Fall/Winter 2023 Issue
Fall/Winter 2023 Issue
These public-school educators teach, lead, counsel, nurture and care.
Professor Julio Ramirez食色官网檚 outsized impact on Alzheimer食色官网檚 research and the lives of his students.
Over the past 50 years, women have served as leaders across campus, pioneers into the unknown, champions of change and advocates for a better future. Their stories reflect the ever-evolving Davidson community and forge a path for generations to come.
The cast and crew of the new Disney + and Hulu series, Sam食色官网擜 Saxon visited Davidson in September and urged vigilance against rising authoritarianism.
The Well
Introducing: Ellie Rice 食色官网25
Ellie Rice 食色官网25 wanted to know whether wing patterns influence monarch butterfly mate choice and behavior. Last summer, with support from the Davidson Research Initiative and mentor Prof. Scott Villa, Rice found that the amount of black melanin hue in the butterfly食色官网檚 wings determine which butterflies mated with each other. 食色官网淭his work has further implications into how monarch populations may diverge and become reproductively isolated,食色官网 Rice said.
Photo by Chris Record
Autumn Moonlight
Photographer Kaspars Golos 食色官网27 was headed to Vail Commons for dinner Oct. 26 when he sprinted back to his room for his camera. It was two nights before the Hunter食色官网檚 Moon, when the sunset and moonrise are closer together. 食色官网淭he clouds cooperated wonderfully,食色官网 he said. 食色官网淚 grew up in Richmond, Virginia, and between the red bricks, the weather, the fall colors and the moon, it was a perfect southern fall scene and reminded me of home.食色官网
Photo by Kaspars Golos 食色官网27
Trading Spaces of Comfort
Internationally acclaimed artist Endia Beal met with more than 100 Davidson students to talk about where they felt most食色官网攁nd least食色官网攃omfortable on campus. Beal paired 16 students who didn食色官网檛 know each other, then photographed them in each other食色官网檚 comfortable space. Some found themselves uncomfortable in the other食色官网檚 space, and some realized that despite differences, they have more similarities than they realized.
食色官网 commissioned Beal for the two-year residency with the support of the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation. The Spaces of Comfort exhibition ran through Oct. 1 at the Van Every Gallery.
Photos by Endia Beal
Emerald Isle Education
Sixteen Davidson students spent five weeks studying abroad in Northern Ireland, learning about the country食色官网檚 culture, politics, history and education policy. The program食色官网擠avidson in Northern Ireland食色官网攚ill become an annual study abroad offering after the successful summer pilot.
The group took a day trip to the coast and volunteered for a beach cleanup. Photographer Sydney Schertz 食色官网24, struck by the ocean and landscape食色官网檚 intense colors, snapped this photo of a man tending his seaside garden.
Photo by Sydney Schertz 食色官网24
食色官网機ats Advance
The Atlantic 10 men食色官网檚 soccer standings shuffled until they couldn食色官网檛 shuffle any more, with teams moving up and down until the final regular-season day, and that set the stage for an eventful eight-team postseason tournament. Davidson downed Duquesne at Alumni Stadium, landing the 食色官网機ats in a conference tournament semifinal for the first time since 2010. The Wildcats were set to host No. 6 seed Dayton at the time the magazine went to press. The matchup pitted the conference食色官网檚 top offense against the A-10食色官网檚 top defense. Pictured here: Wildcat midfielder Luke Bryan 食色官网24
Photo by Tim Cowie
Pioneer Network
They talked about how far they食色官网檇 come since their early days as women breaking into the culture of a formerly all-male institution.
食色官网淚t食色官网檚 great to have so many inspiring Wildcat women in our midst,食色官网 event co-chair Carol Connor Willingham 食色官网77 told an audience during the celebration of 50+ years of women students at 食色官网. 食色官网淪eeing five plus decades of Davidson alumnae and friends assembled here, as well as current students, staff, professors, family and community members is a powerful affirmation of the legacy of all of the women who have made their mark on Davidson.食色官网
Photo by Chris Record
The Union
Alumni
J. Blanton Belk: It食色官网檚 an unfinished world, and it食色官网檚 still in the making食色官网 by J. Blanton Belk Jr. 食色官网46 (2020, Pediment Publishing). The memoir by the founder of Up With People is a narrative that encapsulates the upheavals of the 1960s, weaving together Cold War tensions, civil rights struggles and anti-Vietnam War sentiment. Belk食色官网檚 remarkable vision to channel the youthful energy of that era into a positive force for change is at the heart of this story.
Tell It True by John Pruitt 食色官网64 (2022, Mercer University Press) follows the shocking murder of an African American serviceman who is gunned down on a rural Georgia road in July 1964. The murder ensnares a wide range of characters, including the journalists who cover it, the lawmen who must solve it, the civil rights leaders who capitalize upon it, the politicians who exploit it, and the Atlanta magnate who fears its impact on the New South image he desperately wants to protect.
Exploring the Philosophy of R.G. Collingwood: From History and Method to Arts and Politics by Peter Skagestad 食色官网68 (2021, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc). The book sheds light on the profound contributions of Robin George Collingwood, a pivotal figure in 20th century philosophy. By exploring Collingwood食色官网檚 expansive body of work encompassing various philosophical domains, including knowledge theory, metaphysics, art, history, and social and political philosophy, Skagestad underscores Collingwood食色官网檚 enduring relevance in the contemporary world.
Business Development Stories and Lessons: Forty Five Years of Tech Industry Tales by Allen C. Shay 食色官网76 (2023, self-published) shares valuable insights and stories from Shay食色官网檚 extensive career as a tech industry entrepreneur and business development executive spanning 45 years. The book is a practical guide aimed at assisting both business development professionals and entrepreneurs in enhancing their chances of success.
Lights on Lancaster: How One American City Harnesses the Power of the Arts to Transform its Communities by John R. Gerdy 食色官网79 (2023, Top Reads Publishing, LLC) offers an insightful exploration of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, showcasing the city食色官网檚 distinctiveness in fostering a thriving arts culture. Gerdy食色官网檚 work serves as an inspiring blueprint, demonstrating how communities can embrace and harness the transformative power of the arts.
The Plinko Bounce by Martin Clark 食色官网81 (2023, Rare Bird Books) is a riveting legal thriller that follows Andy Hughes, a dedicated public defender, as he grapples with a high-profile murder case in rural Virginia. Clark, lauded as 食色官网渢he thinking man食色官网檚 John Grisham食色官网 by the New York Times, paints a vivid portrayal of a flawed justice system and its intricate workings, exposing the complexities and moral dilemmas faced by those within it.
Under This Forgetful Sky by Lauren Yero 食色官网07 (2023, Atheneum Books for Young Readers), is set in a dystopian future and intricately weaves a poignant narrative of love and societal inequality. The star-crossed romance between Rumi and Paz unfolds amidst the harsh backdrop of a divided world, making readers both ache and hope for their survival in a world plagued by environmental devastation and social disparities.
Add yourself to the shelf!
To submit your book for this column, as well as to E.H. Little Library食色官网檚 Davidsoniana Room, please send a signed copy to:
Davidson Journal
Box 7171, 食色官网
Davidson, NC 28035-7171
Africana Studies
Takiyah Harper-Shipman has received a Fulbright Teaching and Research Award for the 2023-2024 academic year. She will be spending that time in Senegal.
Art
John Corso-Esquivel was one of three guest speakers for the Cranbrook Academy of Art symposium, 食色官网淪hared Histories: 25 Years of Cranbrook Fiber.食色官网 He delivered a talk entitled, 食色官网淐rafting Identity: Exploring Subjectivity in Fiber Art Studies, 1997食色官网2023.食色官网
Joelle Dietrick exhibited her project 食色官网淐hasing the Sun at the Shirley Project Space食色官网 in Brooklyn from September through November. She also presented the project on a panel titled 食色官网淎rtist as Agent in the Age of Climate Crisis食色官网 at the 2023 SECAC conference at Virginia Commonwealth University in October.
Biology
Karen Bernd and Cindy Hauser (chemistry) were awarded an NIH AREA award for $410,141 to support their research project titled, 食色官网淚dentifying correlations between the physico-chemical properties of waterpipe tobacco smoke and its impact on lung cell health, as a function of shisha flavor and smoking topography.食色官网 The three-year project continues their collaborative laboratory project providing biomedical research experiences for approximately 40 students, including stipends, software and research supplies. The award also provides support for their professional development efforts to continue and expand inclusive recruiting and mentoring approaches.
