Dean of the Faculty – News

�ֲ��ý College names Malcolm Hill as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty

�ֲ��ý News — Mon, 08 Jan 2018 15:29:14 +0000

�ֲ��ý President Clayton Spencer announced today that Malcolm S. Hill, Clarence E. Denoon Jr. Professor of Science, former associate dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, and former chair of the Department of Biology at the University of Richmond, will become vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty at �ֲ��ý effective July 1, 2018.

Malcolm Hill has been appointed vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty at �ֲ��ý College.

“I am thrilled to welcome Malcolm Hill to �ֲ��ý in this vitally important role,” Spencer said in announcing the appointment. “Malcolm is an outstanding teacher and scholar and a seasoned academic leader with a deep commitment to the liberal arts. At the University of Richmond, he was a driving force in fostering undergraduate research opportunities and in undertaking a variety of initiatives to build diverse and inclusive communities among students, faculty, and staff. I very much look forward to working with Malcolm as the next leader of the �ֲ��ý faculty.”

“As an educator, I am wholeheartedly committed to the liberal arts, and �ֲ��ý represents a distinctive and powerful example of this model, given its long history of broadening access to higher education for all,” said Hill.

“This type of education should integrate knowledge, emphasize the power of communication, model intellectual curiosity, focus on the whole person, and encourage us all to live in a world committed to the good of others. I look forward to getting to work as soon as possible and joining such a deep and talented faculty of scholar-educators.”

Hill’s appointment follows a national search overseen by a committee comprising faculty, staff, and the president. Hill will succeed Kathryn Graff Low, who has served as interim vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty since July 2017, following the appointment of Matthew Auer as dean of the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia.

“He impressed all of us with his intellectual curiosity, his interest in �ֲ��ý’ history and mission, and the genuineness of his approach to both people and ideas.”

“Speaking on behalf of the search committee, we are delighted that Malcolm will be joining the �ֲ��ý community,” said Jane Costlow, Clark A. Griffith Professor of Environmental Studies and chair of the selection committee. “There was tremendous interest in this position, and Malcolm emerged early as a compelling candidate. During his visit to campus, he impressed all of us with his intellectual curiosity, his interest in �ֲ��ý’ history and mission, and the genuineness of his approach to both people and ideas.”

As vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty, Hill will work with colleagues to set the intellectual direction of the college, foster a strong faculty culture, and lead the dynamic evolution of the �ֲ��ý academic experience. A member of �ֲ��ý’ senior staff, Hill will oversee the college’s academic departments and programs and guide the professional activities of approximately 280 individuals. He will also be responsible for the Academic Resource Commons, �ֲ��ý College Museum of Art, �ֲ��ý Dance Festival, the Harward Center for Community Partnerships, the Mathematics and Statistics Workshop, the Office of the Registrar and Academic Systems, the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Compliance, and Writing at �ֲ��ý.

A faculty member in the Department of Biology at the University of Richmond since 2004, Hill has taught courses in integrative biology, ecology, evolution, tropical marine biology, biostatistics, and several field seminars. From 2012 to 2015, Hill served as associate dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and as chair of the Department of Biology from 2008 to 2011.

As a department chair, Hill oversaw the hiring of faculty and staff, improvements to governance to foster inclusivity, and a revision of curriculum in one of the largest majors at the university. During his tenure as associate dean, Hill led the development and implementation of strategic initiatives designed to enhance the academic experience in the arts and sciences, as well as efforts to improve facilities on the campus.

Hill has authored or co-authored numerous peer-reviewed articles in the field of ecology. At the University of Richmond, his projects have focused on the evolutionary ecology of sponges and other invertebrates in tropical marine systems. His research examines population characteristics, and community structure and functions, of coral reefs. His work explores the role climate change is playing in shaping those ecosystems, and focuses on an essential symbiosis that is being disrupted by warming oceans around the world. Working closely with a team of undergraduate researchers and faculty, Hill has received several grants from the National Science Foundation and other funding agencies.

