Around the College: April 1999 | UF College of Liberal Arts and Sciences News

Around the College

This article was originally published in the April 1999 issue of CLASnotes.

Department News

Romance Languages and Liyeratures

Bernadette Cailler organized and chaired a multilingual recital for the 1999 African Literature Association Conference in Fez, Morocco (March 10-14). The languages represented included Guadeloupean Creole, French, Arabic, Hassania, Igbo, Engligbo, English and Spanish. For the same conference, Cailler also organized and chaired a panel on "Poetics of Love—The Caribbean/ The Maghrib." Her own paper was titled: "Blessures sacrées: de Césaire à Djaout par la trace de Glissant." In May, she will travel to Lafayette, Louisiana, where she will receive a "Certificat d'Honneur" awarded by the International Council for Francophone Studies on the occasion of its 1999 meeting, in recognition of "her remarkable contributions to the development of Francophone Studies."

English

Mark A. Reid presented "(T)race in the British Cinema of Paul Robeson: Racial Identity and Class Politics" at the Collegium for African American Research conference held at The Wesfalische Wilhelms-Universitat in Munster, Germany in March. Reid also participated in the Festival of PanAfrican Cinema at Ouagadougou (FESPACO) in Burkina Faso, West Africa.

Greg Ulmer lectured, conducted a colloquium, and directed a roundtable discussion on "emerAgency" at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Halifax, Nova Scotia, March 19-20.

Mathematics

James Keesling gave an invited talk on January 5 at the Indian Science Congress in Madras entitled "A simulation model for the transmission and control of Dengue." He also delivered the Tenth Annual Ramanujan Endowment Lecture on January 8, at Anna University in Madras, India. The title of his talk was "Fractal geometry—the geometry of fractal sets."

Gang Bao gave a colloquium in January at Cal Tech entitled "Recent developments in the mathematical modeling of difractive optics."

CLAS Baccalaureate April 30

Dean Harrison invites you to participate in the annual CLAS Baccalaureate Ceremony honoring our graduating seniors on Friday, April 30, at 5:00 PM in the University Auditorium. Cap and gown are optional. A reception on the lawn will follow.

Teaching / Advising Winners 1999

Sheryl Kroen, History, Teaching Award
William Logan, English, Teaching Award
Frederick Corney, History, Teaching Award
Kenneth Wald, Political Science, Teaching Award
David Hedge, Political Science, Teaching Award
Marian Borg, Sociology, Teaching Award
Ronnie Khuri, Mathematics, Teaching Award
Nigel Richards, Chemistry, Teaching Award
Glenn Kepic, Academic Advising , Advising Award

Dickison Receives Women's Achievement Award

Sheila Dickison (Classics, Honors Program) was presented with the Association for Academic Women's Achievement Award during the March 17 Women's History Month Awards Selection. The award is designed to recognize one woman at UF who exemplifies beyond all others a demonstrated commitment to advancing the status of women.

In presenting Dickison with the award, Connie Shehan (Sociology, UCET) explained, "Many of the projects and opportunities at UF designed to benefit women owe their success to Dr. Dickison's quiet but effective support. She has been a prime mover for many of the important advances for women in the CLAS and in the University at large, including the expansion of the Women's Studies program, the creation of the McQuown fellowship program, and the increased hiring of women faculty. She has mentored numerous women faculty to help them develop the talents necessary for administrative positions. She has made a tremendous difference for women on this campus."

Ardelt Wins Prestigious Two-Year Fellowship

Ardelt Monika Ardelt (Sociology, Center for Gerontological Studies) was recently awarded a prestigious 1999 Brookdale National Fellowship. The Brookdale Fellowships are given to promising scholars in geriatrics and gerontology at the beginning of their career (typically 5-7 years after receiving the PhD or MD). The Fellowship provides salary support that will allow Ardelt to spend 80% of her time for the next two years on her Brookdale project, which includes studying the similarities and differences between aging and dying well.

Ardelt's research focuses on successful human development across the life course with particular emphasis on the relation between wisdom and aging well. She believes that the psychosocial factors that help people to age well also facilitate dying well. Identifying the factors that lead to both aging well and dying well may help older persons, their families, and care givers to facilitate well-being and psychological growth until the very end of life under conditions that are more cost-effective and humane than customary practice.

Dean's Office News

Jane Dominguez, pictured right, (formerly Web Designer at Student Financial Affairs) has become the new Information Specialist in Turlington 2008. Jane replaces Gracy Castine. While she will primarily be responsible for assisting in the production of College publications, Jane will also be available to consult with CLAS Department staff on graphics production and Web and print publication design. Department staff are encouraged to contact Jane to troubleshoot or ask questions (2-1516 or jane@clas.ufl.edu).

Arlene Williams (formerly a Senior Word Processing Operator in the Math Department) has taken Ksenia Bobylak's place as the Executive Secretary for Dean Glover and Jack Sabin. Ksenia is now the Coordinator of Student Affairs at the Warrington College of Business Administration.

American Mathematical Society Meeting Held at UF

Mathematics Graduate Research Professor John Thompson gave the opening plenary address at the American Mathematical Society Meeting in Carleton Auditorium on Friday, March 12.