|
Vol. 6, No. 1 - September 1, 2006
College Included in Special Report by Kaplan/Newsweek Skidmore is included on the list of "25 New Ivies" recently released by Kaplan/Newsweek. The story appears in the Aug. 21 issue of Newsweek magazine and in the forthcoming Kaplan/Newsweek Guide to Getting into College, which explained, "The demand for an excellent education has created an ever-expanding supply of big and small campuses that provide great academics and first-rate faculties." Acknowledging the story, President Philip A. Glotzbach said, "We appreciate this recognition because it reflects the tremendous strength of our faculty and curriculum, and the accomplishments of our students. Any list or ranking, of course, has inherent limitations. We believe that the best way for prospective students and their families to learn about Skidmore is to visit the campus to see firsthand the people and qualities that make this a special place to live and learn." In addition to noting the breadth of the College's curriculum and its international programs, the entry for Skidmore praises its location in "picturesque" Saratoga Springs. Skidmore is featured on page 11 in the story. Click here for the complete report. Poston Named to National Science Board Muriel Poston, dean of the faculty, has been named to a three-year term on the Board on Life Sciences (BLS) of the National Research Council at the National Academy of Life Sciences. Said Poston, "The appointment is quite an honor. This is a great opportunity to work with other scientists who have a commitment to enhancing undergraduate education and to understanding the challenging and complex issues facing science today." The BLS provides advice to government and the scientific community on the biological sciences and their impact on society. By maintaining expertise in and understanding of the full spectrum of life science disciplines - from molecular genetics to ecology - the board is able to deal with issues of both basic science (such as knowledge gaps, research priorities, and needed investments) and the higher level policy concerns involving basic science. The BLS has a strong history in supporting the improvement of biology education, particularly at the undergraduate level, and is dedicated to maintaining a robust life sciences workforce. The board currently meets twice a year to conduct oversight of ongoing and planned projects, and to develop new ideas for studies. Prior to coming to Skidmore in 2005, Poston was a faculty member in the biology department of Howard University for 25 years and a deputy division director at the National Science Foundation. Her primary research interests were in plant systematics, especially the evolutionary relationships of neotropical plants. Sinopoli Dancers to Premiere New Work on Campus The Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company will present two performances of a new work, SPILL OUT! at 8 p.m. Sept. 29 and 30 on the Skidmore campus. An innovative interweaving of dance and architecture, SPILL OUT! will premiere this September and October at three regional locations —Troy, Skidmore, and the University at Albany. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students and children. For information, call the Dance Theater box office at 580-5392. SPILL OUT! merges two unlike art forms — architectural design and modern dance-to explore how a site-specific architectural installation can transform dance movement, and movement can transform the site. In making the piece, choreographer Sinopoli, whose troupe is the resident dance company at the Egg in Albany, collaborated with architectural designer Frances Bronet and architecture students from the University of Oregon and with technical designer Sid Fleisher and RPI architecture students. The resulting architectural infrastructure, within which Sinopoli's five dancers will perform, is 40 feet long, 12 feet tall, and wrapped in hundreds of elasticized bands. Working within it, says Sinopoli "literally takes the dancers to the extreme edge of discovery as they create a real and singular symbiosis between architecture and dance." The one-hour performance will incorporate video by Ralph Pascucci of Myriad Productions, lighting design by David Yergan of the Skidmore theater department, and recorded music by Chicago-based composer/musician William Harper. During the company's weeklong Skidmore residency Sept. 25-30, Sinopoli dancers will also work with first-year students in conjunction with the First-Year Experience program, and perform lecture-demonstrations for students from Glens Falls Middle School and Mayfield Elementary School. Author Gregory Howard Williams to Visit Sept. 20 Gregory Howard Williams, president of the City College of New York and author, will visit Skidmore for a lecture and discussion Wednesday, Sept. 20. His talk is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. in Gannett Auditorium of Palamountain Hall. The First-Year Experience is sponsoring the event, which is free and open to the public. Born in 1943, Williams underwent a significant period of racial turmoil in his childhood, detailed