University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences News

Bookbeat: Literature and the Brain

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:35:53 -0500

Literature and the Brain goes straight to the human core of literature when it explains the different ways our brains convert stories, poems, plays, and films into pleasure.

Head of the CLAS: Carol Murphy

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:40:59 -0500

Carol Murphy, director of the France-Florida Research Institute and a professor of French in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, will receive the title Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur, or knight of the legion, for her work in facilitating academic and research collaboration between France and the United States.

Bookbeat: Everyday Ethics and Social Change: The Education of Desire

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:00:15 -0400

Americans increasingly cite moral values as a factor in how they vote, but when we define morality simply in terms of a voter's position on gay marriage and abortion, we lose sight of the ethical decisions that guide our everyday lives.

UF Study Recasts Political ‘God Gap’ Theory with Details of a Religious Left

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:12:03 -0400

Christians who value communal forms of worship over doctrine have emerged as a politically liberal alternative to the religious right, a new University of Florida study finds.

Department of Energy Awards $1.275 Million Grant to University of Florida Physicists

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:26:46 -0400

University of Florida researchers in Physics and the Quantum Theory Project have received a new $1.275 million research grant from the Department of Energy to predict the properties of “warm dense matter” by theory, modeling, and computer simulation.

Head of the CLAS: Rudolf Kalman

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:48:34 -0400

President Barack Obama honored a former University of Florida professor Wednesday at the White House with the National Medal of Science.

Bookbeat: Languages of Urban Africa

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:49:16 -0400

‘McLaughlin’s edited volume, at long last, provides us an opportunity to comprehend the multilingual complexity of Africa’s growing urban communities.’

Plant Fossils give First Real Picture of Earliest Neotropical Rainforests

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:47:57 -0400

A team of researchers including a University of Florida paleontologist has used a rich cache of plant fossils discovered in Colombia to provide the first reliable evidence of how Neotropical rainforests looked 58 million years ago.

UF Anthropology Professor Inducted into American Academy

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:47:06 -0400

Maxine L. Margolis, professor emerita of anthropology at the University of Florida and adjunct senior research scholar at the Institute of Latin American Studies at Columbia University, was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences on Saturday.

CLAS Students Lead in Fulbright Scholarships for Academic Year

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:47:35 -0400

For the 2009-2010 academic year, eight UF students were chosen to receive Fulbright U.S. Student Scholarships. Of the eight UF students chosen, five of them were CLAS students.

Professor Brings Mayan Culture to the Heart of the Gator Nation

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:21:39 -0400

Each year, a group of about 25 students study at one of the oldest universities in Mexico through the UF in Merida program during summer B, late June through early August. However, the relationship goes much farther than just a study abroad program.

Scientists Join Forces to Explain HIV Spread in Central and East Africa

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:31:36 -0400

Scientists studying biology and geography may seem worlds apart, but together they have answered a question that has defied explanation about the spread of the HIV-1 epidemic in Africa.

Sea Level Stargazing: Astronomers Make Key Sighting with Florida Telescope

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:31:01 -0400

This summer, University of Florida astronomers inaugurated the world’s largest optical telescope on a nearly 8,000-foot mountaintop 3,480 miles away. But it was a far more modest observatory, located just above sea level in rural Levy County and just down the road from the UF campus, that proved key to a new discovery about what one astronomer termed “one of the weirdest” planets outside our solar system.

Head of the CLAS: Robert Venditti

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:41:34 -0400

UF CLAS graduate, Robert Venditti, 35, is the author of a critically-acclaimed graphic novel that has been adapted into a major motion picture starring Bruce Willis.

The Strange Tale of Wesley and Florence Garrison

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:11:53 -0400

History professor and Assistant Director of the Bob Graham Center for Public Service Michael Bowen was interviewed by the Florida Historical Quarterly Podcast about his article The Strange Tale of Wesley and Florence Garrison: Racial Crosscurrents of the Postwar Florida Republican Party.

Muslims fear runaway girl's case will fuel religious hatred

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:12:40 -0400

Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons, assistant professor of religion at the University of Florida, is interviewed in this article about the concept of 'honor killings'.

Socio-cultural, Genetic Data Work Together To Reveal Health Disparities

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:40:03 -0400

When it comes to health disparities between different groups, how society sees people in terms of race might play a greater role than genetics, according to a new University of Florida study.

UF scientists develop camera to study black holes

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:32:33 -0400

Black holes can't be seen with the human eye, but the UF Department of Astronomy is looking anyway.

UF-built instrument poised to find many black holes

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:32:03 -0400

University of Florida astronomers are using a new instrument to peer into the center of the galaxy.

Study of Isolated Snakes could Help Shed Light on Venom Composition

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:31:30 -0400

While studying a way to more safely and effectively collect snake venom, University of Florida researchers have noticed the venom delivered by an isolated population of Florida cottonmouth snakes may be changing in response to their diet.

Gravitational Wave Observatory Listens for Echoes of Universe’s Birth

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:27:09 -0400

An investigation by a major scientific group headed by a University of Florida professor has advanced understanding of the early evolution of the universe.

UF Professor wins Award for Quantum Mechanic Computing Research

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:27:53 -0400

The American Chemical Society named UF Professor Kenneth M. Merz recipient of their prestigious Award for Computers in Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research.

Anthropology Researcher named a 2009-2010 Science & Technology Policy Fellow

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:28:29 -0400

A University professor has received an AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowship and will be working at the National Institute of Health’s Office of Biotechnology Activities.

Back to the Delta: SPOHP’s Ongoing Documentation of the Civil Rights Movement

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:29:00 -0400

In August the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program at UF returned to the Mississippi Delta to continue research on the Civil Rights Movement with veteran Civil Rights activists and leading scholars of the Mississippi Freedom Movement.

UF to Instruct History On Location to Local Teachers

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:26:29 -0400

Thanks to a new federal grant, Polk County high school teachers will be taught a new perspective on history by University of Florida history professor Sean Adams.

Chemistry Joins Forces with UF’s Clinical Translational Science
Institute (CTSI)

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:41:30 -0400

The University of Florida has won the National Institutes of Health's Clinical and Translational Science Award, one of only 60 institutions to be named to the consortium and the only one in the state of Florida – the Department of Chemistry is playing a key part.

UF Officials Help Inaugurate World’s Largest Telescope

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:32:51 -0400

Telescopes are tools for observation. But on Friday, one was the star.

Political Science Junior to lead Florida College Democrats (Gainesville Sun)

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:25:56 -0400

University of Florida junior Ben Cavataro's hard work as a Democrat is paying off.

Bookbeat: Life Between Two Deaths: 1989–2001: U.S. Culture in the Long Nineties

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:27:05 -0400

Through virtuoso readings of significant works of American film,
television, and fiction, Phillip E. Wegner demonstrates that the period between the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 and the bombing of the World Trade Center in September 2001 fostered a unique consciousness and represented a moment of immense historical possibilities now at risk of being forgotten in the midst of the “war on terror.”

Restructuring of Dean's Office Announced: CLAS Welcomes Three New Associate Deans

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:00:09 -0400

The University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has announced some top-level administrative changes.

Head of the CLAS: Jill Ciment and Mary Robison

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:57:00 -0400

When Oprah Winfrey reads a book, millions follow – and this summer, they’ll be reading the works of two University of Florida English professors.

Florida Vs. the Superbugs

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:55:58 -0400

MRSA killed Alonzo Smith, an 18-year-old football player from Liberty High School in Kissimmee last September. Smith follows a long line of football players who have been sickened after infection with MRSA, a highly resistant superbug.