Prior to the University of Richmond, Hill held teaching and research positions in biology at Fairfield University, Harvard University, and the University of Massachusetts Boston. Hill received a bachelor’s degree in biology and environmental science from Colby College and a doctorate in evolutionary ecology from the University of Houston.

Hill will come to �ֲ��ý with his wife, April, a molecular and cell biologist, and their daughter Ruby. His son, Sam, is a graduate student in computer science at Northwestern, and his daughter Katie is finishing a double major in biology and bioethics at the University of Virginia this year.

Associate Dean of Faculty and Professor of Psychology Kathryn Graff Low appointed interim dean of the faculty for 2017–18

�ֲ��ý News — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 16:52:27 +0000

Kathryn Graff Low, professor of psychology and associate dean of the faculty, has been appointed interim dean of the faculty and vice president for academic affairs, President Clayton Spencer announced today.

Low, whose appointment begins on July 1, will serve during the 2017–18 academic year pending the search for a new, permanent dean. Low succeeds Matthew Auer, who departs �ֲ��ý on June 30 to become dean of the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia.

“I am very grateful that Kathy has agreed to serve in this vitally important role during this transition year,” said Spencer. “Kathy is a widely respected member of the senior faculty, and because of her current role, she is uniquely situated to carry forward the work of the Dean of the Faculty’s Office.”

Kathryn Graff Low will serve as interim dean of the faculty and vice president for academic affairs during 2017-18. President Clayton Spencer. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

Spencer added, “I very much look forward to working with Kathy over the next year to advance the priorities of the faculty and to continue to strengthen the resources supporting the academic core of the college.”

“I am deeply honored to serve �ֲ��ý in this way,” Low said. “I look forward to working with faculty colleagues to map out a plan for the year that will keep faculty processes moving forward and allow us, as appropriate, to continue to advance strategic priorities. The faculty are at the heart of the academic experience at �ֲ��ý. I welcome the opportunity to work with this group of dedicated colleagues to provide an exceptional liberal arts experience that is consistent with our mission and history.”

In her current role as associate dean of the faculty for the sciences and social sciences, Low’s responsibilities include oversight of academic assessment, research compliance, departmental reviews, and Title IX compliance. She also serves as the Office of the Dean of Faculty’s director of faculty research and scholarship, overseeing the distribution of internal faculty grants; management of student research and other grant funds; and research mentoring, including training in responsible conduct of research.

In previous years, Low served as chair of the Department of Psychology and has served on a wide range of faculty committees related to personnel, educational policy, curriculum, and the academic calendar. She oversaw the successful completion of the college’s interim accreditation report, and participated in recent institutional planning efforts.

Before assuming the associate dean position, Low was also responsible for new faculty development activities, and she has successfully mentored faculty during their transition to �ֲ��ý. In her current role, she is responsible for hiring visiting faculty and assists with faculty orientation and programming. This year, she is also co-leading the STEM diversity initiative, an effort designed to support all students, particularly those from underrepresented groups, for success in STEM fields.

A member of the �ֲ��ý faculty for 27 years, Low has expertise in areas related to women’s health and sexual health, including sexual function, sexually transmitted infections, body image and weight, and cardiovascular disease. She has also published on college student mental health and well-being. A licensed clinical psychologist in Maine, Low has served on the staff of St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center and Central Maine Medical Center.

Respect for Low’s teaching and research runs deep at �ֲ��ý, typified by work with her former thesis student Nicolette Robbins ’11 that yielded groundbreaking research on asexual coming-out experiences. Robbins calls Low a model professor, clinician, and researcher who “always has a million things going on but she always makes time. Not many people have the opportunity to get that close and feel so supported by a professor.”

Low earned a bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College, master’s from Harvard University, and doctorate from Stanford University. Appointed to the �ֲ��ý faculty in 1990, she was promoted to full professor in 2003 and has served as chair of the Department of Psychology.

The search committee for the next permanent dean will be formed this spring, with elections in April and the search will begin early next fall.

