These so-called "soft sciences" are truly the "hard sciences." These are the issues that students and faculty in the College wrestle with and our discovery, learning, and engagement activities centered around these quintessentially human issues are how we contribute to the University, the state, the nation, and indeed, the world.

Now, after a month on the job spent learning even more about the potential of the College, I remain convinced that great days lie ahead for the College and for Purdue!

Sincerely,

NEWS AND RESEARCH

Tennessee pirate shares blame for anti-U.S. sentiments

Today's anti-American feelings in Latin America are as much about history as they are about current feuds over oil and leadership issues, says a History professor.

Robert May

"U.S.-Latin American relations suffered a horrific setback 150 years ago, when an audacious Tennessean conquered Nicaragua and plotted to take over other Central American countries," says Robert May, a professor of History. "William Walker may be America's forgotten president, but he left an imprint on Latin America that exacerbates current concerns, especially in Central America."

Walker, who assumed Nicaragua's presidency 150 years ago, was a 19th-century filibuster, a commander of a private American military force that invaded foreign countries without U.S. government permission. These soldiers – taking actions that might be considered terrorism by today's standards – attacked Mexico, the Spanish colony of Cuba, British Canada and the Central American states repeatedly until the U. S. Civil War, May says.

May is concerned that today's policy-makers are not aware that Walker's actions more than a century ago still strongly resonate among Latin American citizens. During the 1980s, Sandinista leaders referenced Walker's invasion to rally Nicaraguans and world opinion against U.S. policies in Central America. More

Celebrate religion during Gary's 100th anniversary

Gary, Ind., should be better known for its churches and religious communities rather than for the outdated, inaccurate label of the nation's murder capital, says a sociologist.

Sandra Barnes

"Gary was labeled that 20 years ago, and the message has been so pervasive that it has been difficult to change some people's minds," says Sandra Barnes, an associate professor of Sociology and African American studies.

Barnes, who is from Gary, has studied the city's working poor, as well as the effects of the city's changing landscape. Gary, formerly a center of America's steel industry, is celebrating its 100th anniversary in July.

"The assumption that Gary is crime-ridden is influenced by a combination of race and class differences that contribute to such stereotypes," Barnes says. "There is a divide in Gary from the rest of the state – Gary is primarily black and Democratic. Most other cities in Indiana are predominantly white and Republican."

Barnes challenges people to learn more about Gary and to take an interest in the city's revitalization. More

Expert sinks pirate myths, stereotypes with real history

Real, historical pirates can be just as entertaining as the romantic, humorous swashbuckling Hollywood heroes, says a historian.

Frank Lambert

Frank Lambert, a professor of History and author of The Barbary Wars: American Independence in the Atlantic World, says that Hollywood films have always played a "bit fast and loose" with historical accuracy when it comes to pirates. Pirates will be weighing anchor in theaters nationwide on July 7 when Walt Disney Pictures releases its sequel Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.

"When historians try to put pirates into context, it only raises more questions about who was a real pirate," Lambert says. "You might say a pirate is in the eye of the beholder. The definition of pirate is a robber at sea without sanction from a nation. But under that definition, the Barbary pirates, perhaps the most famous of all, are not pirates. They were privateers, many from Europe, encouraged by Britain to raid American shipping because the new country was a competitor."

Lambert says the real history of pirates is more engaging than a Hollywood story. Often, pirates were Europeans who were unemployed merchant sailors or navy men.

"Sometimes they were common criminals who partook in felonious activities and fell into the life," he says. "Many lived on the fringes of society, and others, such as England's Sir Francis Drake, were proclaimed heroes." More

Women nurture ideas for the 'good working mother'

Women who work outside the home often use different terms than their stay-at-home counterparts in defining themselves as good mothers, says a communication and gender expert.

Patrice Buzzanell, a professor of Communication, says middle-class women who choose to work outside the home often use criteria such as their skill at finding quality childcare and making daily arrangements for their children as ways to measure their motherly abilities.

"Mothers are traditionally thought of as nurturers and are expected to stay home to care for their young children," says Buzzanell, who has six children of her own, ages 12-26. "But many women choose to continue working on their careers full time, and others are the sole breadwinners, or they need to supplement the family income."