Astronomers, Royalty, Rock Stars to Inaugurate World’s Largest Telescope

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:35:50 -0400

Four hundred years after Galileo first turned his handmade telescope toward the heavens, the world’s largest, most technologically advanced telescope is set to make its formal debut.

A Prehistoric Popeye Effect? For the Dinosaur, Food Meant Bulk

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:23:18 -0400

A University of Florida biologist thinks he knows how dinosaurs got so big. And it turns out, Popeye and Pachycephalosaurus may have a thing or two in common.

Scientists: Salamanders, Regenerative Wonders, Heal like Mammals, People

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:34:58 -0400

The salamander is a superhero of regeneration, able to replace lost limbs, damaged lungs, sliced spinal cord — even bits of lopped-off brain. But it turns out that remarkable ability isn’t so mysterious after all — suggesting that researchers could learn how to replicate it in people.

Native Holly can Provide Caffeinated, Antioxidant-Rich Beverage, UF Experts Say

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:34:20 -0400

Coffee and tea drinkers, take note — a University of Florida study says a beverage made from a native holly tree might be just the thing to give you a caffeinated kick-start, plus a dose of antioxidants.

Denis Caswell Wins University Superior Accomplishment Award

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:16:15 -0400

Denise Caswell, office assistant in the Botany and Zoology Departments, was recognized by the University of Florida with a university-level Superior Accomplishment Awards.

Bookbeat: Albert Camus, Œuvres Complètes

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:16:16 -0400

The publication of vols. III and IV of Albert Camus’s complete works constitutes the completion of a twelve-year project for Professor Emeritus Raymond Gay-Crosier.

UF Astronomy Team Among First to Use Massive New Telescope

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:21:30 -0400

A team of University of Florida astronomers is among the first in the world to make scientific-quality observations of the heavens using the newly completed Gran Telescopio Canarias, the world’s largest optical telescope.

Bookbeat: Guide and Reference to the Amphibians, Snakes, Turtles, and Lizards of Western North America (North of Mexico) and Hawaii

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:40:19 -0400

More than 500 species and subspecies of amphibians and reptiles can be found in the western United States. This set of three field guides offers a complete survey of the frogs, toads, salamanders, snakes, turtles, and lizards that reside west of the Rocky Mountains (north of Mexico) and in Hawaii.

Former Head of Florida Humanities Council to Direct Graham Center

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:12:14 -0400

The president of a Florida foundation and former foreign service officer has been named the first director of the Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida. Ann Henderson will take the reins from interim Director Tony Rosenbaum on July 1.

UF Study Finds Ancient Mammals Shifted Diets as Climate Changed

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:07:08 -0400

A new University of Florida study shows mammals change their dietary niches based on climate-driven environmental changes, contradicting a common assumption that species maintain their niches despite global warming.

State Department Gives UF Grant to Explore U.S. Foreign Policy

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:06:36 -0400

Eighteen academics from around the world are coming to the University of Florida to better understand and appreciate the intricacies of U.S. foreign policy.

Biologists: Greening Arctic not Likely to Offset Permafrost Carbon Release

Wed, 27 May 2009 17:22:10 -0400

As the frozen soil in the Arctic thaws, bacteria will break down organic matter, releasing long-stored carbon into the warming atmosphere.

Around the College - April 2009

Fri, 08 May 2009 16:25:56 -0400

News about awards and events from around the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

In The News - April 2009

Fri, 08 May 2009 16:25:12 -0400

The latest headlines garnered by CLAS faculty and students in the national media through April 2009.

V. Betty Smocovitis Selected as 16th Distinguished Alumni Professor

Fri, 08 May 2009 15:16:31 -0400

Betty Smocovitis has been selected as a Distinguished Alumni Professor for, among other criteria, her immeasurable positive impact on students.

2009-2010 Academic Year UFRF and CLAS Term Professors Named

Fri, 08 May 2009 15:15:56 -0400

Seventeen professors have been named UFRF and CLAS Term professors for the 2009-2010 academic year.

CLAS Professor Named Outstanding Research Mentor

Fri, 08 May 2009 15:15:51 -0400

Psychologist Robin West has been named an Outstanding Research Mentor by the Institute for Learning in Retirement.

Abdourahmane Idrissa: Head of the CLAS

Wed, 22 Apr 2009 15:40:33 -0400

Abdourahmane Idrissa, who will be receiving his Ph.D. from UF’s Political Science Department this Spring, is one of the six international fellows to have been selected for the second cohort of the Global Leadership Fellowship program (GLF). Idrissa recently defended his dissertation on competing Islamic and secular notions of governmentality in the West African country of Niger, under the direction of UF professor Leonardo Villalón.

UF Anthropology Professor Chosen as American Academy Fellow

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:18:04 -0400

Maxine L. Margolis, professor emerita of anthropology at the University of Florida, has been named a fellow in the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

UF Geography Professor’s Expertise Results in Distinctive Honors

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:17:34 -0400

Geography Professor Grant Thrall may not be a real estate agent, but he’s an expert in “location, location, location.”

Three UF Undergraduates Named Goldwater Scholars

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:17:03 -0400

Three University of Florida students were named Goldwater Scholars for the 2009-2010 year by the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation.

UF Student Chosen one of Two Truman Scholars from Florida Universities

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:16:12 -0400

University of Florida junior Adam Amir is one of only two students attending Florida universities to be named a Truman Scholar for 2009.

Bookbeat: Possibility

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:16:33 -0400

Possibility offers a new analysis of the metaphysical concepts of possibility and necessity, one that does not rely on any sort of "possible worlds."

UF Scientist Tapped by Howard Hughes Medical Institute to Pursue ‘Best Ideas'

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:25:56 -0400

A University of Florida scientist whose interest in embryonic development and evolution led him to discover the molecular building blocks that shape appendages ranging from feet to flippers was named a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Early Career Scientist today (Thursday, March 26), a distinction given to only 50 researchers in the United States.

Faculty Members Named as Fellows to Center for Advanced Judaic Studies

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 12:25:20 -0400

Two faculty members in the Department of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, Michal Ben-Horin and Galili Shahar, have been named 2009–2010 Fellows at the University of Pennsylvania Center for Advanced Judaic Studies. The fellowship program’s theme for 2009–2010 is Secularism and its Discontents: Rethinking an Organizing Principle of Modern Jewish Life.

UF Receives Gates Foundation Grant to Help Fight Malaria Worldwide

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:45:29 -0400

In wealthy countries, the war against malaria was won nearly half a century ago, but the disease continues to afflict communities in the developing world. Now the University of Florida is doing what it can to help fight malaria.

In The News - February 2009

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:56:57 -0500

The latest headlines garnered by CLAS faculty and students in the national media through February 2009.

Around the College - February 2009

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 11:56:19 -0500

News about awards and events from around the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Study Predicts when Invasive Species can Travel More Readily by Air

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:51:29 -0500

Global airlines be forewarned: June 2010 could be a busy month for invasive plants, insects and animals seeking free rides to distant lands.

Shedding Light on the Origins of the Milky Way

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 14:04:20 -0500

High in the foothills of the Chilean Andes, a revolutionary new telescope promises to exponentially grow our understanding of the universe, both in the far reaches of space and in our own backyard. And UF is in on the ground floor.

Film, Panel Discussion at UF to Examine Darfur

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 11:04:52 -0500

Since 2003, between 200,000 and 400,000 people in Darfur, Sudan, have been killed and another 2.5 million have been displaced from their destroyed villages to face hunger, thirst, illness, rape and death.

