Department and Faculty News

Advertising and Public Relations

Pictured, left to right, are Herb Ritchell, Chuck Ebeling, Al Golin, and Kay Felkins, PhD.

Herb Ritchell was named the director of the program in May 2006. Ritchell brings 30 years of professional advertising and public relations experience to the classroom, having held senior communications positions on both the agency and corporate side. "Student response to the new major has been amazing," says Ritchell. "It's exciting to offer the new program at the Water Tower Campus, the heart of the advertising and public relations community."

Entering its second year, the advertising and public relations program has more than 160 declared majors.

The advertising and public relations program celebrated its one-year anniversary with a reception in May. In attendance were Herb Ritchell, director of the advertising and public relations program; Chuck Ebeling, sponsor of the Ebeling PR-ize^TM; Al Golin, Founder and Chairman of Golin Harris; Kay Felkins, PhD, founding director of the advertising and public relations program.

Winners of the award were (left to right) Mary Chavez, Allison Gannon, and Emily Van Camp

A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the first Ebeling PR-ize^TM by Mr. Chuck Ebeling. Ebeling, formerly head of global communications for McDonald's, presented a $2,000 award to the student team who developed the most outstanding public relations program to build community through public service. Winners of the award were Mary Chavez, Allison Gannon, and Emily Van Camp for their "Choice. Control. Character." campaign to support Loyola's Safety Net Coalition initiative to reduce high-risk alcohol consumption. The campaign was launched during new student orientations this summer.

Anthropology

Dr. Kathleen Adams

Professor Philip Arnold has received a grant of $198,843 from the National Science Foundation for archaeological research in Mexico. The multi-year grant, "Late Classic Transitions at Teotepec, Southern Veracruz, Mexico," will not only support archaeological fieldwork and analysis, but will also allow Loyola anthropology students to participate in this significant research.

Professor Kathleen Adam's book, Art as Politics: Re-Crafting Identities, Tourism and Power in Tana Toraja, Indonesia, was published in August by the University of Hawai'i Press in their prestigious series on Southeast Asian politics, memory, and meaning. This book is based on Professor Adams' ethnographic research on a predominantly Christian minority in the world's most populous Muslim country, and explores the intersection of art, identity, politics, and tourism.

Dr. Laura Miller, with Dr. Ted Bestor of Harvard University

Professor Laura Miller's book Beauty Up: Exploring Contemporary Japanese Body Aesthetics was published in June by the University of California Press. In this book, Professor Miller uses the theoretical basis of social science, combined with information from popular culture, to understand why men and women in Japan are paying so much attention to their bodies.

Professor Fred H. Smith delivered the first annual "Hermann Schaaffhausen Vortrag" lecture at the Rheinisches Landesmuseum in Bonn, Germany, in July. This lecture series honors Professor Hermann Schaaffhausen, who conducted the first scientific analysis of the original Neandertal skeleton found in 1856. Smith's lecture was entitled "Afrikaner, Neandertaler und der Ursprung der modernen Europäer: Eine Verteidigung des Assimilation-Modells" ("Africans, Neandertals and the origin of modern Europeans: A defense of the Assimilation Model").

Asian Studies

Dr. Tracy Pintchman of the Department of Theology

Dr. Tracy Pintchman hosted the Conference on the Study of Religions of India (CSRI) at Loyola University Chicago in June 2006. CSRI is a forum of exchange for scholars engaged in the academic study of the religious traditions of India in both native and diasporic contexts. This national conference will produce a volume, edited by Dr. Pintchman, on the theme of material religion.

Bioethics

In April, the bioethics program hosted a public lecture by Vanessa Northington Gamble, MD, PhD. Dr. Gamble is the Director of the Tuskegee University National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care. She is an internationally recognized expert on the history of race and racism in American medicine, racial and ethnic disparities in health care, cultural competence, diversity, and bioethics.

BIOETHICS 395 students at their poster presentation session

At a May 4, 2006, poster presentation session, students in Bioethics 395, the capstone course for the bioethics minor, discussed their scientific and ethical research on health care conditions with genetic components.

Together with the department of sociology, the bioethics program welcomes Dr. Barbara Katz Rothman to campus on November 2. Rothman is a professor of sociology at City University of New York and author of several books on motherhood, pregnancy, the human genome, and race and adoption. She will present a public lecture entitled, "Now You Can Choose: Sex Selection and Eugenics Reconsidered."