�ֲ��ý Dean of the Faculty and VP for Academic Affairs Matthew Auer appointed dean of the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia

�ֲ��ý News — Wed, 01 Feb 2017 14:00:58 +0000

The that Matthew Auer, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty at �ֲ��ý College since 2013, has been appointed dean of its School of Public and International Affairs.

Auer, whose appointment is effective July 1, will continue at �ֲ��ý through the end of the academic year on June 30.

“This appointment confirms what we have learned about Matt these past four years,” said President Clayton Spencer. “He is a brilliant and creative academic leader with impeccable judgment, unwavering integrity, and a tireless devotion to the job at hand.”

She added, “Apparently, these qualities were evident to the University of Georgia, and their gain is most certainly our loss. But it is a tribute to �ֲ��ý that Matt has been given this leadership opportunity at a time so critical for public policy.”

Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty Matt Auer, photographed at Convocation on Sept. 3, 2013. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

“Auer’s accomplishments at �ֲ��ý,” Spencer said, “belie the relatively short time that he has been at the college. Under Matt’s leadership, �ֲ��ý has created a new Digital and Computational Studies Program, successfully recruited exceptionally strong cohorts of scholars into tenure-track faculty positions across the curriculum, and strengthened the college’s approach to teaching, learning, and student success. I am happy for Matt and very grateful for his many contributions.”

“I have loved my time at �ֲ��ý and am proud of what we have accomplished,” Auer said. “The high quality and intense commitment of this faculty are among �ֲ��ý’ defining strengths. I have been blessed to work with such talented colleagues.”

Auer added, “It is very hard to leave �ֲ��ý, but I am excited by the opportunity to combine my interest in public policy with this unique leadership position. Until then, I look forward to working closely with my �ֲ��ý colleagues to continue our progress.”

Auer, who holds a faculty position as professor of environmental studies at �ֲ��ý, is a prolific and widely recognized international scholar and expert in environmental policy, energy policy, sustainable development, and foreign aid. He is an award-winning author of more than 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters.

In , Pamela Whitten, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, praised Auer’s commitment “to creating extraordinary learning experiences for students while also advancing scholarship and service that has a national and international impact. He is an ideal choice to lead UGA’s highly regarded School of Public and International Affairs into a new era of excellence.”

Since 2013 at �ֲ��ý, Auer has overseen the development of the college’s new Digital and Computational Studies Program and has helped to guide the first expansion of the faculty in more than a decade. Both achievements were announced in February 2016 with the creation of six new endowed professorships funded by new gifts of $19 million.

Auer has also overseen the successful recruitment of 28 long-term faculty with approximately nine more to be appointed in the current academic year. Integral to faculty hiring has been �ֲ��ý’ more robust, better resourced, and more sustainable approach to achieving gains in faculty diversity. Auer has been instrumental in �ֲ��ý’ deployment of the Mellon Diversity and Faculty Renewal Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, which offers the early-career value of a postdoctoral fellowship with the career-advancement potential of a tenure-track position.

Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Faculty Matt Auer listens to the keynote address during the 2016 Martin Luther King Jr. Day observance at �ֲ��ý. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

Last year Auer announced funding for and establishment of the innovative Summer Science Research Experience, a program that funds 15 new summer research positions for students in STEM fields while giving those students a more structured and unifying summer experience with their faculty mentors. �ֲ��ý’ position in the top 30 liberal arts colleges in the proportion of graduates going on to earn doctorates in the sciences is largely due, Auer said, to the “high-quality science mentorship” they receive during summer research.

In 2016, �ֲ��ý launched the grant-funded Academic Resource Commons to promote learning and skill-building through a peer-tutoring model. Located in Ladd Library and funded by a grant from the Davis Educational Foundation, the dedicated ARC space and grant resources are strengthening the college’s support for writing, peer-assisted learning, and peer tutoring.

Prior to �ֲ��ý, Auer was dean of the Hutton Honors College of Indiana University. He earned a doctorate and master’s from Yale University, a master’s degree in law and diplomacy from Tufts University, and a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University.

Spencer said that she will work closely with the faculty to determine the appropriate timing for a search for Auer’s successor and possible interim arrangements.