Bookbeat - Beyond Douglass: New Perspectives on Early African-American Literature

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:54:03 -0500

The starting point for Beyond Douglass is an institutional paralysis in the study of early African-American literature.

In Memory: Arthur Broyles

Wed, 11 Feb 2009 09:28:58 -0500

Arthur A. Broyles, Professor Emeritus at the University Of Florida Department Of Physics, passed quietly away on Friday, January 23, 2009. He was 85 years old.

World’s Largest Snake Shows Tropics were Hotter in the Past

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:12:52 -0500

The largest snake the world has ever known — as long as a school bus and as heavy as a small car — ruled tropical ecosystems only 6 million years after the demise of the fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex, according to a new discovery published in the journal Nature.

Bookbeat - Locating Race: Global Sites of Post-Colonial Citizenship

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:12:24 -0500

Locating Race provides a powerful critique of theories and fictions of globalization that privilege migration, transnationalism, and flows.

Scientists: Earthquakes, El Niños Fatal to Earliest Civilization in Americas

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:11:50 -0500

First came the earthquakes, then the torrential rains. But the relentless march of sand across once fertile fields and bays, a process set in motion by the quakes and flooding, is probably what did in America’s earliest civilization.

CLAS Announces Award Winners in Teaching, Advising, and Dissertations

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:11:25 -0500

CLAS Announces Award Winners in Teaching, Advising, and Dissertations

Around the College - January 2009

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:11:02 -0500

News about awards and events from around the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

In the News - January 2009

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:10:27 -0500

The latest headlines garnered by CLAS faculty and students in the national media through January 2008.

To Climate-Change Worries, add one more: Extended Mercury Threat

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 11:49:27 -0500

Mercury pollution has already spurred public health officials to advise eating less fish, but it could become a more pressing concern in a warmer world.

Wei Pan: Head of the CLAS

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 11:49:01 -0500

Dr. Wei Pan, a long time collaborator with the National High Magnetic Field’s High B/T facility in the Microkelvin Laboratory at UF and frequent visitor to the Department of Physics has been
named as a winner of the Presidential Early Career Award.

Around the College: December 2008

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 11:48:17 -0500

News about awards and events from around the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

In The News: December 2008

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 11:47:36 -0500

The latest headlines garnered by CLAS faculty and students in the national media through December 2008.

Head of the CLAS: Barbara Zsembik

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:55:50 -0500

Associate Professor of Sociology Barbara Zsembik has received the 2008 William R. Jones Outstanding Mentor Award, awarded by the McKnight Doctoral Fellowship program.

Bookbeat: A Taste of Europe

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:55:07 -0500

A Taste of Europe: Celebrating Five Years of the Center for European Studies Cookbook contains 56 recipes from 32 European countries.

Rooted Plants Move Mysteriously down Greenways, Scientists Say

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:31:45 -0500

The wild pea pod is big and heavy, with seemingly little prayer of escaping the shade of its parent plant.

Preserve Healthy Cabbage Palms

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:31:10 -0500

If you look out your window right now, chances are you’ll spot a Sabal palmetto, the scientific name of the cabbage palm, the state tree of Florida and South Carolina. Now imagine the landscape without these icons of the tropics.

Around the College: November 2008

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:30:35 -0500

News about awards and events from around the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

In the News: November 2008

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:29:59 -0500

The latest headlines garnered by CLAS faculty and students in the national media through November 2008.

Bookbeat: Voice Disorders

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:38:52 -0500

Written by leading specialists in voice, this book captures the science and art of clinical voice.

Scientists Build ‘Roach Motel’ for Nasty Bugs of the Bacterial Variety

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:32:06 -0500

The vacancy sign is on, but the lowlifes who check in never check out.

Zoologists: Sea Snakes Seek out Freshwater to Slake Thirst

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:32:22 -0500

Sea snakes may slither in saltwater, but they sip the sweet stuff.

Bookbeat: Blue-Green Coalitions: Fighting for Safe Workplaces and Healthy Communities

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:32:19 -0500

What do unions and environmental groups have to gain by working together and how do they overcome their differences? In Blue-Green Coalitions, Brian Mayer answers these questions by focusing on the role that health-related issues have played in creating a common ground between the two groups. By recognizing that the same toxics that cause workplace hazards escape into surrounding communities and the environment, workers and environmentalists are able to collaborate for the protection of all.

Serendipitous Observations Reveal Rare Event in Life of Distant Quasar

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:46:18 -0400

A bit of serendipity has given astronomers a surprise view of a never-before-observed event in the birth of a galaxy.

Bookbeat: An Everglades Providence: Marjory Stoneman Douglas and the American Environmental Century

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:45:31 -0400

No one did more than Marjory Stoneman Douglas to transform the Everglades from the country's most maligned swamp into its most beloved wetland.

Wearing Candidate Garb won’t keep Voters away from Polls in Florida

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:44:55 -0400

While poll workers in some states will turn away voters who wear political shirts, hats or buttons, wearing your political pride while voting in Florida won’t violate any anti-solicitation laws, a UF political science professor said.

Bookbeat: Twentieth-Century Humanist Critics: From Spitzer to Frye

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:55:16 -0400

The Twentieth-Century Humanist Critics revisits the work and place of eight scholars roughly contemporary with Anglo-American New Criticism: Leo Spitzer, Ernst Robert Curtius, Erich Auerbach, Albert Béguin, Jean Rousset, C.S. Lewis, F.O. Matthiessen, and Northrop Frye.

Girls who Start Puberty Early are Less Able to Cope with Stress

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:14:29 -0400

Girls who enter puberty early may be less able to cope with being bullied or rejected by other students than their female classmates who mature later, a new University of Florida study finds.

Created in Part by UF, World’s Largest Computing Grid to Launch Today

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:29:42 -0400

The world’s largest computing grid, pioneered in part by University of Florida researchers, will be launched today to crunch the mammoth amounts of data expected to be produced by the Large Hadron Collider particle accelerator in Europe.

Head of the CLAS: Milagros Pena

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:04:24 -0400

Milagros Peña, Director of the Center for Women’s Studies and Gender Research and professor of sociology, was awarded a Distinguished Book award from the Latino/a section of the American Sociological Association (ASA), the premier organization in the field. Peña's book, Latina Activists across Borders: Women's Grassroots Organizing in Mexico and Texas, was published in 2007 by Duke University Press.

Legislators’ Nod to Citizen Initiatives may be Tied to Re-Election Hopes

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:23:14 -0400

Citizen-initiated measures, such as gay rights and physician-assisted suicide, are not a uniquely Western U.S. phenomenon as traditionally thought.

In Memoriam: Dr. Felix M. Berardo

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:22:48 -0400

Dr. Felix M. Berardo, Professor Emeritus and former Chair of the Department of Sociology at the University of Florida succumbed to a long battle with a glioblastoma brain tumor on September 18 at his home in Gainesville, Florida.

Wolves Show Scientists are Barking Up the Wrong Tree

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:41:21 -0400

The common notion is that dogs evolved a special sensitivity to their human masters during domestication.

William Woodruff, UF Professor, Author Dies at 92

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:40:36 -0400

William Woodruff, author, historian and emeritus Graduate Research Professor at the University of Florida, died Tuesday in Gainesville.

Bookbeat: Dictionary of Herpetology

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:39:23 -0400

Following the historical precedent of Peters (1964), the new updated Dictionary of Herpetology provides a comprehensive, single-volume dictionary, with selected cross-referenced entries to clarify the many technical terms and concepts that pertain to herpetology.