To compensate, Buzzanell says these women are creating an alternate definition of motherhood that may be creating a rift between them and mothers who stay at home.

"In an effort to construct the image that pursuing a career outside of the home is worthwhile, it seems as though these women focus on the differences of the working mother and the stay-at-home mother," Buzzanell says. "Even if they don't say it explicitly, they are implying 'Look at me, I am doing this so much better because I have the best of both worlds.'

"There are multiple ways of being a good mother, and how one mothers or says she is a good mother should not be at the expense of other women who are also doing their best at mothering. Women need to locate some common ground rather than emphasizing differences." More

Youth Sports Program continues to promote health

Purdue's award-winning National Youth Sports Program has been selected as one of the few camps in the nation, and the only program in Indiana, to continue receiving financial support after federal funding was reduced this year.

Purdue's program, which started in 2002, enrolled about 400 students, ages 10-16. The campers participate from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays through July 21. The program is free, and the campers are selected based on referrals from Tippecanoe County schools.

Physical exam before sports camp

"Being selected as the only program in the state to continue with support is an incredible honor and says a lot about the success of the Purdue program," says Tom Templin, professor of Health and Kinesiology. "It also is a compliment to the camp's fantastic local support system that includes our student team leaders, Purdue staff, business leaders and school corporation administrators that give so much to this program that helps children learn about making positive choices and healthy living through playing sports."

Federal funding for the 200-plus national programs was reduced this summer, and only 58 programs were selected to continue, says Templin, who also is Purdue's program administrator. There were about half a dozen federally funded programs in Indiana. The University of Notre Dame program is continuing with private funding.

Giving back is a central theme for Purdue's program. The campers take breaks from their activity stations to participate in community outreach.

"The campers receive so much from the community – from sports equipment to door prizes – that we want them to realize how it feels to give to others," says William Harper, professor and head of Health and Kinesiology who serves as the program's activity director. "The service-learning component is more than the campers going somewhere to work, because we also spend time talking before and after the activity about the program they are helping and what it meant to help out." More

Book: Femme fatale in art colors 19th century feminism in France

A new book by examines how men in 19th century France attempted to stop the spread of feminism by using the femme fatale image in art to portray women as evil.

Elizabeth Menon Mix

"Art was more accessible at this time than ever before because of improved printing technologies in France," says Elizabeth Menon Mix, an assistant professor of Art History. "Posters, advertisements, literature and illustrated journals – today's version of a magazine – were all places where male artists could emphasize the evil aspects of women."

"Femme fatale" is French for "deadly woman" and usually describes a character that leads men to their destruction or death, Mix says.

Evil by Design: The Creation and Marketing of the Femme Fatale ($30) was published in June by the University of Illinois Press. Mix's book includes 126 illustrations from posters, journals and advertisements showing how women were portrayed from 1865 to 1910. Some examples include women posing with serpents or controlling men on puppet strings. More

Telemedicine pairs comfort of home with heart care

Central Indiana heart patients can receive quality medical care in the comfort of their homes, thanks to a new telemedicine program supported by Purdue's Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering and St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital.

Doctors started referring the first of 50 patients with congestive heart failure to a new pilot program at St. Vincent Home Care Telemedicine program in May, said Pamela Whitten, a professor of Health Communication and Regenstrief faculty scholar. Congestive heart failure is a chronic condition in which the heart muscles weaken because of a heart attack or untreated high blood pressure.

"Patients living with congestive heart failure are often in and out of the hospital for treatment, and that is problematic for people who live far away, as well as inconvenient for patients who are already in physical discomfort," Whitten said. "The comforts of home can be quite reassuring for someone who is ill. Telemedicine services, such as home monitoring, allow people to receive medical care away from the hospital."

A patient's blood pressure, heart activity, weight and other vital statistics can be assessed through in-home monitoring equipment using a traditional phone line. St. Vincent provides the equipment, which resembles a fax machine, to measure vitals and communicate with health-care providers at predetermined times. Because of this technology, nursing response times to condition changes are improved, emergency department visits reduced, and weekly interactions with patients and their health providers are increased, Whitten said. More

More students at Purdue, nationwide study in China

Like their peers at other institutions, Purdue students are choosing to study in China in ever-greater numbers.

