Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, earned several awards after its final performance last weekend. Full story. FULBRIGHT AND ALPHA LAMBDA DELTA HONORS FOR UMF Twenty-eight University of Maine at Farmington students were recently inducted into UMF's inaugural chapter of the Alpha Lambda Delta National Honor Society for First Year Students. Alpha Lambda Delta, an honor society that has been in existence since 1924, seeks to "encourage superior academic achievement, to promote intelligent living and a continued high standard of learning, and to assist students in recognizing and developing meaningful goals for their unique roles in society." Full story. In a related item, a 2007 graduate, Jenna Morency, has received a Fulbright grant to research the plight of U.S. citizens imprisoned by British forces at a Tasmanian penal colony in 1839 for participating in the Canadian Rebellion. Full story. GENEROUS GIFT FOR TRUMAN STUDENT EMERGENCY FUND Don and Jolene Scriven of DeKalb, Ill., have established a special endowment fund to provide a helping hand to students facing a medical or family emergency. The Don and Jolene Scriven Emergency Fund will be created with a $200,000 cash and deferred commitment through Truman's "Bright Minds Bright Futures" campaign. Full story. KEENE'S FIRST ENDOWED CHAIR STRENGTHENS HOLOCAUST STUDIES Keene State College recently announced the creation of the College's first endowed chair, thanks to a generous gift from benefactors Janet and Richard Cohen which has funded the Cohen Endowed Chair in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, enabling the college to strengthen its leadership role in Holocaust Studies and expand that leadership to genocide studies. A scholar who has made original contributions to the discipline will fill the position made possible by the largest single gift Keene State has ever received. Visit the Cohen Center for Holocaust Studies Web site.. GRAMMY NODS FOR UVA-WISE University of Virginia's College at Wise graphic artist Jenny Salyers and alumnus Jack Wright '71 have been nominated for Grammy Awards for their work on the two-CD set "Music of Coal: Mining Songs from the Appalachian Coalfields." Full story. CHARLESTON BREAKS GROUND ON NEW SCIENCE CENTER The College of Charleston is breaking ground for a new Science Center, to be completed late spring, 2010. The 126,000 square foot facility will eventually house the Departments of Chemistry/Biochemistry and Biology, and will feature a 150-seat auditorium, state-of-the-art research and teaching laboratories, gathering areas for faculty and student interaction, and a large "greenspace" that will recall the walled gardens of Historic Charleston. Full story. CULLINAN INVESTED AT SOU COPLAC congratulates Southern Oregon University on the investiture of Dr. Mary Cullinan as its eleventh president. Read more about Dr. Cullinan. UMM PRESERVATION PLAN AMONG "MOST COMPREHENSIVE IN NATION" The University of Minnesota, Morris Historic Preservation Plan was recently awarded the Minnesota Preservation Award. The plan was honored in the Stewardship Award category and praised as "one of the most comprehensive in the nation." Full story. CHARLESTON INSTALLS 21st PRESIDENT P. George Benson was installed as the 21st president of the College of Charleston recently. During a ceremony in Sottile Theatre, Dr. Benson told the audience that he intends to continue to move the College forward "both strengthening our academic programs and proactively reaching out to the world with our students, our ideas and our creations." Full story. UMM WELCOMES AL FRANKEN BACK TO CAMPUS Celebrity writer, actor and radio host Al Franken, who broadcast his radio show live from the University of Minnesota, Morris campus last fall, returns to UMM at the invitation of a student group to discuss his U.S. Senate race. Full story. MARVIN BELL VISITS UNC ASHEVILLE UNC Asheville's Creative Writing Program hosts an evening with acclaimed poet Marvin Bell, author of 19 collections of poetry and essays and widely regarded as an American icon. Full story. TIM O'BRIEN, JOHN MCCAIN VISIT COPLAC CAMPUSES Best-selling author Tim O'Brien, who wrote Northern Lights, In the Lake of the Woods, and The Things They Carried, will lecture at the Univeristy of Virginia's College at Wise this fall. His novel, The Things They Carried, is the selection for this year's shared freshman reading program. Full story. At the College of Charleston, Presidential candidate Senator John McCain will visit as part of that school's Bully Pulpit Series on presidential communication. Full story. GCSU PROFESSOR WINS ANTIBIOTICS RESEARCH AWARD Georgia College & State University associate professor of microbiology Andrei L. Barkovskii has been awarded a $45,700 grant to help clarify whether swine-feeding operations contribute to antimicrobial resistant bacteria in the environment. "The noticeable increased resistance to antibiotics in human population is currently under public radar," Barkovskii said. "The usage of antibiotics by animal feeding operations and the subsequent migration of antibiotic resistance genes from these operations to the environment and food chains as well as the increase of antibiotic resistance in farm animals are viewed as potential reasons for increased concern." Full story. UNCA PROFESSOR CONTRIBUTES TO HISTORY CHANNEL APPALACHIAN DOCUMENTARY UNC Asheville Associate Professor of History Dan Pierce was recently interviewed for a History Channel Appalachian documentary on America's southern mountain people. Full story. USAO BEST IN THE WEST The field got stronger this year, but the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma moved to the top of the "Great Schools, Great Prices" list in U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Colleges guide, taking the #1 spot among all baccalaureate colleges in the western United States ranked for both academic quality and reasonable cost. USAO credits its ambitious Mission Enhancement Plan, aggressively raising academic standards while keeping costs much lower than national competitors. Full story. MCLA ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES DEPT. RECEIVES $250,000 GREEN GRANT The environmental studies department at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts can augment its outreach while lessening its carbon footprint, thanks to $250,000 in federal funds secured through an Energy and Water Appropriations bill. Full story. Should this link expire, a text version of the article may be found here. UMM BREAKS GROUND ON BIOMASS PLANT The University of Minnesota Board of Regents gave final approval during its June meeting for construction of a biomass gasification reactor and facility at the University of Minnesota, Morris (UMM). The reactor will convert corn stalks and other residual materials into a syngas and serve as a platform for UMM's research partners. The project received one of 12 USDA/DOE energy grants for $1.89 million to conduct additional research