Study Uncovers Facts about Artists’ Modeling in Revealing Interviews

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:39:20 -0400

Women who appear nude as artists’ models are more concerned about losing their pose than removing their clothes, a new University of Florida study finds.

In the News - August 2008

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:39:18 -0400

The latest headlines garnered by CLAS faculty and students in the national media.

Shoring the Foundations of the Roof of the World

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:39:15 -0400

Ed Kellerman’s commitment to public service is infectious. How else can you explain his ability to bring a punk band and a retired U.S. Senator together for a common cause?

Mel Tillis Visits Graduate Students

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:39:10 -0400

Country music singer and songwriter Mel Tillis visited the University of Florida Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders on September 8.

UF Physicists to Take Part in World’s Most Ambitious Science Experiment

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 09:51:25 -0400

When the world’s largest particle accelerator goes live later this week, University of Florida physicists will join thousands of scientists working to crack the last major mysteries of the physical universe.

Russia, Georgia, and the West: A New Cold War?

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:52:47 -0400

Following the brief Russian-Georgian war over South Ossetia, tensions between Russia and the West are at their highest since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Bad Sign for Global Warming: Thawing Permafrost holds Vast Carbon Pool

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:54:10 -0400

Permafrost blanketing the northern hemisphere contains more than twice the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, making it a potentially mammoth contributor to global climate change depending on how quickly it thaws.

New Research Challenges Long-Held Assumptions of Flightless Bird Evolution

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:53:43 -0400

Large flightless birds of the southern continents – African ostriches, Australian emus and cassowaries, South American rheas and the New Zealand kiwi – do not share a common flightless ancestor as once believed.

Around the College

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:54:50 -0400

Awards and events from around the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for August 2008.

Head of the CLAS: Kristen D. Downs

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 09:58:32 -0400

CLAS graduate Kristen Downs has been awarded the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation (JKCF) Graduate Scholarship, one of the most prestigious and generous scholarships in the nation.

Building a Bridge of Communication

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:25:44 -0400

Modern communication is so complex that it has been described as a wall of noise. Paul Ortiz aims to cut through that noise.

UF’s Graham Center Brings National Political Leaders to Speak Sept. 5

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:25:02 -0400

Two men who led national campaigns for the Republican and Democratic parties will meet Sept. 5 at the University of Florida to share insights into running a presidential campaign.

Head of the CLAS: Mike Gunter

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:45:01 -0400

Mike Gunter saw the disappointment in some children’s eyes at the end of the school year. A volunteer football coach at Westwood Middle School, Gunter discovered that these children were worried where their next meal would come from.

New Research Reveals why Chili Peppers are Hot

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:50:53 -0400

Despite the popularity of spicy cuisine among Homo sapiens, the hotness in chili peppers has always been something of an evolutionary mystery.

Bookbeat: A Fish in the Moonlight

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 10:21:08 -0400

The storyteller has a fascinating place in our world. The storyteller personalizes history, extends fable, and imparts folk wisdom.

Around the College: July 2008

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:00:00 -0400

The latest awards and accomplishments of faculty, staff and students around the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

In The News: August 2008

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:00:00 -0400

The latest headlines garnered by CLAS faculty and students in the national media.

UF Recognized for Collection of Children's Literature

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0400

The Collectors Weekly, a Web site for collectors and antique enthusiasts, recently selected the University of Florida's Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature Web site for its Hall of Fame.

UF Professor Wins International Award for Pioneering Research in Quantum Chemistry

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0400

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences professor So Hirata has been selected to receive the 2008 Annual Medal of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science.

Physicists Tweak Quantum Force, Reducing Barrier to Tiny Devices

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Cymbals don't clash of their own accord - in our world, anyway.

Geologists Push Back Date Basins Formed, Supporting Frozen Earth Theory

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Even in geology, it's not often a date gets revised by 500 million years.

New Study Points to Agriculture in Frog Sexual Abnormalities

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0400

A farm irrigation canal would seem a healthier place for toads than a ditch by a supermarket parking lot.

In The News: July 2008

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0400

The latest headlines garnered by CLAS faculty and students in the national media.

Bookbeat: Here and Now - History, Nationalism, and Realism in Modern Hebrew

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0400

The emergence of Zionism in the late nineteenth century and the evolution of Zionist society in Palestine were profoundly influenced by the Hebrew literature of the day.

Head of the CLAS: Paul D'Anieri

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0400

His last name is pronounced Da-NYER-ee, but he won't mind if you botch it. "My family doesn't even agree on how to pronounce it," said Paul J. D'Anieri, the new dean of UF's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Major Evolutionary Study Rewrites Bird 'Tree of Life'

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0400

The flamingo looks like it should be closely related to the stork or crane, but its closest relative may actually be the diminutive, modest grebe.

UF History Professor wins International Book Prize

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Juliana Barr, University of Florida assistant professor of history, was recently awarded one of the top international book awards for female historians.

Head of the CLAS: Elizabeth Gill

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Communication Sciences and Disorders graduate student Elizaebth Gill is traveling to East Africa this summer to conduct research on the attitudes of rural Kenyans and Ugandans toward communication problems and speech-language therapy.

Bookbeat: The Healthy Jew

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0400

The Healthy Jew traces the culturally revealing story of how Moses, the rabbis, and other Jewish thinkers came to be understood as medical authorities in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Bookbeat: Nahmanides in Medieval Catalonia

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0400

In this detailed study, Nina Caputo examines conceptions of history and messianic redemption in the writings of the Catalonian rabbi and brilliant Talmudic scholar Nahmanides (1195-1270).

UF Professor Wins Prestigious Award

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0400

For the second time in two years, a professor with ties to Cedar Key and the University of Florida has won the Volvo Environment Prize (Gainesville Sun).

Head of the CLAS: David Grove

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Anthropologist David C. Grove has been named the 2008 winner of the American Anthropological Association's Alfred Vincent Kidder Award for Eminence in the Field of American Archaeology.

Governor Crist Announces New Gubernatorial Fellows

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Two CLAS students and three CLAS alumnae are among the members of the fourth class of the Gubernatorial Fellowship Program.

Around the College: June 2008

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0400

The latest awards and accomplishments of faculty, staff and students around the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

In The News: June 2008

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0400

The latest headlines garnered by CLAS faculty and students in the national media.

UF Receives Department of State Grant to Explore U.S. Foreign Policy

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Eighteen academics from around the world are coming to Gainesville to gain a deeper understanding of how U.S. foreign policy is created and enacted.

Visiting the South's 'Stroke Buckle' Increases Risk of Stroke Death

Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0400

It might not only be the state of your health but also the state you visit that increases the chances of dying from a stroke, a new University of Florida study finds.

Greening Gators: UF Offers New Minor in Sustainability Studies

Wed, 04 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0400

To strengthen its commitment to the environment, the University of Florida has established a new undergraduate minor in sustainability studies.

Scientists Edge Closer to Unlocking Secrets of Mysterious Crab Pulsar

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Like a celestial top, the spinning neutron star known as the Crab Pulsar is slowing, a phenomenon that astronomers have yet to fully understand.

Bookbeat: Men on a Mission: Valuing Youth Work in Our Communities

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Men on a Mission provides the first comprehensive study of men who work and volunteer with kids in a variety of public settings.

Men on a Mission Help Youth Thrive Despite Negative Stereotypes

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Desperately needed as youth mentors, some men are answering the call despite negative publicity about male transgressions that can keep them at arm's length from children and teenagers, says a University of Florida researcher and author of a new book.

Undergrad Named Finalist in National History Scholars Program

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Paige Scofield, a history undergraduate and native of Boca Raton, was recently named a 2008 Gilder Lehrman History Scholar Finalist.