According to university figures, the number of Purdue students going to China has more than doubled in the last few years. In 2003-04, 18 students studied in China. The next year, 23 Purdue students studied in China. In the 2005-06 year, the number rose to 43. In 2006-07, it is expected that about 100 Purdue students will study in China.

"The increase shows that students appreciate the significance of China's rise as a world power, and it also reflects Purdue's response to China's rise," said Brian Harley, director of Purdue's Office of Programs for Study Abroad. "Purdue now offers 16 study-abroad programs in China, some run by Purdue faculty and others by co-sponsoring study-abroad providers. Few American universities offer so many options in China."

In addition to the programs International Programs offers, about 280 students are studying the Chinese language in Purdue's Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures. The department also offers classes about Chinese culture, calligraphy, business Chinese, classical Chinese and Chinese literature. More

Film student winner of Student Academy Award

A Film Studies alum's documentary about three girls living in the slums of Bangladesh is a winner in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences 33rd annual Student Academy Awards.

Mak Hossain, a Film Studies student who also has a bachelor's degree from Purdue's Krannert School of Management, participated in the June 10 award presentation where he was awarded a bronze medal. Hossain produced, directed and wrote the documentary Three Beauties, which is about three girls, ages 7, 12 and 16, who do not know each other but share similar life paths.

Hossain was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, but most recently lived in the United Arab Emirates. In April, Hossain's 26-minute film was a regional finalist at the Gene Siskel Film Center. More

EVENTS

Rueff Galleries features student work during summer

The Patti and Rusty Rueff Galleries at Purdue University will feature a collection of student work this summer to give incoming students a taste of the arts.

"Following Their Lead" is a collection of art from fine arts, photography, industrial design, foundation drawing and design, and digital imaging, which highlights the different majors available through the Patti and Rusty Rueff Department of Visual and Performing Arts.

The exhibition will be open to the public for Boiler Gold Rush, Aug. 14-18. More

Other Events

July 24, 6 p.m., West Lafayette Public Library, 208 W. Columbia, West Lafayette. Real History vs. Reel History: The Construction of Stereotypes. Ben Lawton, professor of Italian and chair of Film Studies, will lead a discussion following the showing of Some Like it Hot, a 1959 film. The event, which is free, is sponsored by Purdue's Film Studies Program and the History Circle of the Tippecanoe County Historical Association in partnership. For reservations or additional information, contact: Alice Carver-Kubik at (765) 476-8411, extension 208, or alice@tcha.mus.in.us.

FACULTY & CLA HONORS

– William L. Rowe, professor emeritus of Philosophy, received an Indiana Humanities Award on June 7 in Indianapolis. The awards are given by the Indiana Humanities Council to honor five humanities scholars in Indiana, as well as a distinguished national leader in the humanities. This is the first year the award has been given. Rowe, a philosopher of metaphysics and religion, is the author of five books, including Can God Be Free?

– Thomas Broden, associate professor of Foreign Languages and Literatures, received a career achievement award from the French government, which named him a knight (a chevalier) in the Order of the Palmes Académiques. Richard Barbeyron, the French consul from Chicago, presented Broden with his award on April 27. Broden is an expert in 20th-century French literature and culture. He also studies the cultural context of fashion and the role of clothing in literature and society. Instituted by Napoleon in 1808, the Palmes Académiques are the oldest of the civil honors conferred in France. The distinction is awarded to teachers and scholars who make an exceptional contribution to promoting French culture throughout the world.

– Bert Rockman, professor and head of the Department of Political Science, is the recipient of the Herbert A. Simon Award, which honors the Nobel Prize winner in economics. The award is given by the Midwest Political Science Association and recognizes Rockman's lifelong contributions to the scientific study of bureaucracy. Rockman received the award at the Midwest Political Science Association meeting in Chicago on April 22. The title of his Simon lecture was "Organizational Attention Deficit Disorder: The Sorting of Organizational Priorities."

– Doug Hurt, professor and chair of the Department of History, has received the Plains Humanities Alliance Digital Research fellowship for 2006-07. The honor is in recognition of his project "The Home Front in the Great Plains During World War II, 1939-1945," which involves the development of an interdisciplinary Web site. Part of the project will be coordinated with the Plains Humanities Alliance in cooperation with the Center for Digital Research in the Humanities at the University of Nebraska.