in his memoir Life on the Color Line: The True Story of a White Boy Who Discovered He Was Black (New York: Plume 1996). At a pivotal moment in his adolescence Williams discovered that his presumptions of being white, growing up in segregated Virginia, were changed radically by a move to Muncie, Ind., when he discovered that his father's family was black. As his father had struggled to overcome significant obstacles to go to college at Howard University, although he never graduated, so Williams was encouraged to cultivate a passion for education and knowledge. Williams graduated from Ball State University and received J.D. and Ph.D. degrees from George Washington University, during which time he worked as an aide to a United States senator. In addition to his five earned degrees, Williams has received three honorary doctorates. Life on the Color Line was the summer reading selection for Skidmore's Class of 2010. The First-Year Experience web site provides background information on the author and the book, along with questions for members of the class to consider in their reading and discussions in the days ahead. Media Update Recent Skidmore faculty and staff members who served as sources for stories in the regional and national media include the following: Marie alice Arnold, senior program coordinator, International Programs, was a source for a July 21 Post-Star (Glens Falls) story on international travel safety titled "Americans are often targets of kidnapping." Mary Lou Bates, dean of admissions and financial aid, and Anita Steigerwald, associate dean of student affairs, were sources for a June 18 Capital District Business Review article titled "Demographic shift pushes colleges to diversify student body." The story also appeared on MSNBC.com. Sandy Baum, professor of economics, was quoted in the "Education Life" section of the July 30 New York Times in a story titled "The Stepparent Trap." In addition, she was interviewed for a June 28 story titled "Students Rushing to Refinance Loans" that ran on the AP national wire and appeared in a number of U.S. newspapers as well as The Guardian (UK). A June 16 Hawaii Reporter story titled "College Board Misguided on Student Debt Proposals" analyzed a report co-written by Baum and Saul Schwartz of Carleton University titled "How Much Debt Is Too Much?" Baum also was a source for a June 12 USA Today article titled "In debt before you start" and a June 11 New York Times Magazine story titled "Forgive Us Our Student Debts." Janet Galligani Casey, visiting associate professor of English, was interviewed for a story titled "Working-Class Students Distinctly Diverse - and Uncelebrated" published in the March 13 issue of Hispanic Outlook. Jennifer Delton, associate professor and chair, Department of History, was interviewed by Newhouse News Service for a report titled "What Makes a World War?" The story moved on the NNS wire July 26. Cori Filson, director of international programs, was interviewed on the topic of international travel safety by The Saratogian for an Aug. 11 story titled "48 Skidmore students still going to London." Roy Ginsberg, professor of government, was interviewed June 20 by BBC Radio's World Today on President Bush's visit to Europe and issues related to Iraq, Iran, and Guantanamo Bay. He also was a source for a story titled "Outrage over Guantanamo Bay could mar Bush trip to Europe" published in the June 20 Baltimore Sun. Steven Hoffmann, professor of government, was the author of a letter titled "The U.S.-India nuclear deal is critical," published June 7 in the Los Angeles Times. Penny Jolly, William R. Kenan Professor of Liberal Arts and professor of art history, was interviewed July 10 by Fox News for a broadcast report on images of pregnant women. Paula Newberg, dean of special programs, was a source for an Aug. 6 article titled "Summer camps at colleges benefit students and schools" published in The Sunday Gazette (Schenectady) and discussed terrorism in south Asia on Warren Olney's To the Point, airing June 13 on National Public Radio. Pat Oles, dean of student affairs, was a source for an Aug. 24 article in The Daily Gazette titled "Survival guide for freshmen." R. Parthasarathy, associate professor of English, was a source for several stories on noted Indian novelist Hassan Raja Rao, who died July 8 in Texas. Parthasarathy's comments appeared in the July 20 Los Angeles Times and July 8 on daijiworld.com (India). He also wrote a tribute to Rao that was published July 30 in The Hindu, India's national newspaper. Parthasarathy was Rao's editor from 1974 to 1998. Robert Shorb, director of student aid and family finance, along with Sandy Baum, was a source for a June 12 Saratogian story titled "Debt just a part of the college experience." Sue Van Hook, senior teaching associate, Biology, was interviewed by The Sunday Gazette for a July 16 story titled "Fine year for fungi finders." Mark Youndt, chair, Department of Management and Business, was interviewed by the Burlington (Vt.) Free Press for a June 8 story titled "Business bootcamp at UVM prepares students for the real world."
Skidmore Intercom |