Head of the CLAS: Hananie Albert

Mon, 19 May 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Triple major Hananie Albert earns an eminent Beinecke Scholarship, in part, for research on her native Haiti.

Bookbeat: Know Thyself: Delphi Seminars - Opening up to Relational Teaching

Mon, 19 May 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Delphi seminars gave birth to a new way to teach literature, but they offer a method of teaching that one can easily use for teaching psychology, psychoanalysis, or anything, really.

Research from UF Undergraduates Onboard Phoenix Mars Lander Will Reveal Planet's True Colors

Tue, 27 May 2008 12:00:00 -0400

When NASA's Phoenix lander lander touched down on the surface of Mars on May 25, it carried special tools to give scientists their best look at the Red Planet's true colors.

Bookbeat: Does Your Baby Have Autism?

Tue, 27 May 2008 12:00:00 -0400

For many years, the diagnosis of autism has centered on a child's social interaction--from poor eye contact to lack of language skills. Although the autism community agrees that early intervention is key to effective treatment, the telltale signs of this disorder usually don't reveal themselves until the age of two or three. But what if it were possible to detect the potential for autism within the first year of life?

Around the College: May 2008

Tue, 20 May 2008 12:00:00 -0400

The latest awards and accomplishments of faculty, staff and students around the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

After Mutual Challenge, English Professor and Son Each to Publish a Book

Mon, 19 May 2008 12:00:00 -0400

A couple of years ago, University of Florida English professor Sidney Homan was walking through Central Park with his son Danny, an aspiring novelist studying for his master's degree in creative writing at Texas State University.

CLAS Faculty Advance the Cutting Edge of Research

Mon, 19 May 2008 12:00:00 -0400

The University of Florida Research Foundation has named six CLAS faculty members UFRF Professors for 2008-2011.

Head of the CLAS: Peter Ter

Mon, 19 May 2008 12:00:00 -0400

One of Sudan's lost boys, Peter Ter was removed from his home by the bloody civil war that has raged in Sudan for the last 20 years and which continues to this day in Darfur.

In The News: May 2008

Mon, 19 May 2008 12:00:00 -0400

The latest headlines garnered by CLAS faculty and students in the national media.

Globalized Classrooms

Mon, 19 May 2008 12:00:00 -0400

CLAS faculty awarded grants from UF International Center to enhance the university's curriculum.

English Alumna Named Ambassador to Panama

Fri, 16 May 2008 12:00:00 -0400

UF English alumna Barbara J. Stephenson has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the U.S. to the Republic of Panama, following the nomination of President George W. Bush.

Bookbeat: Singing Krishna

Fri, 16 May 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Singing Krishna introduces Paramanand, one of north India's greatest medieval poet-saints, whose poetry has been sung from the sixteenth century to the present in ritual service to the Hindu deity Krishna.

Holocaust Studies at the University of Florida Gets Funding to Recruit Top Scholar

Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 -0400

The Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Florida is seeking to elevate the prominence of its Holocaust research program, and a couple from south Florida feel that attracting a national authority on the subject is one way to do that.

Princes of the Universe

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Brian May, lead guitarist for the rock group Queen, is flying from London to Gainesville to help UF's astronomers pay tribute to a renowned Spanish astronomer who will receive an honorary doctorate during Saturday's commencement events.

Maternal Respect Stronger Among African-American and Latina Girls

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Young African-American and Latina girls treat their mothers with greater deference than do whites but their mothers take it harder when tempers flare, according to a new University of Florida study.

2007-2008 UF Doctoral Mentoring Award Winner

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0400

My philosophy and strategies of graduate mentoring are closely tied to my understanding of human development and the intersection of work and family life, two areas that I've studied throughout my career.

UF Offers Summer Camps for Kids with Dyslexia

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Angela McQueen couldn't take the frustration much longer. She had tried everything she knew to help her only child, Genevieve Owens.

CLAS Graduate Programs Land in the Top Ten of all Public and Private Universities in the U.S.

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0400

U.S. News and World Report has released its 2009 Best Graduate School rankings and three degree programs in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences - audiology, analytical chemistry, and statistics - have been named to the Top Ten of all public and private schools in the nation.

History Preserved: Kathryn Chicone Ustler Hall Recognized as Florida Treasure

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Kathryn Chicone Ustler Hall, home to the Center for Women's Studies and Gender Research at the University of Florida, has been recognized by the Florida Heritage Foundation and the Tallahassee Trust for Historic Preservation as a Preservation Project of Regional Impact.

CLAS Employees Recognized

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0400

On April 18, CLAS honored its employees for their commitment and years of service to the university.

Bookbeat: Dostoevsky's Greatest Characters

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Addressed to all readers of Dostoevsky, as well as to teachers, students, and specialists, this lucidly-written study approaches the underground man, Raskolnikov, and Ivan and Alyosha Karamazov as imagined human beings whose feelings, behaviors, and ideas are expressions of their personalities and experience.

CLAS in the News: March 2008

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0400

All the headlines garnered in the national media by faculty from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in December 2007.

Head of the CLAS: Maureen Hartney

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Political science and history major graduates as top cadet in U.S. Air Force.

D'Anieri Named Dean of CLAS

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Paul D'Anieri of the University of Kansas will take the helm of the university's largest college July 1.

The Search for Gravity Waves

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Scientists from the University of Florida are once again playing a leading role in the search for gravitational waves in the universe.

A Great Day for McKnights

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Five CLAS Students Receive McKnight Doctoral Fellowships to Pursue Careers in Academia.

Three UF Students win Prestigious Goldwater Scholarships

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0400

For the third year in a row, three University of Florida students have won scholarships from the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education.

Around the College: April 2008

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0400

The latest awards and accomplishments of faculty, staff and students around the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Graham Center Presents Media and the Presidency

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0400

The Graham Center for Public Service will present "Media and the Presidency," as part of the Graham Presidential Lecture Series: The Path to the White House on April 17 at 7 p.m. in Pugh Hall's Ocora.

Bookbeat: Cities and Cinema

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Films about cities abound. They provide fantasies for those who recognize their city and those for whom the city is a faraway dream or nightmare. How does cinema rework city planners' hopes and city dwellers' fears of modern urbanism?

UF Professor Uses Art to Highlight Tie Between Cultural and Biological Diversity

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Conservationists often promote pristine wilderness as a warehouse of biological diversity, but new research findings by a University of Florida anthropologist show higher biological diversity actually exists in areas where there is more human cultural diversity.

Scientists: New Technique Identifies Molecular 'Biomarkers' for Disease

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:00:00 -0400

University of Florida chemists are the first to use a new tool to identify the molecular signatures of serious diseases - without any previous knowledge of what these microscopic signatures or 'biomarkers' should look like.

Head of the CLAS: Debra Walker King

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Debra Walker King, University of Florida associate provost for faculty development and Department of English faculty member, has been selected by the American Council on Education as one of 36 fellows for the 2008-09 academic year.

Bookbeat: Stroke

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Political outrage rustles the high grasses of these ingenious, boisterous poems, alternately set in the lush ecologies of the Florida panhandle and the Aegean coast.

CLAS Announces 2008 University Scholars

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0400

More than 50 students have been selected from across the college to participate in their first major research venture.

Pulitzer-Prize Winner David M. Oshinsky to Speak at UF April 2

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Historian David M. Oshinsky, who captured the 2006 Pulitzer Prize in History for his book Polio: An American Story, will give the Gus Burns Memorial Lecture at the University of Florida on April 2, 6:30 p.m., in the Pugh Hall auditorium.

Madeleine Albright to Speak at UF March 26

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Just in time for Women's History Month, the Bob Graham Center for Public Service is bringing to campus the first woman to become U.S. Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, on March 26 at 11 a.m. in the Pugh Hall Ocora.

Head of the CLAS: George Christou

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0400

George Christou, the Drago Professor of Chemistry, has been named the recipient of the 2008 Florida Award in Chemistry from the Florida Section of the American Chemical Society.

Bookbeat: Verniana: Jules Verne Studies / Etudes Jules Verne

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0400

Verniana: Jules Verne Studies / Etudes Jules Verne was released on February 8, the 180th anniversary of Verne's birth.

Physicists: After 30 Years of Study, Rare Particle Confirms Prediction

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0400

High-energy physicists devoted to recreating the conditions at the beginning of the universe have for the first time observed a new way to produce those basic particles of atoms, protons and neutrons.

Excess Worrying can Harm Parents' Relationships with Grown Children

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0500

The amount of worry shared by parents and their grownup children can feel like a warm comforter or wet blanket, a new University of Florida study finds.

CLAS in the News: March 2008

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0500

All the headlines garnered in the national media by faculty from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in March 2008.

Around the College: March 2008

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0500

News about awards and events from around the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Bookbeat: Outsider Within: Reworking Anthropology in the Global Age

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0500

Outsider Within presents an approach to critically reconstructing the anthropology discipline to better encompass issues of gender and race.

Head of the CLAS: Allan Burns

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 12:00:00 -0500

The Board of Directors of the Society for Applied Anthropology has elected Professor Allan F. Burns as president of the international association.

Head of the CLAS: Stephanie Evans

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 12:00:00 -0500

Stephanie Evans will be honored at the American Educational Research Association's annual meeting in New York on March 24 as one of the top 10 reviewers of the American Educational Research Journal/Social and Institutional Analysis for 2007.

Bookbeat: African Americans and the Culture of Pain

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 12:00:00 -0500

In this study Debra Walker King considers fragments of experience recorded in oral histories and newspapers as well as those produced in twentieth-century novels, films, and television that reveal how the black body in pain functions as a rhetorical device and as political strategy.

First Global Malaria Map in Decades Shows Reduced Risk

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:00:00 -0500

About 35 percent of the world's population is at risk of contracting deadly malaria, but many people are at a lower risk than previously thought, raising hope that the disease could be seriously reduced or eliminated in parts of the world.

Grand Opening Set for Bob Graham Center for Public Service

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:00:00 -0500

The Bob Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida celebrates its opening with a week of activities March 3-6.

Head of the CLAS: David McClister

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 12:00:00 -0500

The University of Florida has awarded the nation's first Ph.D. in classical studies pursued online.

Humans Inhabited New World's Doorstep for 20,000 Years

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 12:00:00 -0500

The human journey from Asia to the New World was interrupted by a 20,000-year layover in Beringia, a once-habitable region that today lies submerged under the icy waters of the Bering Strait.

CLAS Professors Named Fulbright Scholars

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 12:00:00 -0500

Four of the college's professors will spend part of 2007-2008 representing the U.S. and the University of Florida abroad.

Pugh Hall Dedication

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 12:00:00 -0500

In the heart of the University of Florida, nestled between 98-year-old Newell and 72-year-old Dauer Halls, there's a new kid on the block energizing the historic district of campus.

Head of the CLAS: Paul Ortiz

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 12:00:00 -0500

Award-winning author and oral historian Paul Ortiz has been named director of the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program. He replaces retired history professor Julian Pleasants, who served as program director for 12 years.

Bookbeat: Cholera and Nation: Doctoring the Social Body in Victorian England

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 12:00:00 -0500

Drawing from sermons, novels, newspaper editorials, poetry, medical texts, and the writings of social activists, Cholera and Nation explores how the coming of the cholera epidemics during a period of intense political reform in Britain set the terms by which the social body would be defined.

Around the College: February 2008

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 12:00:00 -0500

News about awards and events from around the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

CLAS in the News: February 2008

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 12:00:00 -0500

All the headlines garnered in the national media by faculty from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in February 2008.

Remembering G. Paul Moore

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0500

The University of Florida's community of audiologists and speech-language pathologists have lost a legend in the passing of Distinguished Professor Emeritus G. Paul Moore.

Head of the CLAS: Brandi Hill

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0500

Brandi Hill will graduate this spring with a B.A. degree in criminology and a minor in African Studies. Though her studies have focused on adults, she admits that she finds herself repeatedly drawn to children.

Zoologists: Lusty Voles, Mindless of Danger, Mate Like Rabbits

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0500

Forgetful Casanovas are lucky in love.

Scientists: Environmental Protection, Development Not Always at Odds

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0500

Mangroves in coastal Thailand are the main protection against deadly flooding from tsunamis, so it might seem wise to protect them at all costs.

Bookbeat: Righteous Warrior: Jesse Helms and the Rise of Modern Conservatism

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0500

William Link tells the life story of Jesse Helms and, subsequently, the story of a conservative revolution that finally captivated America at the end of the twentieth century.

The American Right: Political Scholar to Lecture on Conservatism January 23

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0500

Looking for a way to participate in Super Tuesday? Political expert Donald Critchlow will present "Civic Engagement and Modern Conservatives" on Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. in the Pugh Hall Ocora Room on the University of Florida campus.

CLAS Honors Top Teachers and Advisors

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0500

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences announces 11 teaching and advising award honorees for 2007-2008.

Head of the CLAS: Joanna Lis

Tue, 22 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0500

Joanna Lis, a junior political science major with a dual minor in European studies and East-Central European studies, was thinking about the historical variability of languages when she shot an award-winning photo in Poland last summer.

Gauntlet Thrown: Medieval Knights Invade Campus January 23

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0500

En guard, gators! Knights from Kissimmee's Medieval Times will take over UF's Plaza of the Americas on January 23 in a display of medieval arms and armor at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. The chivalric spectacle is free and open to the public.

Head of the CLAS: Lacey Logsdon

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0500

While attending a student debate in June 2006, Lacey Logsdon listened as political science major Adam Recvlohe, a Yuchi and Mvskoke who heads the indigenous student group 500 Nations, discussed the need for a course of study at the University of Florida centered on the history and culture of American Indians.

Africa's Biggest Mammals Key to Ant-Plant Teamwork

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0500

Throughout the tropics, ants and Acacia trees live together in intricate interdependent relationships that have long fascinated scientists.

UF-Led Search for New Planets Part of Ambitious New Sky Survey

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0500

A University of Florida-led sky survey that may double the number of known planets outside the solar system is part of a major new survey program announced today at the American Astronomical Society's annual meeting in Austin, Texas.

Bookbeat: Archaeology of Anxiety

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0500

Galina Rylkova examines why the Silver Age is so prominent in of Russian literary consciousness.

Around the College: January 2007

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0500

News about awards and events from around the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Head of the CLAS: Gene Dunnam

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0500

As the University of Florida kicks of its spring semester, there is one professor who won't be returning from winter break this year. After nearly 50 years of service, Physics Professor Gene Dunnam has retired.

Seeing Stars at the Gator Jamboree

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0500

Thousands of sports fans received an education on the University of Florida's world-renowned astronomy program before the Florida Gators faced off against the Michigan Wolverines at the Capital One Bowl on New Year's Day.

CLAS in the News: December 2007

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 12:00:00 -0500

All the headlines garnered in the national media by faculty from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in December 2007.