using this project. Full story. CONSUMERS DIGEST PICKS MIDWESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY While the Chronicle of Higher Education recently lamented a public school's chances of making it onto some of those "Best" lists, Midwestern State University has snagged the top spot on a list in what some may consider the most discerning publication... Consumers Digest Magazine. Full story. GENESEO SUMMER PROGRAM PREPARES FUTURE CSIers. This year's summer program for youth at SUNY Geneseo featured a crime scene camp that allowed middle school students to investigate an art theft on campus for two weeks in July. Full story. SOU PRESIDENT LAUDED IN OREGON BUSINESS MAGAZINE President Cullinan of Southern Oregon University was recently praised in Oregon Buiness Magazine for her handling of the financial challenges that plague so many campuses today. Full story. GENESEO PRESIDENT TO LEAD AAC&U State University of New York at Geneseo President Christopher C. Dahl was recently appointed as chairman of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). Dahl will serve as chairman of the AAC&U board of directors in 2007. AAC&U is the leading national association concerned with the quality, vitality and public standing of undergraduate and liberal education. Full story. COPLAC SCHOOLS DOMINATE LIST OF BEST VALUE COLLEGES Never mind Rice. Check out the names on that Princeton Review list of the top ten values in public colleges. The top three are COPLAC schools and they all beat Berkeley! COPLAC schools also captured the 8th and 10th positions, for a total of 5 of the top 10 spots. In addition, this year's Princeton Review publication features a major spread on SUNY Geneseo. Congratulations all around! STUDENT-APPROVED FEE WILL MAKE SOU OREGON'S FIRST 100% GREEN-ENERGIZED CAMPUS A campus-wide vote at Southern Oregon University approved a Green Energy fee to offset 100 percent of the university's energy usage and will make SOU the first university in the Oregon University System to completely offset its electricity and natural gas with renewable energy. "Passing by 85 percent really shows the students care about a sustainable future," said Erim Gomez, a member of Students for a Sustainable Future. The fee will be implemented in Fall 2007 and will be no more than $15 per term. Full story. USAO PSYCHOLOGY STUDENTS DOMINATE AT STATE Four students at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma beat out nearly 100 students for top winnings at the Oklahoma Psychology Society research conference, earning three of six awards given for research projects across the state. Full story. HUMANITIES COUNCIL HONORS UMF WITH GRANT FOR GIRLS' MENTORING PROGRAM The University of Maine at Farmington's Girls Talk/Teen Voices Mentor Partnership programs recently received a major grant from the Maine Humanities Council to support continued growth of current programs and to allow for new initiatives. The nationally-recognized program pairs girls in grades 5-8 with female UMF student mentors who support the positive development of the girls' aspirations and increase exposure to cultural experiences to develop the girls as future leaders. Full story. EASTERN CONNECTICUT INAUGURATES ÑUNEZ Lawrence McHugh, chairman of the board of trustees of the Connecticut State University System, led the dignitaries attending the inauguration of Elsa M. Nuñez as the sixth president of Eastern Connecticut State University. Nuñez succeeds David G. Carter, who left Eastern in February 2006 to become chancellor of the Connecticut State University System. The inauguration included a procession of 250 dignitaries and university representatives from around the country. Full story. FARMINGTON ADDS THREE VARSITY SPORTS The University of Maine at Farmington will add women's lacrosse, men's volleyball, and women's golf to its intercollegiate athletics program, increasing the total number of varsity sports to 14. Full story. CHARLESTON PROFESSOR RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS IWCA AWARD. Bonnie Devet, Professor of English and Director of the Writing Lab at the College of Charleston, has received international recognition from the International Writing Center Association (IWCA) which selected Dr. Devet's article, "Peering Across the Pond: The Role of Students in Developing Other Students' Writing in the US and UK," as the co-winner of the prestigious 2006 IWCA Outstanding Scholarship Award. Full story. WOMEN'S CONCENTRATION CAMP DISCUSSSED AT ANNUAL KEENE STATE HOLOCAUST EVENT. A concentration camp for women will be discussed by featured speaker Dr. Helen Frink at Keene State College's 10th Annual Charles Hildebrandt Holocaust Studies Awards event. The Hildebrandt Awards, named for Charles Hildebrandt, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, remember the Holocaust by way of student and community art and scholarship. Full story. BROWN OF FARMINGTON RECEIVES FULBRIGHT Eric Brown, an associate professor of English at University of Maine at Farmington, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to spend the 2007-2008 academic year teaching at the University of Bergen in Norway. Brown, who has specialized in teaching medieval and Renaissance British Literature at UMF since he joined the faculty in 2003, will collaborate with University of Bergen faculty in teaching a survey of American Literature and cultural studies to English-speaking Norwegian undergraduate students. Full story. MARY WASHINGTON STUDENTS WIN $20,000 FOR HONDURAS A student organization located at the University of Mary Washington and the College of William and Mary, Students Helping Honduras (SSH), recently won first prize in a competition that will award $20,000 to benefit a refugee community in Honduras. With those funds and others the group has been raising, SHH will address the housing needs of 72 families that live in cardboard or tin structures without running water or electricity. Full story (scroll down). FOREIGN STUDY FUND ESTABLISHED AT WISE Students at The University of Virginia's College at Wise will have a greater opportunity to travel and learn abroad thanks to the Sam Gilbert Foreign Study Fund, one of 18 new scholarships at UVa-Wise that will be announced during the 16th annual Scholarship Appreciation Luncheon this spring. Full story. USAO HOSTS PULITZER WINNER DR. JARED DIAMOND The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma will host Pulitzer Prize-winning author Dr. Jared Diamond as part of the Emerson-Wier Liberal Arts Symposium. To prepare the campus and Chickasha communities for Dr. Diamond's presentation, the University will provide a free advance screening of the National Geographic documentary, "Guns, Germs, and Steel," based on Diamond's 1998 Pulitzer Prize-winning book of the same name. Full story. FARMINGTON OPENS NEW EDUCATION CENTER The University of Maine at Farmington will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its newly constructed Education Center on Saturday, March 