Bioinformatics

REU student researchers and Loyola faculty discuss students' poster presentations

Dr. Howard Laten, Director of the Bioinformatics Program

The Bioinformatics program was awarded a three-year, $285,000 National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) grant and has been hosting 11 students (including four from Loyola) from across the country this summer. Bioinformatics Program Director, Dr. Howard Laten, oversees this national program and is assisted by Dr. Tim O'Brien of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics and Dr. George Thiruvathukal of the Department of Computer Science. Additional Loyola faculty participants included Drs. Boussy, Kelly, Pickett and Williamson from the Department of Biology; Drs. Olsen and Ballicora from the Department of Chemistry; and Drs. Buntinas and Del Greco from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

Communication

This past spring, Loyola students, faculty, and staff convened for a panel entitled Hate Speech, Respect, and Religious Identity. Panelists included: William French, Associate Professor of Theology; Jaime Gelabert, Assistant Professor of Modern Languages; Bren Murphy, Associate Professor of Communication and Director of Women's Studies; Victor Ottati, Associate Professor of Psychology; and John Pelissero, Vice Provost and Professor of Political Science.

Debate coach and Department of Communication instructor, David Romanelli, has connected Loyola University Chicago debaters with inner city high school students through the Chicago Debate League. The Loyola Debate Tournament this spring brought hundreds of Chicago Public School (CPS) students to our campus for intellectual inquiry and competition. This year, Christian Guberna of Hubbard High School, became the fourth Chicago Debate League participant to receive an Eliane Breggenmier Debate Scholarship from Loyola University Chicago. To find out more about the Chicago Debate League visit: http://www.chicagodebateleague.org/.

Every Contact Leaves a Trace, by Dr. Connie Fletcher of the Department of Communication

Dr. Connie Fletcher of the Department of Communication recently published Every Contact Leaves A Trace (St. Martin's Press, 2006), a collection of interviews with 80 forensic science experts. Fletcher and her work are receiving widespread media attention, including a "Chicago Literature" profile in the Chicago Sun-Times, a full-page annotated crime scene illustration in Chicago Magazine and interviews on WLS Radio, WLS TV and WGN Radio.

Julia Lieblich's recent article, "'I'm getting tired of being part of history:' 5 Years After 9/11: An Artist Moves On," appeared on the front page of the Chicago Tribune's Tempo section.

Criminal Justice

Two faculty members in the department recently reached significant service milestones, and were recognized by the University for their commitment and dedication. Dr. Jona Goldschmidt celebrated 10 years of service, and Dr. Magnus Seng celebrated 25 years of service at Loyola University Chicago.

Dr. Robert Lombardo received a Fellowship from the Center for Ethics and Social Justice that will allow him to focus on his research in this area during the Fall 2006 semester.

English

Dr. Steven Jones, professor of Romantic literature, published Against Technology: From the Luddites to Neo-Luddism. The book connects contemporary ideas about technology to the history of the Luddites - the early nineteenth-century laborers who smashed machinery that threatened their jobs - and to novels like Frankenstein that mythologized the power of technology.

A reading of "A Son at the Front," a three-act play about an ambulance driver in World War I, took place on Thursday, September 28. The text for the play will, one day, serve as the libretto for an opera. At the reading, the text for the prologue and epilogue was set to music by Dr. John Frantzen, Professor in the Department of English, and the cast featured students from Loyola's Department of Theatre.

Environmental Studies/Sciences

The Environmental Studies/Sciences program is pleased to report that three of its May, 2006 graduating seniors received honors. Mira E. Kraft, B.S. in Environmental Science, received the Aldo Leopold Award for exemplary academic achievement by a graduating senior in the department. Bonnie A. Rowell, B.A. Environmental Studies, and Elizabeth A. Immel, B.A. Environmental Studies, received honorable mention.

Fine Arts

Yvette Kaiser Smith, a Chicago fiber sculptor, recently exhibited her work at the Crown Center Gallery. Smith's abstract wall sculptures articulate narratives of identity through the language of lace traditions. It is her intent to disintegrate and redefine expectations of a sculptural object. For more on Yvette Kaiser Smith, see http://www.kaisersmith.com.

History

This spring, Dr. Theresa Gross-Diaz of the Department of History and Dr. Blake Dutton of the Department of Philosophy exhibited medieval pictures, artifacts and facsimiles in Cudahy Library on the Lakeshore campus. Gross-Diaz, co-director of the Medieval Studies program, and Dutton have acquired many interesting objects in visits to England, France, Spain and Italy.

Barbara H. Rosenwein, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of History, recently published Emotional Communities in the Early Middle Ages, (Cornell University Press, 2006). Drawing on extensive historical research, as well as cognitive and social constructionist theories of emotions, this book demonstrates that religious beliefs affected emotional styles, even as those styles helped shape religious expression.

