Graduation Dates
American University’s 122nd Annual Commencement Ceremonies will take
place on Saturday, May 11. For the most up-to-date event listings, please
visit www.american.edu/commencement.
May 8
Senior Week Final Farewell
Location TBD
May 10
Phi Beta Kappa Induction
10:30 a.m., Kay Chapel
May 10
Baccalaureate Service
12:30 p.m., Kay Chapel
May 10
Honors Convocation
2 p.m.,
Eric Friedheim
Quadrangle
(rain site:
Bender Arena)
May 10
Toast to Graduates
8 p.m., Katzen Arts Center
May 11
CAS Commencement
Ceremony
1 p.m., Bender Arena
Reception to follow in the
Katzen Arts Center Rotunda
CAS Faculty Honorees
Amos Golan, economics
Outstanding Scholarship, Research,
and Other Professional Contributions
Gail Humphries Mardirosian,
performing arts
Outstanding Service to the University
Community
Retiring Faculty:
Frederick W. Carson, chemistry
I-Lok Chang, mathematics and statistics
Joan Gero, anthropology
Derek Horton, chemistry
Mark Oxman, art
David G. Sadker, education, teaching
and health
Bruno F. Steinbruckner, language and
foreign studies
25 Years of Service Honoree
Gail Humphries Mardirosian,
performing arts
Life on Earth...
LIFE ON EARTH is pulled down hard on a man's head. This life was made by
hatters. A busy street is only coffee, bread, and hats. The smell of a
man's hat—an old man's hat—is like the nostril of a horse. You are breathing
in what something beautiful and ancient has breathed out. The heat and life
contained in it, the silk interior. An old man's hat is necessary: You see
that when he takes it off, his hair and skin abruptly float away.
—by David Keplinger, from The Prayers
of Others. © New Issues, 2006.
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Photo by Jeff Watts
Accomplishments
PUBLICATIONS AND PRODUCTIONS
Vera Borkovec (professor
emerita, language and foreign studies) published Czech
and Slovak Theatre Abroad (Czechoslovak Society of Arts and Sciences,
2007).
Alina Israeli (language and foreign studies) published
“Russian Conjunction: Two Types of Uncertainty,” Journal of
Uncertain Studies (Winter, 2007).
SPEAKER’S CORNER
In
December, George Ayittey (economics) was one of six experts
on African economics who participated in a debate,
“Aid to Africa is Doing More Harm than Good.” Held at the Asia
Society and Museum in New York City and moderated by Brian Lehrer, host of
NPR’s The Brian Lehrer Show, the debate was part of the Intelligence
Squared U.S. debate series. The series is produced in New York City
by the Rosenkranz Foundation.
In November, Naomi Baron (language and foreign
studies) gave a lecture on the Internet’s effects on language,
at the headquarters of Telenor, a Norwegian telecommunications company.
In October, Helen Langa (art) delivered a lecture, “Lesbians
in the Closet, Women Artists, Professionalism, and Same Sex Affection,” at
the Southeastern College Art Association Conference in Charleston, West
Virginia.
In November, Jeffrey Reiman (philosophy and religion) presented “Consent
of the Governed” at the Department of Philosophy at the University
of Amsterdam.
In November, Brian Yates (psychology) took
part in a panel discussion, “Cost and Sustainability Checklist: Theory and
Practice,” at the annual meeting of the American Evaluation Association
in Baltimore.
IN THE MEDIA
The Washington Post quoted Mustafa
Aksakal (history) on the potential effects of Benazir Bhutto’s
recent assassination on the Middle Eastern political climate (December
28, 2007).
Family Bonds, a book by Ellen Feder (philosophy and
religion), was cited in the Sunday cultural supplement of the
Italian newspaper Sole-24 Ore (January 27, 2008).
In November, David
Keplinger (literature) had his poem
“Life on Earth” read by Garrison Keillor on the NPR Program, The
Writer’s Almanac. See the poem in the left column.
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In December, Peter Kuznick (history) was interviewed by Farsnews in
Tehran about the latest developments in Iran’s nuclear program and the
ongoing threat of war.
Allan Lichtman (history) was quoted
in the article
“In Presidential Politics, Iowa Still Packs a Wallop” in the Seattle
Times (December 31, 2007). He was also interviewed in January by CTV
regarding Hillary Clinton’s narrow win over Barack Obama in New Hampshire’s
Democratic primary.
Charles S. J. White (philosophy and religion) had
his English translation of Jayshankar Prasad’s poem, “Ansu (Tears),” reviewed
in Swatantra Varta, a daily periodical based in India. (December,
2007).
APPOINTMENTS AND HONORS
In December, Robert
Beisner (professor emeritus, history) won the Douglas Dillon Award
from the American Academy of Diplomacy for his book Dean Acheson: A Life
in the Cold War.
Harvey Grossinger (literature) received
the 2007 Dana Award for his novel, The Caretaker’s Niece. He
also received a 2007 Creative Project Grant from the Arts and Humanities Council
of Montgomery County, Maryland.
Anna University, a member of the Association
of Indian Universities and the Association of Commonwealth Universities, and
a partner of the UNESCO International Center for Engineering Education, ranked Priyanka
Komala (MS computer science ’09) fifth among
30,000 electronics and communication engineering undergraduate students in
the entire state of Tamil Nadu, India. Komala graduated from the university
in 2007.
In January, Joan Radner (professor emerita, literature) was
elected chair of the board of directors of the National Storytelling Network.
Richard
Sha (literature) received a Benjamin Franklin Research Award from
the American Philosophical Society to complete research for his upcoming book, Towards
a Physiology of the Romantic Imagination.
The American Library
Association awarded a grant to the American University Library to reprise the “Let’s
Talk about It”
book discussion series in fall 2008. The series is cosponsored by CAS’s Jewish
Studies Program.
Philip Johnson (computer science, audio technology, and
physics) was awarded a two-year Cottrell College Science Award
from the Research Corporation to support his research on ultracold physics.
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