Students explain what their �ֲ��ý-funded summer work means right now

�ֲ��ý News — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 21:17:44 +0000

Here’s what a few of the 238 students who participated in �ֲ��ý-funded summer internships and other projects say about how those experiences connect to and inspire their work back in the �ֲ��ý classroom.

+Joe Tulip '18 of Braintree, Mass.

Major: Environmental studies

Project: Purposeful Work intern with Maine Migrant Health Program

Funding: Purposeful Work initiative and Maine Migrant Health Program

Focus: Supporting Maine’s migrant farm worker population through the Maine Migrant Health Program’s mobile clinic

Location: Throughout Maine where migrant workers work, including an apple orchard near campus

Joe: Into the fall, I’ve done community-health work, from checking supplies to educating patients in their native language, Spanish, on their conditions and doing after-visit summaries with patients so they understand how to take prescribed medications, for example.

Migrant workers make up one of the most vulnerable populations in the U.S. The nature of their work means they’re often unable to manage chronic illnesses, save money, or learn English. And due to their travel to Maine, they often do not have enough money to buy food until their first paycheck. It’s fascinating that this is happening in the U.S. and more isn’t being done about it.

Joe Tulip ’18 outside the Maine Migrant Health Program’s mobile unit at a local apple orchard. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

+Jeremy Glover '17 of Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Major: English

Project: Research assistant with Professor of English Sylvia Federico

Focus: Accompany Federico to the International Congress on Medieval Studies in July as she presented a paper based on her new book, The Classicist Writings of Thomas Walsingham

Funding: Hoffman Research Support Grant

Location: University of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

Jeremy: My trip made my work over the last few years on medieval English literature and culture come to life. As I embark on writing an honors thesis examining a wide variety of texts from this period, memories of my travels have and will continue to impact how I understand what it means for these texts and their authors to be English.

Jeremy Glover ’17 with Professor of English Sylvia Federico at Leeds University. (Claire Wood for �ֲ��ý College)

+Melody Altschuler '17 of Lyme, Conn.

Major: Psychology

Project: Research assistant with Susan Faja, assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School

Focus: In children with autism spectrum disorder, examining neural changes in response to playing computer games designed to improve “executive function” — the brain’s ability to manage complex or conflicting information in the service of attaining a goal.

Funding: �ֲ��ý Summer Research Fellowship and Hoffman Research Support Grant

Location: Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Boston Children’s Hospital

Melody: I would love to attend graduate school for clinical psychology, hopefully doing clinical neuroscience research with a focus on autism. Dr. Faja is an amazing mentor and role model for what I aspire to accomplish after graduating from �ֲ��ý.

As an intern in her lab, I gained hands-on clinical research experience; I also interacted with families, helped out with scheduling testing sessions, and did a lot of “theory of mind” coding, laying the groundwork for updating a coding system that looks at social cognition — how people process social information and solve social problems.

I am excited to continue working with Dr. Faja for my psychology thesis, examining “theory of mind” in children with autism and continuing my research looking at individual differences in children with ASD, particularly in their social cognition.

Melody Altschuler ’17 and researcher Susan Faja at Boston Children’s Hospital. (Josh Kuckens/�ֲ��ý College)

+Jeremy Cairns '19 of Lewiston, Maine

Major: Undeclared

Project: Research assistant with Professor of Chemistry Paula Schlax, helping to identify of pathogens in Maine honeybees

Funding: Sherman Fairchild Faculty-Student Research Grant

Location: �ֲ��ý

Jeremy: I gained valuable knowledge about real-life lab work, bees, and the pathogens the Varroa mite afflicts the honeybee with. I learned how to extract bee RNA; store it properly to prevent degradation from endogenous RNases; make an elution of the RNA to remove contaminants; and run reverse transcriptase reactions on the RNA to create DNA for testing.

I hope to expand the information I’ve already learned about the bees with what I’ll be learning in “Cell Hell”: cellular and molecular biology. As daunting as Cell Hell has been made out to be, I already recognize the importance it has to me and future.