31. U.S. Senator Susan Collins was the honorary chairperson of UMF's Education Matters! campaign for the building. Co-chairs were Peter C. Doran and Lee Cabana. Full story. MONTEVALLO MEN ENJOYING NCAA POST SEASON TOURNAMENT SUCCESS The 13th ranked Montevallo Falcons will meet Central Missouri on March 20 in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Elite Eight. A defeat of Eckerd in the NCAA Division II South Regional Tournament brought the team's winning streak to 19 games. This season marks the first time in school history that two members of the University of Montevallo men's basketball team have been named to the NABC Division II All-America Team in the same calendar year. Full story. CHARLESTON DEDICATES HIGDON LEADERSHIP CENTER The College of Charleston recently dedicated the Higdon Student Leadership Center, named for former College of Charleston President Lee Higdon and his wife Ann. As the 20th President of the College, Higdon spearheaded the college's growth from a regional university to a nationally known liberal arts institution. The three-story Higdon Student Leadership Center will provide office space and meeting rooms for various student organizations. Full story. EASTERN WELCOMES FACULTY FROM EGYPT AND NEPAL As Connecticut's public liberal arts university, Eastern Connecticut State strives to provide students with an enriching, multicultural experience in a variety of ways, including the recruitment of faculty from around the world. Two recent newcomers are Passent El-Kafrawy of Egypt, an assistant professor of computer science, and Shobha Gurung of Nepal, an assistant professor of sociology. El-Kafrawy attended Egypt's Minufiay University; Gurung began her sociology career in her native city of Kathmandu before attending Northeastern University in Boston. NOTE - no Eastern Web site version of this story was available at the time of this update. CHARLESTON ANNOUNCES TEACHING SCHOLARSHIP FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES The College of Charleston's School of Education announced recently that Charles and Andrea Volpe have established a scholarship in the amount of $10,400 for deserving African American male students who commit to teaching in P-8 teaching environments. The scholarship is in conjunction with the College of Charleston's newly implemented "Call Me MISTER" program, designed to provide academic and financial support to African American males who are interested in pursuing careers in teaching. Full story. JOHNSON INAUGURATION TO COINCIDE WITH UMM UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUIM The inauguration of Dr. Jacqueline R. Johnson as chancellor of the University of Minnesota, Morris will be held Friday, April 20, 2007, and will include an address by Chancellor Johnson, "On the Edge of Tomorrow, In the Middle of Everywhere." By design, the inaugural ceremony will immediately precede the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. "It is my hope that the inauguration itself will serve as an appropriate introduction to the day's more important event, that which showcases our wonderful students and the creative and scholarly work they accomplish under the mentorship of their faculty members," Johnson said. Full story. DUNN OF HENDERSON TO RETIRE Dr. Charles Dunn, who has served more than 20 years as president of Henderson State University, announced recently that he will retire from the presidency on June 30, 2008. As the 14th president of Henderson, he has served longer than any other president in the history of the university. Full story. ANNUAL KEENE STATE READING PROGRAM CONCLUDES FOCUS ON IRAN In March, two well-known scholars on Iran will present the panel, "Understanding Iran," the concluding event of Keene State College's sixth annual Summer Reading Program, which this year studied Persepolis, a graphic novel by Iranian author Marjane Satrapi. The autobiographical narrative revolves around Marjane, who was nine years old and living in Tehran when rebels supported by the theocracy overthrew the reigning Shah. Full story. CHARLESTON WELCOMES NEW PRESIDENT AND FIRST LADY The new President and First Lady of the College of Charleston, George and Jane Benson, took office Thursday, February 1, 2007. President Benson is the 21st president of the College of Charleston. Lee Higdon vacated the position last year to become president of Connecticut College. Full story. GC&SU PROFESSOR HONORED BY CEC Amy Childre, an Associate Professor of Special Education & Educational Leadership at Georgia College & State University, was recently selected as the recipient of the 2007 Susan Phillips Gorin Award by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). Full story. HENDERSON ADDS TWO PLANES TO FLEET Henderson State University accepted delivery recently of two new Piper Arrow aircraft for use by the school's aviation department. The single-engine airplanes include advanced features and cost $340,939 each. "One of the main features of this aircraft is that it meets the FAA's requirement for a complex trainer," said Troy Hogue, assistant chief aviation instructor. Henderson has Arkansas' only university program that offers a four-year bachelor of science degree specifically in aviation. Full story. NEW COLLEGE HOSTS PBS BLACK HISTORY DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKERS New College of Florida recently held a screening for the new PBS documentary film, "Sisters of Selma: Bearing Witness for Change," followed by a panel discussion with the film's director and Sister Roberta Schmidt, a nun who marched in the Selma voting rights protests. The film was shown on PBS affiliates during February in honor of Black History Month. Full story. FARMINGTON DEBUTS 'ROUTE 66' Route 66, the musical, will make its theatrical debut this March at the University of Maine at Farmington's Alumni Theater. "Route 66" is the newest work of talented co-authors Jerold Goldstein and William Squier who, together, have written an array of successful musicals that have been performed around the country. Composer Fred Stark, who is recognized as one of the top recording studio singers in New York City, rounds out the creative team. The production is directed by UMF's Andrea Southard. Full story. FORT LEWIS ADDS ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES MAJOR Fresh off the heels of announcing the new Adventure Education degree program in December, Fort Lewis College has announced that a new Environmental Studies major was recently approved by the Board of Trustees. Set to officially begin for the fall 2007 semester, Environmental Studies will be administered out of the School of Natural and Behavioral Sciences. Full story. HENDERSON PROFESSOR'S BOOK SELECTED FOR NATIONAL MUSEUM Hildegarde of Bingen by Nancy Dunaway, chairman of Henderson State University's art department, has been chosen for the permanent collection of Washington DC's National Museum of Women in the Arts. The book is a tribute to an extraordinary 12th century German