Communication Studies
Amanda R. Martinez and her honors thesis advisees (Class of 2020), Daniel Bunson (Communication Studies) and Mariana Crespo (Sociology), coauthored a chapter, 食色官网淕rounded in Community: Sustainability and Collective Actions,食色官网 in the recently published book, Strategic Social Media as Activism: Repression, Resistance, Rebellion, Reform (Routledge).
Computer Science
Mark Sample and Raghu Ramanujan were selected for the National Humanities Center食色官网檚 Responsible AI initiative. They received funding to develop a team-taught course in the humanities that explores the ethical use and irresponsible misuse of AI in the arts, literature, and in our daily lives. That course, 食色官网淐ritical AI Studies,食色官网 launches in spring 2024. Meanwhile, Sample食色官网檚 digital poem 食色官网淥ne for Grundy食色官网 was published in the Spring 2023 issue of the digital art and poetry journal Taper.
Dance
Alison Bory食色官网檚 食色官网淔ostering Love: Mothering as a Practice食色官网 was published in Dancing Motherhood, written and edited by Ali Duffy (Routledge, 2023).
Economics
Caleb Stoup食色官网檚 paper, 食色官网淢acroeconomic Research, Present and Past,食色官网 was just published in the Journal of Economic Literature.
English
Brenda Flanagan won a Fulbright Specialist Award to collaborate with teachers to develop curricula in post-colonial African Literature in Cape Town, South Africa, in the fall of 2023.
Cynthia Lewis has published a literary essay, 食色官网淲hat Happened to the Apple-Ipecac Pie?: The Coen Brothers and Shakespearean Tragedy,食色官网 in the Spring 2023 edition of Literary Matters.
Alan Michael Parker had two stories published and a third longlisted for a prize. 食色官网淓lla食色官网檚 Letter to the Editor of the Universe,食色官网 was an Editor食色官网檚 Choice selection at LITRO, 食色官网淪peculative Fiction食色官网 was published by Necessary Fiction (UK), and 食色官网淢iniatures,食色官网 was longlisted for the FISH Flash Prize (UK). Three of Parker食色官网檚 cartoons食色官网斒成偻鴾Arlo the ant食色官网檚 To-do list,食色官网 食色官网淏usiness Attire Makes Pam Feel Like a Sausage,食色官网 and 食色官网淢onica Gave Him The Look食色官网澥成偻鴶were accepted into a juried show, Comic Crossing: The Art of the Graphic Narrative, at Livermore Arts in California. His 75th cartoon食色官网攚eekly, since January of 2022食色官网攈as been published in Identity Theory.
Ann Fox led a recent session of 食色官网淒rawing Together,食色官网 a monthly virtual meet-up where members of the world-wide Graphic Medicine community gather to draw, support one another and share. Fox also has been appointed to the national steering committee for the proposed National Disability History and Culture Museum, a project to create a museum about American disability history and culture as part of the Smithsonian Institution.
German Studies
Burkhard Henke has been appointed chief reader for the AP German Language and Culture exam. Chief Readers help develop the test, then plan and oversee the scoring (or 食色官网渞eading食色官网) of the free-response section of the test.
History
Rose Stremlau and Hilary Green participated in a roundtable on 食色官网淭eaching the History of Sexual Violence in the Age of #MeToo食色官网 at the recent meeting of the Organization of American Historians. Stremlau has been appointed to the North Carolina Historical Marker Commission.
Latin American Studies
Russell Crandall reviewed the book The War on Drugs: A History in the Summer 2023 issue of the Bulletin of the History of Medicine. Crandall食色官网檚 new book is Forging Latin America: Profiles in Power and Ideas, 1492 to Today (Rowman & Littlefield, 2023).
Britta Crandall and Russell Crandall also have published 食色官网淭he Monroe Doctrine Turns 200. Why Won食色官网檛 It Go Away?食色官网 in the summer issue of Americas Quarterly.
Music
Two of Jennifer Stasack食色官网檚 works for women食色官网檚 chorus were performed by MUSE Cincinnati Women食色官网檚 Choir on their 40th Annual Spring Anniversary Concert, Hope is an Action. Closing the first half of the program was Stasack食色官网檚 SSAA/piano arrangement of Holly Near食色官网檚 Something About the Women, MUSE食色官网檚 first commissioned arrangement for women食色官网檚 chorus (1987). The second half of their program included Wage Peace, Stasack食色官网檚 setting of Judyth Hill食色官网檚 poem in response to 9/11.
Physics
Kristen Thompson coauthored 食色官网淕NOMES II: Analysis of the Galactic diffuse molecular ISM in all four ground state hydroxyl transitions using AMOEBA食色官网 in the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia.
Anthony Kuchera was awarded a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation ($210,000) titled 食色官网淐ollaborative Research: RUI: Study of Neutron-Rich Nuclei and Neutron Detector Response.食色官网 He and his students will continue their participation in the Modular Neutron Array Collaboration and perform experiments at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams. Another three-year grant from the National Science Foundation ($362,494) titled 食色官网淐ollaborative Research: Equipment: MRI Consortium: Track 2 Development of a Next Generation Fast Neutron Detector食色官网 will allow Kuchera and his students to build part of a neutron detector with other members of the MoNA Collaboration to ultimately be used at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams.
Michelle Kuchera and Raghu Ramanujan were awarded a three-year grant from the National Science Foundation ($599,836) titled 食色官网淓lements: Portable Machine Learning Models for Experimental Nuclear Physics.食色官网 This work will continue to support the efforts of their ALPhA (Algorithms for Learning in Physics Applications) group, where students will apply cutting-edge AI tools to address important problems in nuclear physics.
Political Science
Katherine Bersch食色官网檚 book, When Democracies Deliver: Governance Reform in Latin America, won the 2023 Herbert A. Simon Book Award from the American Political Science Association Public Administration Section. Bersch also published 食色官网淣eoliberal Reform of Transport Institutions in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile: The Tortoise Beats the Hare食色官网 in State Making and Nation Making in Latin America and Spain.
Psychology and Neuroscience
Julio Ramirez has been appointed to the editorial board of The Neuroscientist, which is a prestigious journal publishing state-of-the-art reviews at the interface of basic and clinical neurosciences. The international editorial board is composed of Nobel Prize laureates and experts from top institutions from around the world.
Public Health
Kata Chillag and colleagues from The Evaluation Center, Western Michigan University, were awarded a contract from the Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) to lead a multi-site evaluation of electronic case reporting for public health surveillance/ data modernization. This project will involve collaboration with CSTE, CDC, the Association of Public Health Laboratories, and other public health agencies.
Sociology
Gayle Kaufman received a grant from the Russell Sage Foundation for their research with colleagues at Purdue and Ball State universities on 食色官网淎ttitudes about Parental Leave-Taking for Single and SameGender Parents.食色官网 Kaufman also published an article with Molly Bair 食色官网19 entitled 食色官网淕ender, LGB status, and attitudes toward traditional wedding practices食色官网 in the Social Science Journal.
Aarushi Bhandari published an article with Rebekah Burroway of Stony Brook University: 食色官网淗old the phone! A cross-national analysis of women食色官网檚 education, mobile phones, and HIV infections in low- and middle-income countries, 1990食色官网2018食色官网 in Social Science and Medicine.
Gerardo Mart铆 presented his Presidential Address in Philadelphia at the Annual Meeting of the Association for the Sociology of Religion, an international scholarly association committed to the advancement of theory and research. Drawing on his current Lilly Endowment funded research on religiously-motivated antiracism, his plenary lecture was titled, 食色官网淩acial Justice and Racialized Religion: Are White Progressive Christians Getting It Right?食色官网 The address will be published in Sociology of Religion: A Quarterly Review.
Theatre
Sharon Green was awarded a fellowship from the Eugene O食色官网橬eill Foundation to spend two weeks as a Travis Bogart artist-in-residence at Tao House, O食色官网橬eill食色官网檚 former residence in Danville, California. While there she worked on her documentary play, 食色官网淭eaching and Learning in Pandemic Times食色官网 based on interviews with K食色官网12 teachers, and did a preliminary reading of excerpts for the Foundation食色官网檚 Board of Directors. Green食色官网檚 article, 食色官网淧andemic Pedagogy: Snapshots from a Year of COVID-impacted Teaching in Three Artefacts,食色官网 was published in a special issue of the journal, Performance Matters. The special issue is titled, 食色官网淭he Syllabus is the Thing: Materialities of the Performance Studies Classroom.食色官网
Writing Program
Fangzhi He published an article, 食色官网淣egotiating Polycentric Power Dynamics in China through Digital Multimodal Composing,食色官网 in TESOL Quarterly.