STUDENT NEWS

Two Theatre graduate students win national awards

Two Theater graduate students won national honors at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival this spring.

Sound designer Jason Knox and lighting designer Anthony Galaska were the Purdue winners at the festival, which drew the top finishers from eight regional competitions across the country. The festival took place April 17-23 in Washington, D.C. More

Homecoming king, queen candidates announced

Fourteen students have been selected as members of Purdue's Homecoming court.

The Liberal Arts court members are:

ALUMNI NEWS

– Five new members of the Dean's Advisory Council in Liberal Arts were appointed this spring. They will serve on a 17-member board of volunteer alumni that advises the liberal arts dean on issues involving strategic planning, alumni support, development, curriculum and student recruitment.

The new members are:

Lalita Amos, Indianapolis, a 1985 alumna with a bachelor's degree in Psychological Sciences. She is currently the president of Total Team Solutions, an Indianapolis-based company that specializes in executive coaching and strategic planning for small- to medium-sized businesses. Prior to starting Total Team Solutions, she served as a human resources coordinator for R.R Donnelley & Sons Co.

Stephen Brewer, West Lafayette, Ind., who earned a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering in 1970. He most recently served as assistant treasurer for the Great Lakes Chemical Corp., and he currently teaches a class in entrepreneurship at Purdue's Krannert School of Management. Prior to his tenure at Great Lakes Chemical, he served as assistant to the International Treasurer for Pfizer Corp. and as the controller for telecommunication products at Corning Inc.

Barbara Frye, who earned a bachelor's degree in Communication in 1972. She works as a television consultant with Marian, Iowa-based Frank N. Magid Associates, a research-based consultation. Magid Associates applies research methods to study behaviors, attitudes and intentions of television audiences and has provided strategic insight and direction for clients in 37 countries around the world.

Andrew Maner, Washington D.C., who earned a bachelor's degree in Communication in 1991. Maner currently works in private consulting and most recently served as chief financial officer for the United States Department of Homeland Security. While at the department, Maner was responsible for all budget, finance and accounting, as well as strategic planning and evaluation. He also served as liaison for the Government Accountability Office.

Bill Wilson earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Government in 1992. He is a relationship manager at First National Bank of Las Vegas. He also is an active member of Purdue Alumni Recruiting for Tomorrow in Las Vegas.

EXPERTS IN THE NEWS

Chicago Tribune –
Fear of terrorism as a fact of life
(Jeremy Straughn, Department of Sociology and Anthropology)

Salt Lake Tribune –
Lilly still gets kick out of being sports Iron Woman
(Tom Templin, Department of Health and Kinesiology)

El País Spain –
La mujer de Cervantes: Rocío Jurado, Melcón y Mancing
(Howard Mancing, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures)

Times of Northwest Indiana –
Protest inflames immigration debate
(Rachel Einwohner, Department of Sociology and Anthropology)

Time –
How sweet it isn't: If artificial sugar is so splendid, why aren't we thin?
(Susie Swithers and Terry Davidson, Department of Psychological Sciences)

Indianapolis Star, –
Going Hollywood, Purdue student wins film award
(Film Studies Program)

Iowa City Press-Citizen –
Stuttering research takes time for children
(Christine Weber-Fox and Anne Smith, Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences)

Lafayette Journal and Courier –
Conference gives black grad students tools to succeed
(Mia Smith Bynum, Department of Psychological Sciences)

Lafayette Journal and Courier –
'Da Vinci' leaves some uneasy
(Randy Roberts, Department of History)

Lafayette Journal and Courier –
Exhibits elicit visitors' emotions
(Petronio Bendito, Patti and Rusty Rueff Department of Visual and Performing Arts)

Additional Stories:

Louis Rene Beres, professor of Political Science, presented as part of the "What Makes Iran Tick?" panel at the National Press Club in May. C-Span aired the discussion.

A complete list of Liberal Arts experts in the news.

This edition of Liberal Arts eNews is available online.

Previous editions of this newsletter can be found on the Liberal Arts eNews home page.

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

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