November 2004

SLA UPDATE FOR FACULTY & STAFF

Toby Parcel

October was a great month for the School of Liberal Arts!

During Purdue's 10-day celebration around Homecoming, we announced the naming and fund-raising completion of the new visual and performing arts building. The second phase of construction for the Yue-Kong Pao Hall for Visual and Performing Arts will be completed next fall.

At the special event, we also honored Patti and Rusty Rueff for their $200,000 contribution to the building project and their earlier $5 million deferred gift to the department. Rusty is a Liberal Arts alumnus who serves on the Dean's Advisory Council. We also presented Rusty's wife, Patti, with an Honorary Boilermaker Award. During the celebration, students from theatre, dance and art and design showcased their artistic talents in an impressive show.

Last week, it was announced that the Remnant Trust will visit Purdue. This hands-on exhibit includes original and early editions of some of the world's most historic documents including Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics and Jonathan Swift's A Tale of the Tub. I encourage faculty to find ways to incorporate these documents into their classes while the exhibit is here Jan. 10 through Feb. 20. Please also visit the Stewart Center Gallery, where documents will be on display for visitors to view and touch. SLA faculty will speak at public forums about various pieces such as Thomas Paine's Common Sense and Ralph Waldo Emerson's Essays.

Last month, I also presented an overview of Liberal Arts achievements in discovery, engagement and diversity at the President's Forum. More than 100 people, including deans, departmental directors and administrators, attended this event.

Also, please make time to read the Fall 2004 SLA Magazine. You will find great examples of how Liberal Arts is emphasizing diversity in the classroom and through research.

Toby L. Parcel

SPECIAL REPORTS

Purdue completes fund raising for Visual & Performing Arts building

On Oct. 15, Purdue celebrated the completion of a fund-raising campaign for Phase II of the new $41 million Visual and Performing Arts Building, thanks to an anonymous donor and university alumni, including Patti and Rusty Rueff.

Patti and Rusty Rueff

"In recognition of an anonymous $4 million gift and at the request of the donor, the facility will be renamed to honor the late Yue-Kong Pao (pronounced u-KONG pow), a Chinese business leader who died in 1991.

A gallery in the Yue-Kong Pao Hall for Visual and Performing Arts will be named for the Rueffs, of Burlingame, Calif., in recognition of their $200,000 gift toward the building. Earlier this year, the Rueffs also pledged $5 million – the single largest gift in the School of Liberal Arts' history. The department was named in their honor.

Sound theater

"My wife and I think this is an exciting time to experience art, whether that is theater or entertainment online, because it has never been more accessible," Rusty says. "Today, great art is just a keystroke away. But as availability is expanding, opportunities for learning how to create are being reduced, especially in the elementary and high school level, because of limited funding. We may not feel it in our generation, but we worry about future mankind's creativity stagnating. This is our small contribution to make sure there is always a place for people to create." More

Communication research receives funding from the new Discovery Learning Center

Matei demonstrates virtual reality

Purdue's new Discovery Learning Center, which will be part of Discovery Park, is alredy focusing on new approaches to teaching and learning, including communication technology in the School of Liberal Arts.

Sorin Matei, assistant professor of communication, received funding from the center to study how Space(A)Ware, the next type of application being developed for wireless technology, can improve learning. This application allows handheld devices to automatically load information about the room, building or area the user has just entered. For example, when students enter a specific classroom, their course materials would automatically load.

"I want to know if this new application makes sense to technology users," Matei said. "How will people react? Are people more likely to learn more if they are fed information in this manner?" More

Public can touch history at Purdue exhibit

History student talks
about Trust

Purdue is inviting the public to see and touch three dozen original and early edition historic documents focusing on the quest for freedom and human dignity as part of a display that will run for six weeks beginning Jan. 10.

The collection, loaned by the Hagerstown, Ind.-based Remnant Trust, includes titles such as the "Emancipation Proclamation," "Magna Carta" and Machiavelli's "The Prince." They will be on display Monday, Jan. 10, through Sunday, Feb. 20, in Stewart Center Gallery. Purdue faculty may borrow the documents and, along with K-12 teachers, are being encouraged to incorporate them into lesson plans.

"The ideas contained in the Remnant Trust books and manuscripts are of immeasurable value," said Purdue President Martin C. Jischke. "They are the basis of our civilization. More

Oxford book of British biographies draws on Purdue expertise

Zook and Contreni

Two history professors have left their mark in the world's best-known reference book for British history and literature.

John J. Contreni and Melinda S. Zook are two of the 10,000 contributors to the 2004 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography" which is composed of 60 volumes.

"This is a historic publication," said Lawrence J. Mykytiuk, associate professor of library science and history bibliographer. "It's quite an honor to have two people from Purdue recognized for their scholarship. Oxford University Press is tops, and this publication is the primary resource for British biographies." More

Prof: Military experience affects adolescents' self-esteem

Timothy J. Owens

Serving in the military can make a young person proud, but a Purdue University sociologist's research shows that is not always the case.