Dr. Harold Platt of the Department of History won the Wolman Award honoring his recent book, Shock Cities: The Environmental Transformation and Reform of Manchester and Chicago (University of Chicago Press, 2005). Established in 1987, the Abel Wolman Award recognizes the best new book published in the field of public works history.

International Studies

Dr. Rashid Khalidi discussed his lecture with students as he signed copies of his recent books

In early October, the International Studies program, along with the Department of Political Science and the College of Arts and Sciences Dean's Office, sponsored a lecture by Dr. Rashid Khalidi. Khalidi is the Edward Said Chair in Arab Studies at Columbia University and President of the American Committee on Jerusalem. Past President of the Middle East Studies Association and editor of the Journal of Palestine Studies, Khalidi was an advisor to the Palestinian delegation to the Madrid and Washington Arab-Israeli peace negotiations from October 1991 until June 1993.

Islamic World Studies

Dr. Marcia Hermansen of the Department of Theology has been awarded a Gannon Center for Women and Leadership fellowship to study "Women and Female Leadership in American Sufi Movements" in spring 2007. She was a fellow of the American Research Center in Turkey at Bogazici University during the summer of 2006. In late August, she was one of a small group of scholars invited by the United States Institute of Peace to discuss "Islamic Reform Relating to Conflict and Peace."

Dr. Peter J. Schraeder is a specialist of African politics and international relations in the Department of Political Science. This past summer, he led Loyola students on a travel course to Tunisia that examined the relationship between the Arab world, Islam and U.S. foreign policy. A specialist of comparative foreign policy, U.S. foreign policy toward Africa and the Middle East, and African and Middle Eastern politics, Professor Schraeder is the author/editor of ten books.

Dr. Gunes Murat Tezcur joined Loyola's Political Science and International Relations programs in fall 2006. His forthcoming article in Critique: Critical Middle Eastern Studies is entitled, "Religious Participation among Muslims: Iranian Exceptionalism." This study analyzes the reasons for particularly low mosque attendance in Iran, and concludes that the politicization of religion in Iran has resulted in public apathy towards mosque attendance.

Latin American Studies

Ben Penglase, Ph.D., from Harvard University, recently received a dual-appointment as a tenure-track faculty member in the Department of Anthropology and the Latin American Studies Program. He is a Brazil specialist, and is interested in issues of social justice and violence in the slums of Rio.

Dr. Elizabeth Lozano presented a workshop entitled "Los Hombres Son Asi: Gender Discourses and the Teachings of Violence in Colombia," as part of the American Association of Women in Community Colleges (AAWCC) Conference on Women's Issues and Globalization, held at Truman College in Chicago in spring 2006. Lozano's workshop discussed gender violence within the Colombian setting.

Mathematics and Statistics

Professor Richard Maher of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics edited the volume Innovative Approaches to Undergraduate Mathematics Courses Beyond Calculus. The book was published by the Mathematical Association of America.

Medieval Studies

Modern Languages & Literatures

Dr. Susana Cavallo, Chair of the Department of Modern Languages & Literatures

Dr. Susana Cavallo, Chair of the Department of Modern Languages & Literatures, lectured in the Cervantes Prize Series at the Institute Cervantes of Chicago this past spring. The title of her lecture was "An Old Romance: Jose Hierro's New York Notebook."

Dr. David Posner of the Department of Modern Languages & Literatures recently received a grant from the University's Global Initiative Incentive Fund. Posner's $5,000 grant will assist in developing relationships with faculty at Kenyan and Tanzanian universities, as well as establishing a permanent service program in the region for Loyola students and faculty.

Music

Dr. Bjorn Berkhout, instructor in Loyola's music program, was awarded the Gustav Mahler City of Klagenfurt Composition Prize 2006 for his viola solo and chamber orchestra composition, "Eclipse." "Eclipse" was premiered on July 27, 2006 in Viktring, Austria by the Janus Ensemble, with Christoph Cech conducting. A second performance took place on July 28, 2006 in Toblach, Italy during the Gustav Mahler Music Week.

Philosophy

The Department of Philosophy was recently awarded a $10,000 grant from the University's Global Initiative Incentive Fund for a project entitled "Ethics and Social Policy Issues in Latin America." This grant will support research initiatives linking several of the department's social philosophers to likeminded scholars in both Mexico and Peru.