To Curious Aliens, Earth Would Stand Out as Living Planet

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:00:00 -0500

With powerful instruments scouring the heavens, astronomers have found more than 240 planets in the past two decades, none likely to support Earth-like life.

UF Researcher: Unions Must Recruit Blacks in Order to Regain Influence

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:00:00 -0500

America's faltering labor movement will not survive unless unions do more to embrace blacks and other minority workers, says a University of Florida researcher and author of a new book.

Two CLAS Faculty Named HHMI Distinguished Mentors

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 12:00:00 -0500

Miklos Bona, associate professor of mathematics, and Robin West, professor of psychology, have been named Howard Hughes Medical Institute Distinguished Mentors in honor of their excellence in guiding undergraduate life science researchers.

Head of the CLAS: Andrew Rinzler

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 12:00:00 -0500

Associate Professor of Physics Andrew Rinzler has been awarded a patent for "Transparent Electrodes from Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes."

Bookbeat: The Indian Clerk

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 12:00:00 -0500

On a January morning in 1913, G. H. Hardy-eccentric, charismatic and, at thirty-seven, already considered the greatest British mathematician of his age-receives in the mail a mysterious envelope covered with Indian stamps. Inside he finds a rambling letter from a self-professed mathematical genius who claims to be on the brink of solving the most important unsolved mathematical problem of all time.

Bookbeat: Black Women in the Ivory Tower

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 12:00:00 -0500

Black Women in the Ivory Tower, published in February 2007 by Assistant Professor of African American Studies and Women's Studies Stephanie Evans, continues to grow in popularity and prestige.

Head of the CLAS: Faye Harrison

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 12:00:00 -0500

Faye Harrison, a professor of anthropology and director of the African American Studies program, received the 2007 Presidential Award from the American Anthropological Association at its annual meeting held in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 28-Dec. 2. She served as program chair of the conference, for which she selected the theme, "Difference, (In)Equality and Justice."

Bob Graham Center for Public Service Receives $1.5M From Graham Family Fund

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 12:00:00 -0500

A major gift to the Bob Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida will give the university greater opportunities to produce future public policymakers in Florida and on the national scene.

Bookbeat: Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature, and Culture

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0500

The second issue of the new Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture has just been released by the International Society for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture, led by UF religion professor Bron Taylor.

Head of the CLAS: So Hirata

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0500

So Hirata, an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and member of the Quantum Theory Project, has been awarded the HP Outstanding Junior Faculty Award by Hewlett-Packard and the American Chemical Society's Division of Computers in Chemistry.

Simple Reason Helps Males Evolve More Quickly

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0500

The observation that males evolve more quickly than females has been around since 19th century biologist Charles Darwin noted the majesty of a peacock's tail feather in comparison with the plainness of the peahen's.

Flowering Plants Evolved Very Quickly into Five Groups

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0500

University of Florida and University of Texas at Austin scientists have shed light on what Charles Darwin called the "abominable mystery" of early plant evolution.

Bookbeat: Nationalism and the Formation of Caribbean Literature

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0500

This book tells the story of how intellectuals in the English-speaking Caribbean first created a distinctly Caribbean and national literature.

Pasta Monster Gets Academic Attention

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0500

When some of the world's leading religious scholars gather in San Diego this weekend, pasta will be on the intellectual menu. They'll be talking about a satirical pseudo-deity called the Flying Spaghetti Monster, whose growing pop culture fame gets laughs but also raises serious questions about the essence of religion.

Head of the CLAS: Manuel Vasquez

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0500

Professor of Religion Manuel Vasquez sat down with Bill Moyers to discuss immigration in America. The conversation will air on Bill Moyers Journal on PBS on Nov. 16 at 9 p.m.

Karen Kinemuchi: Head of the CLAS

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0400

Karen Kinemuchi is going to be very busy for the next few years. She will be studying the stars in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, and sharing her research with two different countries.

Bookbeat: Legendary Rome

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0500

Legendary Rome is the first book to offer a comparative treatment of the reinvention of Rome's origins in the poetry of Vergil, Tibullus and Propertius. It also examines the impact that the changing topography of Rome, as orchestrated by the emperor Augustus, had on those poets' renditions of Rome's legendary past.

Globalizing the University

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0500

CLAS Announces Winners of International Educator of the Year Award.

Anti-Immigration Steps Encourage Foreigners to Stay in U.S.

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0500

Restrictions to keep illegal immigrants from entering the United States are having the perverse effect of encouraging those who are already here to stay by any means necessary, a new University of Florida study finds.

Around the College: November 2007

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0400

News about awards and events from around the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

CLAS in the News: November 2007

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0400

CLAS faculty quoted in local and national media.

Head of the CLAS: Christine Sapienza

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0500

When asked what I do, sometimes I wish my reply could be that I were an astrophysicist or electrical engineer. I am a speech-language pathologist - a profession that few people understand.

Bookbeat: Empire of Dreams

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0500

Empire of Dreams is the first definitive look at all of the science fiction (SF), fantasy, and horror films directed by Steven Spielberg, one of the most popular and influential filmmakers in the world today.

Head of the CLAS: Stephanie Argyros

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0400

Her desire to help make a difference in others' lives, mixed with her fascination of the human mind, brought Stephanie Argyros into the world of speech-language pathology.

Bookbeat: Natural Science in Western History

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0400

Natural Science in Western History provides an up-to-date and comprehensive survey of western science from ancient times through the Enlightenment to the present.

Study: Men More Traditional than Women About Marriage, Children

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0400

Women view childlessness much more favorably than men do, likely because parenting places greater demands on mothers, especially those juggling work and family responsibilities, a new University of Florida study finds.

Bookbeat: Rome and the Literature of Gardens

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0400

Rome and the Literature of Gardens explores the garden as a powerful focus of transformation and transgression in the De Re Rustica of Columella, the Satires of Horace, the Annals of Tacitus, and the Confessions of Saint Augustine.

UF Researcher: Soccer Emerges as Significant Political Force in Israel

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0400

The Arab-Israeli conflict softens considerably between the goals of a soccer field, according to a University of Florida researcher.

Bookbeat - Medium Cool: Music Videos from Soundies to Cellphones

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0400

Music videos are available on more channels, in more formats, and in more countries than ever before. While MTV-the network that introduced music video to most viewers-is moving away from music video programming, other media developments signal the longevity and dynamism of the form.

No Debate About It: Kellie Roberts is Recognized for Outstanding Service to Students

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0400

Kellie Roberts, Interim Director of the Dial Center for Written and Oral Communication, has been awarded the Morton Wolfson Faculty Award for her outstanding service to University of Florida students.

What Every American Needs to Know About Religion: Lecture November 7

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0400

College students might remember Stephen Prothero from his appearance on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," while religion scholars know him best for his contributions to academia, including the New York Times bestseller "Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know - and Doesn't." The Boston University religion professor and media pundit will discuss the need for religious intelligence in American society on Nov. 7, 7 p.m., in the University Auditorium. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Bookbeat: Public Policy

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0400

Political Science Professor David Hedge provides a historical context to the development of public policy theory.

Researchers: No Faking it, Crocodile Tears are Real

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0400

When someone feigns sadness they "cry crocodile tears," a phrase that comes from an old myth that the animals cry while eating.

Temperature Rising: Physicist Arthur Hebard to be honored by the American Physical Society for High Temperature Discovery

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0400

Distinguished Professor of Physics Arthur Hebard, together with professors Jun Akimitsu of Aoyama-Gakuin University and Robert Haddon of the University of California-Riverside, has been named the 2008 recipient of the American Physical Society's James C. McGroddy Prize for New Materials for the discovery of high temperature superconductivity in non-oxide systems.