Timothy J. Owens, associate professor of sociology who studies self-concept and identity, says it is too early to tell how the self-esteem of the young men and women serving in today's military will be shaped by their experiences, and he cautions others to remember how the Vietnam War affected the self-esteem of some adolescent males who were involved.

"In some ways, nothing has changed for the adolescents today who are entering the military after 9/11," Owens says. "As the Iraq war drags on and becomes unpopular with some people, we must make sure Americans don't hate the warrior. Being angry with soldiers sent to do their duty can affect a young person's lifelong perception of their self.

Owens' analysis of the self-esteem of men who were involved in the Vietnam War is based on a group of high school students born in 1951. Many of the men who entered the military after their 1969 high school graduation were sent to Vietnam. Many also were sent to Korea or Germany.

Owens' findings will be reported in his upcoming book, "From Adolescence to Adulthood in the Vietnam Era," to be published by Springer Press ($69.95) in November. More

Purdue sociologists report unemployment is public-health problem

Unemployment affects public health, and unless there are policy changes, individuals, families and communities will suffer, according to two Purdue sociology professors.

Their report is one of 11 chapters in a publication, "Solutions: Agenda for Social Justice 2004," published by the interdisciplinary group, the Society for the Study of Social Problems. The booklet was designed to inform elected officials and the public about some the nation's most pressing social problems.

Authors Carolyn C. Perrucci and Robert Perrucci, professors in sociology and anthropology, point out serious problems in both reporting and responding to unemployment. Current policy assumes that unemployment is a normal cost of a growing economy operating in a free market, Robert Perrucci said. More

NEWS TIPS

Home 6 months, 209th faces family, employment issues

Researchers at Purdue University are at the halfway point of a research project with the goal of understanding the family and employment pressures faced by members of the Lafayette-based 209th Quartermaster Company, which on Oct. 14 celebrated the six-month anniversary of its return from Iraq.

Howard Weiss, co-director of the institute and a professor of psychological sciences, is studying employment issues for members of the 209th.

"There are logistical issues for the returning reservists," he said. "An employer may guarantee a job for a returning reservist, but it may not be the job the reservist had before he or she was deployed.

"Then there are psychological issues for the returning reservist, whose emotional state stemming from war experiences can serve as a distraction at work." More

Trend: China changes English study methods to bring in business

China is so keen to play on the world business stage that it is revamping English teaching at all educational levels, says a Purdue professor who often lectures there.

While Chinese students have studied English grammar for years, they have primarily relied on memorizing grammatical rules and constructing accurate written sentences, which is how the Chinese language's complex character system has been learned for generations. But such methods of study give those students little knowledge of how to speak conversational English, which can put Chinese businesses at a disadvantage during negotiations, according to Purdue's Margie Berns.

"The Chinese are adopting these new methods because they realize spoken English can improve their ability to conduct international business," says Berns, professor of English as a second language (ESL) and director of Purdue's ESL graduate program. "They realize that during face-to-face discussions, verbal communication is critical for success, and they must improve their speaking skills if they are to increase their market share." More

Ghostly visits on Halloween have historical significance

Ghosts, goblins, costumes and trick-or-treating all have a spiritual and historical connection with Halloween, says a European history expert at Purdue University.

"Nov. 2 is All Souls' Day on the Catholic calendar, also known as the day of the dead, when the church commemorates all of the departed," said James Farr, a professor of history. "The Christian holiday overlays a pre-Christian pagan festival of the dead, which celebrated the pagan belief that the souls of the dead would return for a meal with the family. Thus the emphasis on ghosts."

Costuming probably arose because people feared the returning ghosts on All Souls' Day and hoped to drive away the spirits by donning a fearsome disguise, Farr said. Dressing as a goblin was also thought to be a way to control demons' behavior and keep them away from the living. More

Liberal Arts election experts

This election season eight Liberal Arts faculty members share their expertise on political parties and behavior, congressional issues, politics of race and gender, electoral polling and public opinion, media and politics, and civil rights and constitutional law. More  

FACULTY AND BOOKS

Nearly 800 U.S. faculty and professionals travel abroad as Fulbright Scholars every year. Grants are typically from two months to an academic year. The Fulbright Scholar program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, with additional funding from participating governments and host institutions in the United States and abroad. The Council for International Exchange of Scholars is a private, nonprofit organization that manages Fulbright Scholar exchanges.

– Regina Galer-Unti, assistant professor of health and kinesiology, has received the Society for Public Health Education's 2004 Health Education Mentor Award. This award recognizes individuals who have provided excellence in mentorship to health educators in preparation, performance and practice to bring together professionals in practice and research. This international association promotes healthy behaviors, healthy communities and healthy environments. Galer-Unti specializes in health policy advocacy.  