Jeremy Cairns ’18 in the lab of Professor of Chemistry Paula Schlax. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

+Cristopher Thompson '19 of Macon, Ga.

Project: Internship at Auburn/Lewiston Clubhouse of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine

Major: Undecided

Funding: Harward Center for Community Partnerships‘ Community Work-Study Fellowship

Focus: Supporting programs for schoolchildren

Location: Auburn, Maine

Cristopher: Where I come from, the struggle is that of disenfranchised people of color. Here, I worked with disenfranchised white people. And there are also poor people of different religions, as well. The linking bond is poverty: Poverty knows no color or religion. That was the big thing for me to know going forward as I go out to accomplish my goals: Don’t count people out.

I learned conflict resolution and communications skills: how to get things across. I learned to embrace the fact that there are things you just can’t wake up and know, like when a kid curses at you or makes racist comments. In that sense, it was a tough ride at first. But you have to be here, going through the work, if you want to help the kids move up and beyond that.

Cristopher Thompson ’19 of Macon, Ga., at the Boys and Girls Club of Auburn, Maine. (Josh Kuckens/�ֲ��ý College)

+Colby Harrison '17 of Kennebunk, Maine, and Katie Van Patten '17 of Chico, Calif.

Major: Neuroscience and theater (Harrison); theater and Japanese (Van Patten)

Project: Internship in directing at Opera House Arts of Stonington, Maine

Focus: Close observation of directors, dramaturgical research, running lights and sound, volunteering at Opera House events

Funding: Opera House Arts at the Stonington Opera House

Location: Theater venues in and around Stonington, Maine

Katie: In general, there are not a lot of directing-specific internship opportunities at the undergrad level, so this was really fantastic. I learned a lot of things that I’ll hopefully be able to apply to my directing thesis this semester. Working in a professional setting in general is super-valuable as I think about graduation and how I would like to be working once I graduate.

Colby: This internship, within the �ֲ��ý academic track, reminds me exactly how much I’ve learned through the theater department. All of the professionals here use many of the same techniques as the students use on campus.

As for my career, this internship has helped me see the balance between doing the show you might love versus doing the show that will sell. Theaters like the Opera House must walk that fine line in order to keep audiences and make money.

Colby Harrison ’17 and Katie Van Patten ’17 at the Reach Performing Arts Center in Deer Isle, Maine (Josh Kuckens/�ֲ��ý College)

+Michael Varner '17 of Chelsea, Mich., and Fan Dong '17 of Beijing

Major: Politics and economics (Dong); economics (Varner)

Project: Purposeful Work interns with Associate Professor of Economics Nathan Tefft

Funding: Looking Glass Investments

Focus: Supporting predictive analytics of Looking Glass Investments, an investment firm focused on marketplace lending, of which Tefft is chief economist and executive vice president

Location: Looking Glass Investments offices in Brunswick, Maine

Fan: I had access to almost all areas of the business. It’s a small company, yet such an integrated team doing real work to help improve the models and help LGI increase return every day and strengthening econometric and coding skills all the time. My team was in charge of running data analysis and developing predictive models, so I gained a lot of hands-on experiences testing new machine learning methods and coding in different languages.

Michael: The work was directly related to the class “Big Data and Economics” that Fan and I both took last semester with [Tefft]. We used a lot of similar methods in class that we do here. It’s interesting: We’ve transitioned from an academic setting to a corporate setting — a business.

I worked to learn the investing algorithms that my company uses and taught myself the coding necessary to use and modify the software. Independent learning is a useful skill that will help me not only in my current internship but also in future endeavors.

Michael Varner ’17, Associate Professor of Economics Nathan Tefft, and Fan Dong ’17 in the offices of Looking Glass Investments in Brunswick, Maine. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

+Annakay Wright '17 of Brooklyn, N.Y.

