Nicholas Clary, professor of English, this past July was a panelist on “Editing Hamlet,” the first of the panels at the World Shakespeare Congress in Prague. Chairing the panel was Ann Thompson, one of the general eEditors of the Arden Shakespeare third series. She also co-edited the new Arden Hamlet, with Neil Taylor. In addition to Thompson and Taylor, the panel included another American (Hardin Aasand, a co-editor with Nick on the New Variorum Hamlet edition and the HamletWorks Internet site. Alesandro Serpieri (Italian Hamlet editor) and Jesus Tronc-Perez (Spanish Hamlet editor) were also on the panel. Nick made a brief presentation from script and then went live on the Internet to give the audience a “guided tour” of www.hamletworks.org .  Later in the day he joined Pete Donaldson (MIT) in a workshop on Global Shakespeare and the Digital Archive. Here is the link to a brief summary report: http://globalshakespeares.org/blog/news-from-prague .

Laura Crain, library associate director for collection services, presented a session:  “Libraries and eBook Readers” with Virgil Fuller of Green Mountain Library Consortium at the Vermont Library Conference on May 24, 2011.

George Dameron, professor of history, interim History Department chair, interim coordinator of the Humanities Program and coordinator of the Medieval Studies minor, is author of the essay, “Appealing to Rome (and Avignon) before the Black Death:  ecclesiastical disputes and church patronage in medieval Tuscany,” in Rome Across Time and Space:  Cultural Transmission and the Exchange of Ideas, c. 500-1400, edited by Claudia Bolgia, Rosamond McKitterick, and John Osborne (Cambridge:  Cambridge University Press, 2011), pp. 323-337.  The essay was based on an invited paper he presented at a conference on medieval Rome at Cambridge University in 2008.  In April Dameron participated in a symposium at the University of Virginia on teaching Dante using digital resources.  He has been a contributor and consultant to the NEH-funded Web site, The World of Dante.

John Paul Devlin, associate professor of fine arts, theater, served as the production manager for the Saint Michael’s Playhouse season this summer. Current students from Saint Michael’s participating in the season included: Company Manager Heather Lessard ’12; Administrative interns and performers Marla Caram ’13, Kit Rivers ’14, Molly Ziegler ’12; Sound intern Matt Fitzgerald ’12; Electrics intern Alan Hefferon ’14; and Props intern Mary Jo Rodriguez ’13. 

Jordan Douglas, adjunct professor of fine arts/photography, and one of his students, Valentyna Bardakova, presented a show of analog photographs of re-contextualized vintage images in the McCarthy Gallery on campus from July 6-16 with an opening reception on July 6.  The artists each re-interpreted vintage photographs in their co-exhibition of original silver gelatin prints. As they summarized the work in pre-show publicity: “Valentyna Bardakova appropriates several generations of family photographs from theUkraine, in the formerSoviet Union, into her unique and creative vision. Through layers of fabric, ink and various materials, faces and histories emerge in her darkroom lith prints. Jordan Douglas re-contextualizes antique vernacular photographs by re-photographing them and printing them onto watercolor paper with hand applied silver gelatin emulsion.”

Hideko Furukawa, Japanese instructor, and Kellie Campbell, Language Learning Resource Center Manager, presented at the International Association for Language Learning Technology at theUniversity ofCalifornia Irvine in June. The session, entitled “Capturing the Japanese Language,” highlighted the successful use of Tegrity in the language classroom. (Tegrity is a course capture technology being used in many classes at SaintMichaelsCollege.)  The presentation included some of the unique ways in which Hideko has integrated Tegrity in her classroom to enhance her students’ learning, as well as an overview of the technology itself.  Earlier this summer, they presented a similar session on Tegrity in the language classroom at the New England Regional Association for Language Learning Technology atConnecticutCollege inNew London,CT.

Laurie Gagne, director of the Edmundite Center for Peace and Justice, has written a book review of Catholic Social Teaching in a Global Context, (David McDonald, SJ, editor) that will appear in the Fall issue of the Villanova Journal for Peace and Justice Studies. Also, in June a team from Saint Michael’s including Laurie along with Mahmoud Arani, Applied Linguistics chair and coordinator of the Peace and Justice minor, and Bob Brenneman, assistant professor of sociology, attended a week-long seminar on “Teaching Peace in the 21^st Century” at the University of Notre Dame Kroc Institute for Peace Studies. In April, Laurie and Valerie Banschbach, professor of biology and Environmental Studies Program director, visited Navdanya, an organic farm in northern India founded by environmentalist author Vandana Shiva. Their purpose was to do groundwork for a three-week study tour for Saint Michael’s students in conservation biology and sustainable agriculture at Navdanya.