Benedictine anchorite who preached in spite of laws forbidding it. Full story. ENERGY WAR AT UMM! During the month of February, the University of Minnesota, Morris, will be competing against Minnesota colleges and universities to lower its heat and electricity consumption. Other schools joining the competition, known as "Campus Wars," include St. Olaf, Carleton and Macalester. Full story. KALIKOW OF FARMINGTON HONORED BY U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL Theodora J. Kalikow, president of the University of Maine at Farmington, was recently awarded a 2007 Green Building Leadership Award from the Maine Chapter of the United States Green Building Council for her pioneering role in advancing environmentally responsible buildings in Maine. The centerpiece of her campus-wide efforts in environmental sustainability has been the creation of Frances Allen Black Hall and the recently opened Education Center, two soon-to-be LEED (leadership in energy and environmental design) certified buildings by the United States Green Building Council. Full story. UMW RECEIVES $150G FOR STUDY ABROAD SCHOLARSHIPS Chris Musick, director of international academic services at the University of Mary Washington, has been awarded a $150,000 grant from the Institute for Study Abroad Foundation. The grant will be awarded over the course of three years beginning in fall 2007 in $50,000 increments, and will be used to fund ten $5,000 scholarships annually to University of Mary Washington students interested in studying abroad. "This grant will assist students who may not otherwise have the financial means to go abroad, especially students from the Commonwealth," Musick said. "Participants will help to create global awareness on campus and in the community through service projects upon their return from studying abroad." Full story. CHARLESTON JOINS OTHER COPLAC SCHOOLS AMONG PEACE CORP'S TOP 25.
The Peace Corps has announced that the College of Charleston is one of the top 25 schools in the nation when it comes to alumni working as Peace Corps Volunteers. Since the Peace Corps' inception, 126 alumni of College of Charleston have joined its ranks. Charleston is in the medium-sized campus category. COPLAC schools in the top 25 among smaller campuses include St. Mary's College of Maryland, Everygreen State, and the University of Mary Washington.
Charleston story. FORT LEWIS AMONG 10% RECEIVING AACSB ACCREDITATION For more than three decades, the Fort Lewis College School of Business Administration (SOBA) has stood among a very select group of business schools accredited with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International. AACSB International recently announced that sixteen schools, including SOBA, had successfully completed their maintenance of accreditation review. "To be among less than 10 percent of the world's business schools that have earned AACSB International accreditation is a tremendous achievement for the faculty, staff and students at the Fort Lewis College School of Business Administration," says Tom Harrington, dean of SOBA. Full story. CHINESE DEPUTY COUNSUL GENERAL VISITS EASTERN, DISCUSSES EXCHANGE Kuang Weilin, deputy consul general of the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in New York City, visited Eastern Connecticut State University recently to share his perspective on China's "Peaceful Rise" and to pave the way for possible exchange programs between Eastern and China. Full story as PDF file. UMW CRACKS KIPLINGER'S TOP 20. The University of Mary Washington moved up two positions to crack the top 20 among Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine's "100 Best Values in Public Colleges" for 2007. The University of Mary Washington is the 20th "best value" when using in-state tuition costs to calculate the listing. The list can be found in the February issue of the magazine. Full story. WISE ANNOUNCES $50 MILLION CAPITAL CAMPAIGN GOAL The University of Virginia's College at Wise officially launched its most ambitious fundraising effort on Saturday, Oct. 21, with the kickoff of the $50 million "Fulfilling the Dream" capital campaign. The campaign goal is more than double the $21 million the College raised during its first campaign, which ended Dec. 31, 2000. Full story. ASHEVILLE PROFESSOR TO RECEIVE INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD Mark Gibney, UNC Asheville Belk Professor of Humanities, was recently named the 2006 winner of the International Human Rights Award, to be presented in Raleigh on Tuesday, Dec. 5. Full story. TRUMAN BOASTS MISSOURI'S BEST PROFESSOR Lynn Rose, associate professor of history at Truman State University, was named the 2006 Missouri Professor of the Year recently by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Full story. BILL NYE VISITS EASTERN Scientist, educator, comedian, and author Bill Nye addressed a packed audience in the Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium at Eastern Connecticut State University recently. More than 2,000 people filled the gym to view photos of Mars and hear Nye's comments on his favorite planet, Earth. Full story in PDF format. GENESEO PROF PRODUCES GROUNDBREAKING DISEASE, COMPUTER RESEARCH Anthony J. Macula, associate professor of mathematics at the State University of New York at Geneseo, is working on three different projects that could have a major impact on how diseases are identified and how computers may be designed in the future. Full story. CARTER PLEDGES 1.5 MILLION TO CHARLESTON The College of Charleston School of Business and Economics has received a $1-million pledge from Atlanta real estate developer Ben Carter; his wife, Tricia; and mother, Jane M. Carter, to establish the Carter Center in Real Estate. Along with the $1-million gift, the Carters also promised to give the School an additional $500,000 if the College can match that amount with other gifts. The Carter Center will be a significant resource of expert knowledge to the real estate industry in the Lowcountry and beyond and will support expanded educational programs at the College. Full story. USAO PROFESSOR WINS OAHPERD AWARD. Dr. Nancy Osborn, who has been teaching at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma for nearly 15 years, recently received the Oklahoma Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance Award for her contributions to physical education in the state. Full story. NEW COLLEGE PROFESSOR WINS STATE HOUSE SEAT Running as a Democrat in a traditionally Republican district, New College of Florida political science professor Keith Fitzgerald won election to the Florida House of Representatives, defeating former Sarasota County School Board member Laura Benson in a tight race. Full story. KEENE GEOGRAPHERS PUBLISH ANOTHER ATLAS FOR SCHOOLCHILDREN Klaus Bayr, professor of geography at Keene State College, and students from his cartography classes have designed and published the Rhode Island Atlas, a reference book for third- and fourth-grade schoolchildren. This