Major: Women and gender studies

Project: Research assistant with Associate Professor of Women’s Studies and of English Language and Literature Victor Mendoza, University of Michigan

Funding: C3 Fellowship

Focus: North Carolina’s bathroom laws

Location: University of Michigan

Annakay: My summer research provided me with the skills and knowledge I can apply to my future goals. I did preliminary research for my thesis and gained a new understanding of queer politics, which makes me so excited to do my thesis at �ֲ��ý surrounded by professors who I’ve developed strong relationships with.

I started applying for grad schools over the summer, and it’s so amazing the amount of advice and support I’ve gotten from my �ֲ��ý professors and staff about the process.

Annakay Wright ’17 poses with Professor of Women’s Studies and English Victor Mendoza at the University of Michigan. (Daryl Marshke for �ֲ��ý College)

+Emma Katz ‘17 of Holmdel, N.J.

Major: Environmental studies

Project: Research assistant with Assistant Professor of Biology Carla Essenberg

Funding: �ֲ��ý Summer Research Fellowship

Focus: Plant relationships with their pollinators, specifically bumblebees.

Location: �ֲ��ý

Emma: First, I was able to design and conduct my own study, and will use the data I collected from this study for my senior thesis In addition, I gained valuable lab skills that I will use at �ֲ��ý and in my future career in research. Lastly, working with insects — bumblebees — was not something I had ever thought about doing, and I am glad I worked out of my comfort zone this summer so that I am more willing to do so in the future.

Emma Katz ‘17 poses in the lab of Assistant Professor of Biology Carla Essenberg. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

+Summer Peterson '18 of Yorba Linda, Calif.

Major: Psychology, Japanese

Project: Purposeful Work intern with doctoral students Kathryn Fox and Steven Felix at Harvard University

Funding: Purposeful Work initiative

Focus: Self-injurious behaviors (with Fox) and how “perceived criticism” develops in romantic relationships (with Felix)

Location: Harvard University

Summer: After this summer, I don’t want to stop looking for answers through research. You don’t always get the results you want (or any result at all), and it basically never goes according to plan, but it is captivating and exhilarating.

I quickly learned how to work with research participants and supervisors and how to be more “grown-up” than my 20 years have taught me to be! The sensitive nature of the topics I am studying (self-injurious behaviors and perceived criticism) means that what I hear can be upsetting. But I have to act maturely and professionally despite how much I, at times, just wanted to hug the participant.

I also improved my communication skills because I was, essentially, on the first line for questions and concerns about the research we were working on. If I couldn’t help, then they would go to my boss. I learned to reiterate, speak clearly, ask my own questions early on, and, when finished, ask the person if I made sense or if they have questions.

Kathryn Fox, Summer Peterson ’18, and Steven Felix at Harvard University. (Josh Kuckens/�ֲ��ý College)

+Olin Carty '17 of Des Moines, Iowa, and Madeline Bruno '17 of Denver, Colo.

Major: Mathematics and geology (Carty); geology (Bruno)

Project: Research assistant with Assistant Professor of Geology Geneviève Robert

Funding: �ֲ��ý Summer Research Fellowship and Hoffman Research Support Grant (Bruno), and Sherman Fairchild Faculty-Student Research Grant (Carty)

Focus: How the presence of the element fluorine affects the viscosity of magma

Location: �ֲ��ý

Madeline: In the lab we spent a lot of time planning and making many glass samples of many different compositions, which is very hands-on and can be fast-paced. In my academic work, I’m looking forward to slowing down, taking a step back, and gaining a thorough understanding of the bigger picture of this project.

It’s relatively easy to look at the data from the samples I have individually run and understand what the numbers are telling me. It’s harder to understand the implications of this data on my individual thesis, on the theses from other students and papers I am building on, and on work going on in the broader scientific community.

Olin: Not only did being at �ֲ��ý this past summer allow me to get a good head start on my work for this year and give me time to become immersed in the research I was doing, but it allowed me to share my experiences with other students who spent the summer at �ֲ��ý and to learn what other students were doing as well.

For me, one of the most exciting parts of my summer was when I was able to give a short tour of my lab. This allowed me to share the research I was doing with other students and faculty interested in the sciences, and allowed me to explain the instruments I was using to them.