Kristin Gehsmann, associate professor of education, was named winner of the 2011 CODiEAward, in the category of Best Professional Development. Kristin was on the team that wrote, built and published the winning project, Words Their Way Online Workshop. The award was announced by SIIA, the Software and Information Industry Association, at a ceremony during the 8^th annual Ed Tech Industry Summit in Washington, D.C., May 23. Kristin’s project, one of the 30 winners, earned the Best Professional Development Solution award. The 425 nominated products and services were reviewed by third-party judge  whose evaluations determined the 113 finalists. SIIA members then reviewed these finalists and voted to select the 30 winners. Also in May, Kristin co-presented a juried full-day pre-conference institute at the International Reading Association’s Annual Conference inOrlando,Florida. The institute was titled, “Word Study with Struggling Readers: Reading, Spelling and Vocabulary Instruction for Grades 4-12”  In addition, Kristin and co-presenter Marcia Invernizzi, professor of education from the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia, presented a breakout session on the assessment of spelling and its implications for instruction in reading and word study. The International Reading Association is the largest organization of literacy professionals in the world. 

Britta-Lena Lasko was hired in June as the college’s prospect researcher in Institutional Advancement. She had been prospect researcher for University of Virginia from 2006 until coming to Saint Michael’s. Prior to joining the University of Virginia in 2006, Britta-Lena was the on-site program manager at the Center for the Constitution located at James Madison’s home Montpelier in Virginia, 2005-2006. She earned her bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, in anthropology, with a minor in music, from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, in 1999.  While at Bowdoin she was a solo cellist with area orchestras, a private cello instructor and cello teacher at Fingerdance Studio in Charlottesville, Va., from 2004 to the present. Britta-Lena earned an MS degree in photography from the Brooks Institute of Photography of Santa Barbara, Calif., in 2003 with a thesis titled, “A Photo Documentary Study of Contemporary Women in the Maine Fishing Industry.” She has done photography and writing for magazines, including American Craft, National Fisherman, Downeast, Maine Boats and Harbors, Yankee and The Island Journal. Her photography has been exhibited at the Salt Center for Documentary Field Studies, Portland, Maine (1998); Bowdoin College (1999), Brooks Institute of Photography, Santa Barbara, Calif., (2000); the Fisherman’s Forum, Rockland, Maine (2003); Bees & Brooms at C&O Gallery, Charlottesville, Va., (2007) and at Barn Swallow Gallery, Ivy, Va., (2008). Her work is also owned in a number of private collections including theSalt Center, the Maine Maritime Museum, Bowdoin College, Point of Action (Boston), Ziegler (San Francisco), and other galleries. She also is a former member of the Charlottesville Curling League, makes handmade brooms, has volunteered on the Navajo and Hopi reservations and grows heirloom vegetables.

Crystal L’Hote, assistant professor of philosophy, delivered a paper in early July to the joint session of The Mind Association and The Aristotelian Society at the University of Sussex in Brighton, England.  In “Forgiveness and Feeling,” L’Hote develops and defends the claim that emotion plays an essential epistemic role in dyadic personal forgiveness.

Robert Letovsky, professor of business administration & accounting/department chair,  and Valerie Banschbach,  professor of biology and director of the Environmental Studies Program, had  their paper “Developing ‘Green’ Business Plans:  Using Entrepreneurship to Teach Science to Business Administration Majors and Business to Biology majors” published in the Journal of College Science Teaching, inAugust 2011.  The paper is based on their collaboration over the past three years to bring business and biology students together to submit “green” business plans to the College’s annual Enterprise Plan Competition. As part of this collaboration, Letovsky’s section of the business major capstone course, Business Policy and Strategic Management, has met over the course of the entire spring semester with a section of the Biology major’s Senior Seminar, taught by Prof. Banschbach.  During a series of combined class sessions, the business students would present the basics of various aspects of business to the biology majors, and the biology majors would present the scientific issues behind major environmental problems. The students were then formed into teams of 3-5 business and biology majors, and over the course of the next several weeks, research and draft their plans. In 2009, one of these teams won the event, and teams from this initiative have appeared in the EPC finals every year since. The JCT paper will be the third venue in which this experience has been presented. In the summer of 2010, Valerie discussed this capstone collaboration in a panel session of the National Meeting of the Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences in Portland, Oregon.  Valerie and Robert have followed up on that panel by submitting the presentation materials to a special issue of the new Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, which will be focusing on innovations in environmental capstone experiences.

Paul Olsen, instructor of business administration & accounting, this summer had a case that he authored titled “Controversial Burton Snowboards Spark Debate” accepted for publication in the summer edition of the Business Case Journal.  The Journal was to be published and distributed in September 2011. Paul also recently earned certification as senior professional in human resources from the Human Resource Certification Institute.

Terri Selby, director of individual giving in the Office of Institutional Advancement, has been asked to co-chair the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ (Northern New England Chapter) annual conference for next November in Stowe. This is a major annual conference of non-profit fundraising professionals fromVermont,Maine andNew Hampshire. Typically over 1,000 people attend this event. In addition, Terri has been asked to join the board of the AFP-NNE.

Campus update:

The Second Annual Community Service Day and Staff Awards Ceremony on May 25 was another huge success through the efforts of  the Staff Welfare Committee: Anne O’Grady, administrative assistant to the associate dean; David Barrowclough, assistant registrar; Ed Poland, groundskeeper; Garry Smith, custodian; Geri Knortz, director of athletics; Kathy Godlewski, senior access and instructional services specialist/circulation & technical support; Len Whitehouse, upholsterer; Lisa McCormick, administrative assistant, graduate theology; Maureen Dakin, workshop coordinator, Vermont Local Roads; Sarah Gagne, former assistant director of marketing; and Toni Messuri, instructor of English/director of accessibility services; along with ex officio members Heidi St. Peter, director of MOVE,  and Dave Cutler, physical plant director. Staff awards for 2011 went to: John Sheehey, registrar, Distinguished Staff Award for Exemplifying Leadership; Tara Arcury, assistant to the dean, Distinguished Staff Award for Exemplifying Accomplishment; Jane Viens, administrative assistant, History; Fine Arts; Media Studies, Journalism & Digital Arts; Modern Languages & Literature, Distinguished Staff Award for our Unsung Hero; Susan Aubin, Admissions administrative assistant, Distinguished Staff Award for Candidate Representing the Saint Michael’s Mission; Heidi St. Peter, Distinguished Staff Award for the Candidate Embodying the Saint Michael’s Spirit; and Mae Harrington, associate director of custodial services, Distinguished Staff Award for Service.

Projects of service performed on campus included: Baked Love: making meals for area families; Campus Grounds: raking, sweeping entrances & around dumpsters, cutting ivy, weeding flower beds; Chapel: spring cleaning; Community Garden: garden prep, planting and weeding; Early Learning Center: cleaning and yard work; Library Archives: cleaning and organizing; five paint crews, painting St. Joe’s porch, dugouts on 300s field, Old Fire Station, handrails of dorm entrances, and bus stop; walkways and seat numbers on Ross sports center bleachers; Power washing of building exteriors; Window washing; and off- campus: Camp Ta Kum Ta: yard work, spring cleaning, handy work; Catamount Family Center: trail maintenance; COTS: spring cleaning; Rock Point School: yard work; Shelburne Museum: gardening; Winooski Senior Center: deliver meals on wheels and bake treats for BINGO event.

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Two staff members studying in the college’s master’s of science in administration (MSA) program were inducted last April into the Sigma Beta Delta Honor Society for students in business, management, and administration. The honor society serves institutions which offer baccalaureate and graduate degrees in business, management, and administration where the institution holds accreditation from one of the six regional accrediting bodies but not specialized accreditation in business. Chad Ahern ’99, donor relations officer, and David Barrowclough ‘02, assistant registrar, were among 19 undergraduates and 10 graduate students who were inducted during the April ceremony. Also, Mary Gratton of the Finance Office, a Sigma Beta Delta member since 2001, graduated in May along with her daughter with a degree in Business Administration and Accounting.

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The Women’s Spirituality Circle will meet again this semester on the following dates, all Wednesdays:  September 21, October 5, October 19, November 2, November 16, December 7. All meetings will be held at the Center for Women and Gender from 11:45-1:00, allowing for participants to arrive a few minutes early for refreshments and to leave by 12:50 for 1:00 commitments. The book that has been chosen is Standing Alone in Mecca: An American Woman’s Struggle for the Soul of Islam by Asra Q. Nomani. As in the past, Edmundite Campus Ministry and the Center for Women and Gender will share the cost of refreshments and the book.  Those planning to join the group this semester should email Liz Mahoney at erusso@smcvt.edu by Tuesday, September 6, to confirm. In the meantime, the books have arrived at the book store and can be picked up at any time. Please add your name to the list when you pick up your book. The first meeting will include a viewing of the DVD Women of Islam and time to meet one another or reconnect after our summer break. At that gathering, the group also will discuss how to divide the readings for the following discussions sessions. Formal discussion sessions will be on September 21, October 19, November 16 and December 7. The alternate weeks will be for informal reflection and discussion with no assigned reading.