STUDENT HONORS

Purdue Homecoming king and queen crowned

Homecoming queen and king

Gina Bassetto of Munster, Ind., was crowned Purdue University's 2004 Homecoming queen during halftime of the Purdue-Wisconsin game on Oct. 16.

Bassetto is a senior majoring in audiology and speech sciences and psychology. Tim Jones of Evansville, Ind., was crowned king. He is a senior majoring in industrial engineering with a minor in electrical engineering.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Purdue announces lineup for 2004 Old Masters

Rusty Rueff

J. Russell "Rusty" Rueff Jr., who holds a bachelor's degree in communication and a master's degree in counseling from Purdue, is executive vice president of human resources at Electronic Arts, the Redwood City, Calif.-based game developer and publisher. Purdue's Department of Visual and Performing Arts also is named for Rusty and his wife, Patti, in honor of a gift last spring.

Sponsored by the Office of the Dean of Students, the Old Masters program is an annual tradition that gives students the opportunity to interact with men and women who have risen to the top of their career fields.

Two events are open to all students and faculty – the getting-to-know-you talks at 7 p.m. Nov. 7 in the Purdue Memorial Union West Faculty Lounge and the all-campus reception at 8 p.m. Nov. 8 in Hillenbrand Hall. More

Lectures, Speakers and Video Series

– Nov. 10. Noon to 1 p.m. Olga Avdeyeva, doctoral student in the Department of Political Science, will present "Supporting Mothers' Employment: Feeble Convergence and Regulatory Failure." Stewart Center, Room 313. Part of the Women's Studies Series.

– Nov. 10. 12:30 p.m. Jewish Studies Program Noon Lecture Series. Stewart Center, Room 320. John D. Martin, visiting assistant professor of foreign languages and literatures, will speak on "The Medieval and Modern Fates of Susskind: Jew of Trimberg."

– Nov. 11. Noon. "My Own Cross to Bear: R.C. Ransom, the Social Gospel, and the Black Church 1890-1920." Beering Hall of Liberal Arts and Education, Room 1284. Cornelius Bynum, assistant professor of history, African American Studies and Research Center's Talkin' & Testifyn': Works in Progress Series.

Art exhibits announced for visual and performing arts galleries

The November art exhibits that will be featured in Purdue University's Patti and Rusty Rueff Galleries include a variety of works from students, faculty and alumni in the Division of Art & Design.

The Patti and Rusty Rueff Galleries are located in the Yue-Kong Pao Hall for Visual and Performing Arts, 552 W. Wood St. The gallery exhibits and receptions are free and open to the public. The galleries are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Small gallery exhibits include:

– Nov. 1-5. Video artwork by graduate students in art and design.

– Nov. 15-19. Ceramics and sculpture from Sigrid Zahner, lecturer for art and design.

– Nov. 22-Dec. 3. Printmaking by Melissa Gill, visiting instructor for art and design.

Large gallery exhibits include:

– Nov. 1-5. Functional and sculptural ceramics by Joshua Vogel and Zach Medler, graduate students in art and design. Closing reception is 5-9 p.m. on Nov. 5.

– Nov. 8-19. The first exhibit to feature work of alumni includes work in painting, printmaking, sculpture, textiles and metals, as well as interior and industrial design. Opening reception is 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Nov. 8.

– Nov. 22-26. Industrial design work by Jon Bricker and Shivangi Narke, graduate students in industrial design.

– Nov. 29-Dec. 10. Seventeen fine arts graduate students are showing recent work, including paintings, printings, drawings and sculpture. More

EXPERTS IN THE NEWS

Tampa Tribune –
Halloween profits (Glenn Sparks, Department of Communication)

Cincinnati Enquirier & Associated Press –
The rush lingers, long after the fright (Glenn Sparks, Department of Communication)

New York Times –
From the grass roots of Iowa comes the thinking man's passer (Michael Morrison, Department of History)

Ft. Wayne Journal Gazette –
No easy solutions for the uninsured (James Anderson, Department of Sociology and Anthropology)

Washington Times –
Al Qaeda's Mideast linkage (Louis Rene Beres, Department of Political Science)

Lafayette Journal and Courier –
Tippecanoe voter rolls expand (James McCann, Department of Political Science)

St. Petersburg Times –
Teen dreams hide behind screens (Samantha Blackmon, Department of English)

Indianapolis Star –
New Purdue research office to study children (Robert Kail and Howard Weiss, Department of Psychological Sciences)

Topics (Indianapolis) –
City offers more diverse population to support psychology research (Robert Kail and Howard Weiss, Department of Psychological Sciences)

Indianapolis Star –
Columbia Club seeks its place in busy lives (Glenn Sparks, Department of Communication)

Big News Network.com (Australia) –
U.S. public health messages misdirected (Mohan Dutta-Bergman, Department of Communication)

Any story ideas or news tips can be sent to Amy Patterson-Neubert at the Purdue News Service, (765) 494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu