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Featured Stories Weinstock explores ghastly research Visiting professor teaches course on humor Professors receive grant to open library CMU extends Griffin chair's term Hartshorne receives CHARGE award Jesuit receives income study award Newby receives diversity award Clinical psychology receives accreditation
Weinstock explores ghastly research For Americans, ghosts represent much more than just spooky specters, says English professor Jeffrey Weinstock. Throughout time, ghosts in American literature have signified representations of the American culture at large: a yearning to reconnect with lost loved ones, a reminder of cultural dilemmas like racism and slavery, or personal struggles like domestic abuse, according to Weinstock.
“Ghosts have remained an area of fascination,” said Weinstock. “But no one had thought to try and actually examine in a book the importance of ghosts to American literature across time.” Through an examination of literature from the 19th century to the present day for “Spectral America,” Weinstock has found that ghosts and hauntings have played an important role for people over time. During the period following the Civil War, for example, Americans were excited by the idea of spiritualism, or the idea that the living could communicate with the dead — a fascinating prospect for the thousands of people who lost family members to the war. When Weinstock looks at the differences between ghosts as told by male and female writers, he has found striking differences. “For women writers, ghosts communicate a sense of unease about the place of women in American culture, an anxiety, a sense of confinement,” he said. In addition to his research on the supernatural, Weinstock also is an expert on “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” making him a popular resource for media interviews each year near Halloween. He currently is editing a collection of essays called “Reading Rocky: The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Popular Culture.” “‘Rocky Horror,’ it must be acknowledged, is the oddest of things: a relatively low-budget gender-bending mishmash of genres that somehow manages to provoke a response famously from its audience which dances, talks back to the film, and acts out the action along with the characters,” he said.
Visiting history professor teaches course on 'Humor in the Ancient World'
Paul Schulten, an associate professor at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, is teaching two history courses as a guest professor at CMU, including a mixed upper-level undergraduate and graduate class on “Humor in the Ancient World.” He also is teaching an ancient Greek and Roman history course for undergraduates. “This is an excellent opportunity to take a class from an esteemed visiting professor,” said Tim Hall, chairman of CMU’s history department. Hall said that the department hasn’t brought in a visiting professor for several years. Schulten’s area of expertise — especially in the area of humor — is particularly unique. “I’m sure it’s something very unusual,” he said. “It’s coming out of his research.” At Erasmus University, Schulten teaches courses on ancient history, historical representations, and the history of warfare. He has published several scholarly articles and books — the most recent, “Living Next to the Catastrophe: The Netherlands During World War I.”
Professors receive grant to open library CMU psychology faculty members Carl Johnson and Sharon Bradley-Johnson received a $250,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Education through support from the Michigan legislature for the first lending library to benefit young children with disabilities. “The purpose of our grant is to establish a lending library of tests,” said Bradley-Johnson. “We will provide consultation to school staff and lend assessment materials to assist Michigan school districts in meeting the needs of these children.” The Central Assessment Lending Library (CALL) will lend tests to school personnel for children from birth to 3 years old with low-incidence disabilities such as vision impairment, hearing impairment, motor impairment, severe cognitive impairment, and autism. The tests will be used to examine the children’s psychoeducational progress, including their cognitive development, daily living skills, and social behavior. “Children with low-incidence disabilities have unique needs making traditional tests inappropriate,” said Bradley-Johnson. “Instead they need specialized tests that are often expensive. Because of the expense, appropriate tests frequently are not available, especially in rural school districts.” Johnson, Bradley-Johnson, and doctoral students in CMU’s school psychology program will staff the library which opened Jan. 9th in Sloan Hall.
Sharon Bradley-Johnson Carl Johnson
CMU extends Ballenger's term as Griffin Chair
Ballenger, the editor and publisher of Inside Michigan Politics, has accepted CMU’s offer to serve one additional year as the Robert and Marjorie Griffin Endowed Chair in American Government. The decision to extend the three-year contract is based on Ballenger’s notable success as chairman. His extension was recommended by the political science department and the College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences. “I am delighted that Bill has agreed to extend his term as chair,” said E. Gary Shapiro, dean of the college. “He has been a tremendous positive influence on our students and has helped us to increase enrollment in the Griffin seminars.” “Likewise, his affiliations with individuals in political and corporate communities and in radio and television have enabled CMU to host unique and engaging public forums that pique the interest of diverse audiences,” said Shapiro. As chairman, Ballenger teaches two political science seminars and organizes two forums that address public policy issues each year. He also invites prominent business and political leaders to speak in his classes and travels with his students to Lansing to tour the Capitol and meet with elected officials each semester. Ballenger, who began his term as chairman in the fall of 2003, is a former state representative, state senator, director of the State Department of Licensing and Regulation, and a former state racing commissioner. He served as deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare in President Gerald R. Ford’s administration. The Griffin Endowment funds the salary and associated costs of a government and public policy expert who serves as a faculty member in CMU’s Department of Political Science. The endowment honors Robert and Marjorie Griffin, both distinguished CMU alumni.
Hartshorne receives 'Star in CHARGE' award Psychology professor Timothy Hartshorne received the “Star in CHARGE” award at the International CHARGE Syndrome Conference held in Miami Beach last July. CHARGE syndrome is a congenital disorder with multiple physical, sensory, and behavioral anomalies, such as hearing loss, vision loss, and balance problems which can delay the child’s development and communication. Hartshorne received the award in recognition of his pioneering research on the complex behavior disorders associated with sensory deficits that are common in CHARGE syndrome. Last year he edited and contributed to a special edition of the “American Journal of Medical Genetics” devoted entirely to the description of the unique behavioral phenotype in CHARGE syndrome. His research has helped to establish a knowledge base that is shared with parents and professionals through the CHARGE Syndrome Foundation. Hartshorne and his wife, CMU psychology assistant professor Nancy Hartshorne, have a teenage son, Jacob, who has this disorder. The mission of the CHARGE Syndrome Foundation is to provide support to individuals with CHARGE syndrome and their families; to gather, develop, maintain and distribute information about CHARGE; and to promote awareness and research regarding its identification, cause and management.
Jesuit receives income study award
The paper, co-written by Vince Mahler, provides an overview of the many opportunities the Luxembourg Income Study data set provides to measure the distributive effect of taxes and transfers in developed countries. The award was created in 1994 in memory of scholar Aldi Hagenaars to recognize researchers, under the age of 40, who write the best LIS working paper during the previous year. The winner receives a $500 cash prize and an invitation to serve as a faculty member and present the winning paper at the next LIS summer workshop.
Newby receives diversity award
The award is given by the President’s Advisory Council on Affirmative Action and Campus Equity to recognize CMU faculty, staff, administrators or units that have made outstanding contributions toward achieving diversity at CMU. Newby teaches courses on racism and inequality and the civil rights movement. In 2003 he received a lifetime achievement award from the American Sociological Association in honor of his distinguished career of scholarship, teaching, and mentoring.
Clinical psychology receives accreditation The American Psychology Association recently granted CMU’s clinical psychology program a seven-year accreditation, the longest accreditation period available. “Seven years clearly indicates they’re not worried about us,” said George Ronan, who was the director of the graduate program during the accreditation process and also is a psychology faculty member at CMU. Three members of the American Psychology Association came to CMU for three days in April to review the program. Representatives from the University of South Dakota, Duquesne University, and Texas Tech University met with faculty and toured the campus facilities before granting accreditation. To achieve accreditation the clinical program must meet national standards for training. Every aspect of the program is reviewed, including the quality of the faculty, the quality of the instruction, placements of the students in their residencies, and what the students do after graduation.
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Weinstock is the editor of
“Spectral America: Phantoms and the American Imagination” and
currently is working on the book, “Scare Tactics: Supernatural
Fiction by American Women as a Form of Social Protest.”
A
few CMU history students might find something to laugh about
this spring.
Political
science students can look forward to another year under the
leadership of media-savvy political pundit Bill Ballenger.
Tim
Hartshorne and his son, Jacob, display Tim’s “Star in
CHARGE” award.
Political
science assistant professor David Jesuit received the
2005 Aldi J. Hagenaars Memorial Award for his paper “State
Redistribution in Comparative Perspective: A Cross-National
Analysis of the Developed Countries.”
Sociology
professor Robert Newby received CMU’s 2005 President’s
Award for Diversity Excellence.