Physics

The Department of Physics at Loyola University Chicago is one of the largest undergraduate-only, B.S. awarding physics departments in the nation. The American Institute of Physics ranks as "top undergraduate physics departments" those that graduate, on average, ten or more majors per year over a three year period. Loyola's physics department recently crossed this threshold for the first time, graduating fifteen majors in May 2006. In addition, the Department is on track to graduate more than thirty majors in May 2007. Furthermore, through time-intensive freshman projects and other community-building efforts, the Department has successfully recruited and retained female physics majors so that Loyola's current percentage of female physics majors is significantly higher than the national average.

Political Science

In early October, the Department of Political Science, along with the International Studies program and the College of Arts and Sciences Dean's Office, sponsored a lecture by Dr. Rashid Khalidi. Khalidi is the Edward Said Chair in Arab Studies at Columbia University and President of the American Committee on Jerusalem. Past President of the Middle East Studies Association and editor of the Journal of Palestine Studies, Khalidi was an advisor to the Palestinian delegation to the Madrid and Washington Arab-Israeli peace negotiations from October 1991 until June 1993.

Psychology

Dr. Grayson Holmbeck's article, "Post-hoc Probing of Significant Moderational and Mediational Effects in Studies of Pediatric Populations," was recently selected for inclusion in a list of the top 100 papers published in the discipline. Dr. Holmbeck's article was originally published in 2002 in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology.

Dr. James Garbarino, Professor and Maude C. Clark Chair in Humanistic Psychology, delivered an invited address on the origin of aggression in boys and girls to the American Psychological Association (APA) Convention in New Orleans in mid-August. Dr. Garbarino also recently delivered the keynote address, "See Jane Hit: Dealing with the Aggression of Girls," to Australia's National Parenting Conference in Adelaide, Australia.

Tracy Peters (B.S. Psychology, '06) is currently working in Washington, D.C., doing neuropsychological testing at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Peters is a recipient of the Post-baccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA), which provides opportunities for recent college graduates to spend a year engaged in biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Trainees work side-by-side with some of the leading scientists in the world in an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research.

Sociology

Dr. Kenneth Johnson of the Department of Sociology gave an invited presentation on "Demographic Trends in Rural and Small Town America" to approximately 300 planners, policy-makers and interest group members in Washington, D.C. While in the nation's capital, Dr. Johnson also met with the staffs of seven members of the United States Congress (including the staffs of Senators Obama, Durbin and Dorgan) to discuss demographic trends in the Chicago metropolitan area.

Together with the Bioethics program, the Department of Sociology is welcoming Dr. Barbara Katz Rothman to campus on November 2, 2006. Rothman is a professor of sociology at City University of New York and author of several books on motherhood, pregnancy, the human genome, race and adoption. Barbara Katz Rothman will present a public lecture entitled: "Now You Can Choose: Sex Selection and Eugenics Reconsidered."

Theatre

Dr. Jonathan Wilson of the Department of Theatre received a Jeff Award Citation for Best Direction for his production of August Wilson's "Two Trains Running" at Pegasus Players Theatre. Wilson has also been nominated for the Black Theatre Alliance's Lloyd Richardson Award for his direction of the same play.

Actor Jennifer Morrison (B.A. Theatre, '01) appeared in the movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and is a series regular on Fox's popular medical drama House.

Theology

Dr. Susan Ross, Dr. Dick Costigan, S.J. and Dr. Jon Nilson of the Department of Theology were prominently featured in a DVD produced by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The video, called "Understanding the Roman Catholic Church," helps Protestant Christians and others develop a better understanding of the Roman Catholic Church by listening to Roman Catholics tell their own story. To access and download this video at no cost, click here.

Dr. Tracy Pintchman of the Department of Theology hosted the Conference on the Study of Religions of India (CSRI), at Loyola University Chicago in June. CSRI is a forum of exchange for scholars engaged in the academic study of the religious traditions of India in both native and diasporic contexts. This national conference will produce a volume, edited by Dr. Pintchman, on the theme of material religion.

Women's Studies

Daniel Alpert (producer/director) and Susanne Suffredin (editor) were on hand to screen and discuss A Doula Story this past spring. The film not only documents the efforts to provide improved prenatal care and parenting skills for poor, teen mothers, but has become an integral part of expanding those efforts to new communities.

This spring, a lecture by Susan Douglas, co-author of The Mommy Myth: The Idealization of Motherhood and How It Has Undermined All Women, was co-sponsored by Evoke, Women's Studies, Women's History Month, and the Gannon Center. Douglas, a self-professed "mother with an attitude," took a powerful and self-deprecating look at "the new momism" and the media's obsession with motherhood. Douglas debunked the myths while offering hopeful ways to reclaim what it really means to be a mother.

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