University of Florida Undergraduates Get Biological

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:00:00 -0400

A new biology major at the University of Florida is poised to become the most popular pursued at the state's largest university.

Graham Center Presents First Public Lecture Series

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 12:00:00 -0400

The Bob Graham Center for Public Service has organized a lecture series on civic engagement this year as the first in what is to become a host of public events the Gainesville community can look forward to from the new University of Florida center.

Biologists Close in on Mystery of Sea Turtles' Lost Years

Thu, 20 Sep 2007 12:00:00 -0400

Biologists have found a major clue in a 50-year-old mystery about what happens to green sea turtles after they crawl out of their sandy nests and vanish into the surf, only to reappear several years later relatively close to shore.

Head of the CLAS: Eric Keys

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 12:00:00 -0400

Geographer Eric Keys is headed to Mexico to study the recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Dean.

Bookbeat: Shopping for God

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 12:00:00 -0400

Not so long ago religion was a personal matter that was seldom discussed in public. No longer. Today religion is everywhere, from books to movies to television to the internet-to say nothing about politics. Now religion is marketed and advertised like any other product or service. How did this happen? And what does it mean for religion and for our culture?

UF Becomes First University in U.S. to Establish EU-Funded Jean Monnet Centre

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:00:00 -0400

The University of Florida has become the first American institution to receive funding from the European Union to establish a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence on campus.

UF Opens New Speech and Hearing Clinic, Offers Free Hearing Screenings

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 12:00:00 -0400

The University of Florida Speech and Hearing Clinic is pleased to announce the opening of a new off-campus facility at 1405 NW 13th St. The full service audiology clinic offers diagnostics and rehabilitation, including the selection and fitting of hearing aids and assistive listening devices.

David Leavitt Discusses The Indian Clerk

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 12:00:00 -0400

Creative writing professor David Leavitt discusses new novel in Newsweek.

Welcome Back to CLAS

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 12:00:00 -0400

The College welcomes its faculty and students back to campus for the start of the fall semester.

UF Offers New Minor in American Indian and Indigenous Studies

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 12:00:00 -0400

Minor offers education about Native American history and culture.

Civics 101

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 12:00:00 -0400

The Graham Center hosts a teacher development workshop to enhance social studies curriculums.

CLAS Alumnus Named NASA's Chief Engineer

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 12:00:00 -0400

Michael Ryschkewitsch, who earned a B.S. in physics from UF in 1973, is now responsible for the technical readiness of all NASA programs.

Stories of the Dead

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 12:00:00 -0400

The forensic mysteries investigated by Anthony Falsetti and the C.A. Pound Human Identification Laboratory are the subject of a new television show.

University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences News

Bookbeat: Literature and the Brain

Head of the CLAS: Carol Murphy

Bookbeat: Everyday Ethics and Social Change: The Education of Desire

UF Study Recasts Political ‘God Gap’ Theory with Details of a Religious Left

Department of Energy Awards $1.275 Million Grant to University of Florida Physicists

Head of the CLAS: Rudolf Kalman

Bookbeat: Languages of Urban Africa

Plant Fossils give First Real Picture of Earliest Neotropical Rainforests

UF Anthropology Professor Inducted into American Academy

CLAS Students Lead in Fulbright Scholarships for Academic Year

Professor Brings Mayan Culture to the Heart of the Gator Nation

Scientists Join Forces to Explain HIV Spread in Central and East Africa

Sea Level Stargazing: Astronomers Make Key Sighting with Florida Telescope

Head of the CLAS: Robert Venditti

The Strange Tale of Wesley and Florence Garrison

Muslims fear runaway girl's case will fuel religious hatred

Socio-cultural, Genetic Data Work Together To Reveal Health Disparities

UF scientists develop camera to study black holes

UF-built instrument poised to find many black holes

Study of Isolated Snakes could Help Shed Light on Venom Composition

Gravitational Wave Observatory Listens for Echoes of Universe’s Birth

UF Professor wins Award for Quantum Mechanic Computing Research

Anthropology Researcher named a 2009-2010 Science & Technology Policy Fellow

Back to the Delta: SPOHP’s Ongoing Documentation of the Civil Rights Movement

UF to Instruct History On Location to Local Teachers

Chemistry Joins Forces with UF’s Clinical Translational Science Institute (CTSI)

UF Officials Help Inaugurate World’s Largest Telescope

Political Science Junior to lead Florida College Democrats (Gainesville Sun)

Bookbeat: Life Between Two Deaths: 1989–2001: U.S. Culture in the Long Nineties

Restructuring of Dean's Office Announced: CLAS Welcomes Three New Associate Deans

Head of the CLAS: Jill Ciment and Mary Robison

Florida Vs. the Superbugs

Astronomers, Royalty, Rock Stars to Inaugurate World’s Largest Telescope

A Prehistoric Popeye Effect? For the Dinosaur, Food Meant Bulk

Scientists: Salamanders, Regenerative Wonders, Heal like Mammals, People

Native Holly can Provide Caffeinated, Antioxidant-Rich Beverage, UF Experts Say

Denis Caswell Wins University Superior Accomplishment Award

Bookbeat: Albert Camus, Œuvres Complètes

UF Astronomy Team Among First to Use Massive New Telescope

Bookbeat: Guide and Reference to the Amphibians, Snakes, Turtles, and Lizards of Western North America (North of Mexico) and Hawaii

Former Head of Florida Humanities Council to Direct Graham Center

UF Study Finds Ancient Mammals Shifted Diets as Climate Changed

State Department Gives UF Grant to Explore U.S. Foreign Policy

Biologists: Greening Arctic not Likely to Offset Permafrost Carbon Release

Around the College - April 2009

In The News - April 2009

V. Betty Smocovitis Selected as 16th Distinguished Alumni Professor

2009-2010 Academic Year UFRF and CLAS Term Professors Named

CLAS Professor Named Outstanding Research Mentor

Abdourahmane Idrissa: Head of the CLAS

UF Anthropology Professor Chosen as American Academy Fellow

UF Geography Professor’s Expertise Results in Distinctive Honors

Three UF Undergraduates Named Goldwater Scholars

UF Student Chosen one of Two Truman Scholars from Florida Universities

Bookbeat: Possibility

UF Scientist Tapped by Howard Hughes Medical Institute to Pursue ‘Best Ideas'

Faculty Members Named as Fellows to Center for Advanced Judaic Studies

UF Receives Gates Foundation Grant to Help Fight Malaria Worldwide

In The News - February 2009

Around the College - February 2009

Study Predicts when Invasive Species can Travel More Readily by Air

Shedding Light on the Origins of the Milky Way

Film, Panel Discussion at UF to Examine Darfur

Bookbeat - Beyond Douglass: New Perspectives on Early African-American Literature

In Memory: Arthur Broyles

World’s Largest Snake Shows Tropics were Hotter in the Past

Bookbeat - Locating Race: Global Sites of Post-Colonial Citizenship

Scientists: Earthquakes, El Niños Fatal to Earliest Civilization in Americas

CLAS Announces Award Winners in Teaching, Advising, and Dissertations

Around the College - January 2009

In the News - January 2009

To Climate-Change Worries, add one more: Extended Mercury Threat

Wei Pan: Head of the CLAS

Around the College: December 2008

In The News: December 2008

Head of the CLAS: Barbara Zsembik

Bookbeat: A Taste of Europe

Rooted Plants Move Mysteriously down Greenways, Scientists Say

Preserve Healthy Cabbage Palms

Chemistry Joins Forces with UF’s Clinical Translational Science
Institute (CTSI)