full-color, 24-page book joins The New Hampshire Atlas, The Vermont Atlas, and The Electronic Atlas of New Hampshire and Vermont, all created by Bayr and his students for elementary schools. Full story. BUSH ADVISER CELEBRATES GENESEO'S NEW SCIENCE CENTER John H. Marburger III, science advisor to President George W. Bush and director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, delivered the keynote address at the opening of the Integrated Science Center at the State University of New York at Geneseo Nov. 10. Others on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony included New York State Senator Dale M. Volker and Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks. Full story. UMW PROFESSOR AUTHORS 'BEST BOOK IN EARLY MODERN HISTORY AND THEOLOGY' Allyson Poska, professor of history at the University of Mary Washington, recently won the Roland H. Bainton Book Prize in early modern history and theology for Women and Authority in Early Modern Spain. The prize honors a Yale seminarian; Poska's book explores how peasant women in northwestern Spain's Galicia came to have significant social and economic authority in a region characterized by extremely high rates of male migration. Full story. KEENE STATE HOSTS CONFERENCE ON RACE, CLASS, GENDER The New England Sociological Association recently visited Keene State College for a conference on "Intersections: Race, Class, and Gender." The keynote was delivered by Margaret K. Nelson, Hepburn professor of sociology at Middlebury College. Full story. BENSON TO HEAD CHARLESTON Dr. P. George Benson has been unanimously elected by the College of Charleston Board of Trustees as the 21st president of the College of Charleston. Dr. Benson, recently a dean at the University of Georgia, takes over the position vacated by Lee Higdon, who left earlier this year to become president of Connecticut College. Dr. Benson will officially begin as the new president in the spring of 2007. Full story. COPLAC SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR HONORED AS FIRST LATINA PRESIDENT IN NEW ENGLAND The Connecticut Association of Latinos in Higher Education hosted a special reception at Casa del Sol in Hartford on Oct. 12, 2006, to welcome and honor Elsa Nunez as the sixth president of Eastern Connecticut State University and the first Latina president at a four-year university in New England. The event attracted many professionals in higher education and community Leaders from throughout Connecticut. UMM SMALL TOWNS CENTER WINS CARTER AWARD The Center for Small Towns at the University of Minnesota, Morris and the City of Morris recently won the Carter Partnership Award for Campus-Community Collaboration. The presentation ceremony featured a keynote address by former astronaut and senator John Glenn. The national award is named for the former president and Mrs. Carter as a tribute to their lifelong efforts to develop and support safe, healthy, and caring communities throughout the world. Full story. MCLA PARTNERS WITH AMHERST IN DUAL DEGREE PROGRAM Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst have established a 3 + 2 dual degree program in engineering. Graduates of this program will receive a Bachelor of Arts degree in physics from MCLA and a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering from UMass. Full story. RAMAPO FACILITY TOPPED OFF; NEW GIFTS ANNOUNCED At a recent ceremony celebrating the topping off of a new academic facility to house the Anisfield School of Business at Ramapo College of New Jersey, the College's president, Dr. Peter P. Mercer, announced the receipt of additional significant gifts, including a $2 million donation. Full story. WATCH THE PROGRESS AS MSU CONSTRUCTS $19M DILLARD BUILDING School officials and community leaders turned dirt with gold-painted shovels two years ago to signify the beginning of construction on the Dillard Building, the new College of Business Administration Building at Midwestern State University. Now an MSU campus Web site lets you enjoy a slideshow of the construction of the $19 million, 88,000 square foot facility. Full story. UW-SUPERIOR RECEIVES $250,000 FOR LIBRARY The University of Wisconsin-Superior Foundation Inc. recently announced a $250,000 gift to the university's Campaign Superior: Higher Expectations. The gift, from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous, will be used two ways: Part will be dedicated to the renovation of Jim Dan Hill Library in honor of the late Eugene "Pops" Lundholm, a former library director and one-time advisor of the campus chapter of Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity. The other portion of the gift will be used for a leadership development program for students. Full story. UMW SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL The president of the University of Mary Washington signed an agreement recently with the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) based in Monterey, Calif., to encourage education and research opportunities that combine their capabilities and resources. Full story. UMF NAMES INAUGURAL WILSON SCHOLARS Ten University of Maine at Farmington students, conducting eight undergraduate research projects, were recently named the inaugural Michael D. Wilson Scholars and were awarded funding to help underwrite an original undergraduate research project. The scholarships are funded by a generous gift of Michael and Susan Angelides, Stonington Conn., in honor of their good friend, and UMF alumnus, Michael D. Wilson, class of 1976, who died shortly after graduating. Full story. USAO-led ECONOMIC COALITION TAKES TOP HONORS IN CHICAGO The Southwest Oklahoma Impact Coalition took top honors among more than 450 economic development organizations from the United States and Canada at a recent forum in Chicago. The SOIC is being led by four Oklahoma universities, including the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha, Cameron University in Lawton, Western Oklahoma State College in Altus, and Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford. Full story. EVERGREEN EMERITUS NAMED FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR, WILL VISIT ROMANIA Lynn Patterson, faculty emeritus at The Evergreen State College, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to work with a graduate anthropology program in Cluj-Napoca, Romania at the Babes-Bolyai University. Patterson is one of approximately 800 U.S. faculty and professionals who will travel abroad to more than 150 countries during the 2006-2007 academic year through the Fulbright program. Full story. HENDERSON'S MICHAEL MILLER PRESENTS 'DISTINGUISHED LECTURE' IN JAPAN Dr. Michael D. Miller, professor and chair of the Communication and Theatre Arts Department at Henderson State University, presented an invited "distinguished lecture" at the Sixth Annual Conference of the International Association of Communication Sciences (IACS) in Tokyo, Japan, recently. IACS membership consists primarily of communication and medical school scholars in Japan. Miller's presentation was one of four distinguished lectures by invited non-Japanese scholars, two from Korea and two from the United States. Full story. AGILENT AGAIN AWARDS $40,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS TO SONOMA For the second year, the Agilent Technologies Foundation has awarded a grant of $40,000 to provide scholarships for Sonoma State University's engineering students and fund other elements of a partnership to support the University's Bachelor of Science in Engineering Sciences program. Seven students in the BS-ES program received scholarships in the 2005-2006 school year. All scholarship winners are assigned Agilent mentors who share information about the technology industry and host the students on visits to Agilent's Santa Rosa facility. Full story. JAZZ MASTER TERRY RUSSELL JOINS UVA COMMUNITY. He's worked with everyone from Tony Bennett and Branford Marsalis to Quincy Jones and Dizzy Gillespie. Now trombone master Terry Russell is teaching jazz to students at The University of Virginia's College at Wise and making the rounds with the new UVa-Wise Jazz Quartet. "I'm here to promote music education, to help the kids and to give something back to the community," said Russell, who moved to Wise in 2004 with plans to retire to his farm just outside town, except for occasional trips back to California for his ongoing work with the Monterey Jazz Festival and his new calling as an adjunct instructor in music at UVa-Wise. Full story. NAACP HONORS NEW COLLEGE PROFESSORS. New College of Florida biology professors Elzie McCord, Jr., and Sandra Gilchrist were among a select group of honorees to receive awards at the Twenty-First Annual Freedom Awards Banquet held by the Sarasota County Branch of the NAACP recently. Full story. JAMES EARL JONES OPENS ECSU ARTS LECTURE SERIES Distinguished television, stage and film actor James Earl Jones opens Eastern Connecticut's sixth annual Arts and Lecture series. The Oscar-nominated actor's credits include The Great White Hope, Field of Dreams, Dr. Strangelove, Patriot Games, and The Hunt for Red October. Jones holds honorary doctorates from Yale, Princeton, and the University of Michigan. Earlier this month, he was awarded the prestigious Normal Vincent Peale Award from the Blanton Peale Institute. Full story as a pdf file. UMW INAUGURATES WILLIAM J. FRAWLEY The University of Mary Washington celebrated the Inauguration of William J. Frawley as its seventh president on Saturday, September 30. The program included remarks from Gov. Timothy Kaine, George Mason University President Alan Merten, and George Washington University President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, among others. In his remarks, Dr. Frawley discussed convergent moments, when two separate things align in a stark and instructive way, suggesting the University of Mary Washington is currently experiencing such a moment as it prepares to celebrate its centennial. Full story. E.COLI RESEARCH AND NSF SCHOLARSHIPS AT EVERGREEN In a week where cutting-edge E.Coli research based at The Evergreen State College has been featured by regional and national media, funding from a National Science Foundation grant will award $100,000 in scholarships per academic year to students studying science at the college. Full story. FORMER HOSTAGE SPEAKS AT HENDERSON Former hostage Terry Waite, held captive in Beirut, Lebanon, for almost five years, addressed a capacity crowd at Henderson State University. His appearance was part of the school's Common Book program. Full story. USAO HOSTS PUBLIC DEAF PANEL As part of Deaf Awareness Week, the American Sign Language at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma Club is inviting the community to take part in a deaf discussion panel on campus. Six local speakers from varying backgrounds are expected to participate. Full story. NEW SOU PRESIDENT WELCOMES 'FELLOW FRESHMEN.'
President Mary Cullinan, Southern Oregon University's new leader, spent part of her first days in charge pulling English ivy with students performing a community service project in Lithia Park. "Smaller institutions provide a more personalized experience," President Cullinan noted recently. "Faculty know students' names. On many smaller campuses, when students miss class or appear to be in academic jeopardy, someone reaches out to them." UMM WELCOMES AL FRANKEN Controversial radio show host and personality Al Franken will host "The Al Franken Show" live and in person from Edson Auditorium on the campus of the University of Minnesota, Morris this October. "As a part of our culture of involvement at UMM, Al Franken's visit is one of many speakers student organizations will host this year who will explore issues from different viewpoints," said Dave Swenson, director of student activities at UMM. "We are looking forward to hearing a wide spectrum of political viewpoints in the year ahead." Franken is an Emmy Award-winning television writer and producer, NY Times bestselling author and part of the original writing staff that created "Saturday Night Live" in 1975. Full story. NEW COLLEGE ANNOUNCES RECORD GIFT New College of Florida, Florida's honors college for the liberal arts and sciences, announced recently that the College has received a gift of $2,000,001 from The Libra Foundation in honor of Rhoda Pritzker. When matched by state funds, the gift of $4,000,001 will be the largest in the College's 46 year history. The gift will be used to establish the Rhoda Pritzker Endowed Fund for Academic Excellence at New College of Florida and will be used to support student scholarships, student research and faculty development. Full story. UVA MEDIEVAL RENAISSANCE CONFERENCE CELEBRATES 20TH YEAR The University of Virginia's College at Wise will celebrate 20 years of the Medieval Renaissance Conference this September. Edward Donald Kennedy, leading authority on Arthurian literature and professor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, will deliver the keynote address on "Arthur and Glastonbury." Other session topics include: "Medieval Cultural and Artistic Contexts," "Old and Middle English Literature," "Tolkien I: Medieval Contexts," "Medieval Knights and Kings," "Renaissance Poetry and Drama," "Continental Literature and Translation," Shakespeare, and Chaucer. Full story. RENOWNED PALEOANTHROPOLOGIST TO SPEAK AT GCSU Dr. Donald C. Johanson, considered by many to be among the most important and accomplished paleoanthropologists of our time, will lecture on the origins of humankind this month in the Magnolia Ballroom of the Student Activities Center at Georgia College & State University. Over the course of his career, Johanson has produced some of the field's groundbreaking discoveries, including the most widely known and thoroughly studied fossil find of the 20th century, the Lucy skeleton. Full story. AIM TO HONOR MCLA The Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) has announced that Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts will receive its Regional Legacy of Leadership Award. MCLA will be recognized for its work with a variety of community partners to obtain and utilize new resources to enhance the teaching of math, science and technology throughout the region. Full story. UVA-WISE STUDENTS BOAST LEAST DEBT For the third consecutive year, The University of Virginia's College at Wise topped the list of national liberal arts colleges whose students graduate with a low debt load. The UVa-Wise Class of 2005 completed their degrees with less debt than students at any of the nation's other liberal arts colleges, public or private. Full story. ART EXPERT GIVES $500,000 TO CAMPAIGN SUPERIOR Emile Mathis, owner of Mathis Gallery and Frame Shop in Racine, is giving $500,000 toward the construction of the University of Wisconsin-Superior's Rothwell Student Center for the creation of a special art gallery and collection space. "There have been several people in my life who have helped point me in the direction I ended up going," said the internationally recognized dealer and authority on the prints of artist Seymour Haden. Mr. Mathis, a Superior native, graduated from UW-Superior in 1968 with a bachelor of fine arts degree. Full story. COPLAC SCHOOL IS BEST IN COUNTRY COPLAC institutions have long dominated the annual U.S. News and World Report listing of the nation's finest public liberal arts colleges. Now New College of Florida has knocked Virginia Military Institute out of the top spot. Read the full story. PONDER INSTALLED SEPTEMBER 15 Asheville native Anne Ponder will be installed as the University of North Carolina Asheville's sixth Chancellor on Friday, Sept. 15, capping a week of special events across the campus. The formal Installation Ceremony will include a keynote address by Philip H. Jordan Jr., president emeritus of Kenyon College, and an installation address by Dr. Ponder. Dr. Ponder served for 10 years as president of Colby-Sawyer College, an independent liberal arts college in New Hampshire. Full story. ECSU PROFESSOR RECEIVES FULBRIGHT Lisa Rowe Fraustino, associate professor of English at Eastern Connecticut State University, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to lecture and consult on children's literature at Mahasarakham University in Thailand from May 30 to Nov. 21, 2006. Fraustino will assist in the development of a new graduate program designed to train teachers in the use of children's books to teach English. She is one of approximately 800 U.S. university faculty and other professionals who will travel abroad to some 150 countries for the 2006-2007 academic year through the Fulbright Scholar Program. Full story as a PDF file. JACQUELINE JOHNSON TO LEAD UMM University of Minnesota President Robert Bruininks recently announced the appointment of Jacqueline Johnson as the next chancellor for the University of Minnesota, Morris effective Aug. 1. Johnson comes to UMM from Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa, where she served as vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty. According to Professor Nancy Carpenter, chair of the search committee, "Dr. Johnson will be, like Dr. Schuman before her, a passionate advocate for our liberal arts mission." Full story. UMW PROFESSOR WINS 2006 PULITZER PRIZE Claudia Emerson, associate professor of English at the University of Mary Washington, has been named recipient of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry. Emerson was awarded the prize in recognition of her 2005 book, "Late Wife," an autobiographical account of the break-up of her 19-year marriage and the start of her life with a new husband. It is her third book of poetry. Full story. TRUMAN STUDENT SHINES IN NATIONAL FORENSICS COMPETITION Elizabeth Hobbs, a senior biology and pre-education major at Truman State University, ranked fourth nationally at the 2006 Interstate Oratorical Contest in Pensacola, Fla. The contest is widely considered to be one of the most challenging of its kind; Hobbs' performance is one of the best from a Missouri student in recent memory. Full story. CONNECTICUT CELEBRATES TWO NEW BUILDINGS For decades, Margaret "Peg" Wilson, professor emeritus, sought to convince educators like David G. Carter, new chancellor of the Connecticut State University System, that institutions should invest in preschool programs which focused on student needs. Her patience and perseverance paid off on Feb. 28 as she watched University and state officials cut the ribbon on the new Child and Family Development Resource Center at Eastern Connecticut State University. In honor of her efforts, the University has named the $12.5 million complex after her. Earlier in the day, Carter and state officials joined Eastern President Michael Pernal at a groundbreaking ceremony for the $45.85 million Science Building, which will consolidate all of Eastern's science departments into one 173,509-square-foot facility. Construction on the facility is expected to be finished in early 2008. Full story as a PDF file. MERCER TO BE INAUGURATED PRESIDENT OF RAMAPO Dr. Peter Philip Mercer will be inaugurated as the fourth president of Ramapo College of New Jersey in an investiture ceremony May 3, 2006 at 1:30 p.m. Sir David Williams, president of Cambridge University (England) and Dr. Mercer's thesis advisor, will be the guest speaker. Dr. Mercer previously served both as dean of the law school and vice president (administration) and general counsel at the University of Western Ontario. He is the editor of Products Liability in Canada (Oceana, 1988) and co-author of An Introduction to Business Associations in Canada (Carswell, 1984). Full story. GENESEO SIGNS HISTORIC DEGREE PROGRAM AGREEMENT WITH MEXICO State University of New York Chancellor John R. Ryan and Geneseo President Christopher C. Dahl will sign a historic agreement with the head of one of Mexico's leading private universities to establish a dual-diploma degree program in international relations. The signing will take place at 10:30 a.m. on April 13 in Milne Library on the Geneseo campus, making Geneseo the first SUNY school to establish a dual-diploma degree program with a university in Mexico. Full story. TWO GENESEO STUDENTS RECEIVE GOLDWATER HONORS State University of New York at Geneseo student Jessica L. Gucwa has been named a recipient of the national Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship for her achievements and potential in the fields of science. In addition, Geneseo student Laura C. Titus has been named an honorable mention. Gucwa was among 323 undergraduate sophomores and juniors selected from a pool of 1,081 nominees throughout the United States. The Goldwater scholarships recognize academic achievement in the fields of mathematics, science and engineering. Full story. GIFTS TOTALING $6 MILLION HONOR UMW PRESIDENT The University of Mary Washington announced recently that it has received two large gifts from alumni totaling $6 million in honor of President William M. Anderson, Jr., who will retire this June after 23 years at the helm of the university. Arabelle Laws Arrington of Warrenton, Va., a member of the class of 1941, has given the university $5 million, the largest single gift ever received by the university. Sara Page Cosby Mayo of Boston, Mass., a member of the class of 1964, and her husband Richard, have donated $1 million. Full story. GANDHI GRANDSON TO SPEAK AT GENESEO Arun Gandhi, grandson of legendary peace fighter and spiritual leader Mohandas K. "Mahatma" Gandhi, will discuss "Nonviolence or Nonexistence: Options for the 21st Century" at the State University of New York at Geneseo. Material covered will include his 18-month stay with his grandfather in India during British rule and growing up in apartheid South Africa where a person of Indian heritage endured racially-motivated attacks from both blacks and whites. After leading successful projects for economic and social reform in India, Arun Gandhi came to the United States in 1988. In 1991, he and his wife, Sunanda, founded the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, headquartered at Christian Brothers University in Memphis, Tenn. Full story. GC&SU STUDENT ONE OF 15 IN NATION TO LAND STICKELL INTERNSHIP Nichi Witayanonaketavee, a Georgia College & State University senior majoring in marketing, is one of 15 students nationwide to have been offered the prestigious Vance L. Stickell Memorial Student Internship by the American Advertising Federation. The internship, which includes a $5,500 scholarship, was established in 1989 to honor Vance L. Stickell, former executive vice president of marketing for the Los Angeles Times. Full story. KEENE STATE NAMES NEW PROVOST Dr. Emile C. Netzhammer III, dean of arts and humanities at Buffalo State College of the State University of New York, has been named provost of Keene State College after a national search. Netzhammer's appointment will begin July 1. Full story. NCF STUDENT NAMED USA TODAY ACADEMIC ALL-STAR. New College of Florida student Bryson Voirin was recently honored in USA Today's 2006 Academic All-Star team, an annual listing of the top undergraduate students in the United States. Voirin, an Environmental Studies student at New College, was one of only 60 students chosen out of over 600 nominees for this honor. Voirin has worked closely with Environmental Studies professor Meg Lowman on her internationally-recognized rainforest canopy research examining remote treetop habitats. As part of this research, Voirin traveled to Barro Colorado Island, Panama, in January 2004, where he assisted on the set of the international JASON Project. Full story. GC&SU CAMPUS HAS GEORGIA'S BEST SPANISH PROGRAM The Bachelor of Arts in Spanish program in the Department of Modern Foreign Languages at Georgia College & State University is this year's sole prizewinner in the Best Practices in International Education: Degree Program with an Integrated Study Abroad Component competition sponsored by the Office of International Education of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. "This is the second time the Department of Modern Foreign Languages has been recognized for Best Practices," said Dr. Beth Rushing, dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Full story. MLA RECEIVES GRANT TO DEVELOP DOWNTOWN ARTS RESOURCE CENTER Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, in collaboration with the City of North Adams and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, has been awarded a $40,000 grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council to develop the Berkshire Center for Resource Development in the Arts in downtown North Adams. Said President Mary Grant, "It is so important to build upon the cultural economy in Berkshire County. It is fitting that this Resource Center will be located in one of the largest cultural destinations in New England and that it is being housed at the four-year public college where learning and culture go hand-in-hand." Full story. SONOMA PLACES AHEAD OF STANFORD AND UCLA TO RECEIVE RURAL HEALTH GRANT. More than $250,000 will go to new and continuing efforts by Sonoma State University programs to serve the health care needs of rural communities thanks to grants awarded recently. In awarding one of the grants, the Song-Brown Commission, which chose Sonoma over applicants including Stanford and UCLA, commented that Sonoma's was an "exceptionally well written grant demonstrating outstanding innovation in rural practitioner education to meet the ongoing needs of rural and frontier communities." Full story. IT'S DARWIN WEEK AT CHARLESTON This February, the College of Charleston celebrates its sixth annual "Darwin Week," honoring the scientist's "immense contributions to science and the world." Distinguished guest lecturers include Dr. Michael Ruse, a Professor of Philosophy at Florida State University and the author of over twenty books, including "Darwin and Design", "The Evolution Wars", and "Can a Darwinian be a Christian?" Full story. FORMER SENATOR AND AMBASSADOR TO DELIVER GC&SU LECTURE ON MIDDLE EAST. Wyche Fowler Jr., former United States Senator from Georgia who served through 2001 as U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, will present the 2006 Julia A. Flisch Lecture titled "The Future of Democracy in the Middle East" at Georgia College & State University. Fowler is chairman of the Board of Governors of the Middle East Institute and an expert on Saudi Arabia, Middle East Affairs, and U.S. Foreign Policy. Full story. GARRISON KEILLOR BRINGS "A PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION" TO UMM Garrison Keillor will present a live performance and national broadcast of "A Prairie Home Companion" from the University of Minnesota, Morris campus in February. The performance will be heard by more than four million listeners on over 580 public radio stations. Full story. UMW STUDENTS AWARD PHILANTHROPY GRANTS Students enrolled in a new philanthropy course at the University of Mary Washington got to award two $5,000 grants to local nonprofit organizations, thanks to the generosity of the Doris Buffett's Sunshine Lady Foundation. The students chose Rappahannock Refuge, Inc./Hope House and the Fredericksburg Regional Boys and Girls Club from 20 applications. Full story. WASHINGTON POST NAMES EVERGREEN PROFESSOR'S BOOK A 'BEST OF 2005' Marriage, A History, by Evergreen faculty member Stephanie Coontz has been selected as one of the best books of 2005 by the Washington Post. The Post cites Coontz's book as one which "neatly, entertainingly and convincingly deconstructs a number of our most cherished and least examined beliefs about the bonds that tie men and women together, for better and for worse." Full story. COPLACers CONTRIBUTE TO NASA Dr. Norine Noonan, Dean of the College of Charleston School of Mathematics and Science, has been awarded NASA's prestigious Public Service Medal for her work as a member of the NASA advisory council an |