Olin Carty ’17 and Madeline Bruno ’17 in the lab of Assistant Professor of Geology Geneviève Robert. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

+Salim Ourari '18 of Ariana, Tunisia, and Ian Wax '19 of Briarcliff Manor, N.Y.

Major: Physics (Ourari); undeclared (Wax)

Project: Research assistants with Lecturer in Geology and Physics Raj Saha ’03

Funding: Sherman Fairchild Faculty-Student Research Grant (Ourari) and �ֲ��ý Faculty Development Grant (Wax)

Focus: Researching techniques to measure sea ice thickness (Ourari) and the Indian monsoon (Wax)

Location: �ֲ��ý plus local fieldwork

Salim: Starting a complex project like the development of an aerial instrument to measure sea-ice thickness made me realize the importance of group work. As a physics student working alone on this project, I realized how helpful this could be to have partners with expertise in other fields.

Ian: The research I was involved with focused on better understanding patterns of the Indian monsoon. Working with Raj, I learned how much of an impact the Indian monsoon has on the Indian people and how climate change is altering the monsoon’s behavior. Raj and I also sent up a high-altitude weather balloon. I am excited to continue to work with Raj on more launches and other research projects!

Salim Ourari ’18, Lecturer in Geology Raj Saha ’03, and Ian Wax ’19 in Ladd Library. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

+Mike Mulach '17 of Rocky River, Ohio

Major: Economics, art and visual culture

Project: Purposeful Work intern at TM Capital with Brad Adams ’92

Funding: Purposeful Work initiative and TM Capital

Focus: The ins and outs of an investment-banking analyst’s job

Location: Boston, Mass.

Mike: At TM, I did everything a full-time person would do. My work as an intern went into the final product seen by a client, which is actually really cool. For a kid in the liberal arts not knowing a lot about investment banking, I really couldn’t have asked for a better spot — just a perfect environment to ask questions and to learn from your mistakes and your experiences.

A lot of kids come into school their freshman year and say, “I want to do finance” and they think finance is only a banking thing. Thanks to alumni like Brad, you really get to understand the whole scope of finance. There’s just so many different jobs you can do. Also, I got to know the �ֲ��ý network in Boston, which is nice.

Mike Mulach ’17 with Brad Adams ’92 at TM Capital in Boston. (Josh Kuckens/�ֲ��ý College)

Xioameng Wang ’19 poses in the lab of Assistant Professor of Biology Carla Essenberg. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

+Will Hilton '17 of Coral Gables, Fla.

Major: Environmental studies

Project: Research assistant with Professor of Environmental Studies Holly Ewing and Professor of Geology Mike Retelle

Funding: Dorothy Dole Johnson ’41 Endowment

Focus: Studying past sediment inputs to Lake Auburn

Location: Auburn, Maine

Will: I enjoyed the time I spent on campus over the summer. Being able to work in the lab on my own and formulate my own questions is something that I’ve had relatively little experience doing. I feel that the thesis process is great preparation for what lies ahead in the world.

Will Hilton ’17 in the lab of Professor of Geology Mike Retelle. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

+Max Huang '18 of Suzhou, China

Major: Physics, mathematics, economics

Project: Research assistant with Professor of Physics Hong Lin

Funding: STEM Endowment Faculty-Student Research Grant

Focus: Instabilities in vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers subject to optical injection

Location: �ֲ��ý

Max: This summer research not only taught me how to generate microwave signals by using a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser but also enlightened me how to be a problem-solver in the lab and an independent thinker standing in the shoes of a professional physicist.

Prior to this research, my study in physics was plain and, let’s say, somehow unmotivated. Admittedly, the coursework was vital for the understanding of the research, but sometimes it was too theoretical. I couldn’t see any straightforward applications.

But the lab experience showed me the insights of potential applications, helped me connect the theoretical work to real experimental work, and, most importantly, gave me a reason to stay motivated in exploring physics.

Max Huang ’18 in the lab of Professor of Physics Hong Lin. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/�ֲ��ý College)

+Jason Ross '19 of Des Moines, Iowa

Major: Undeclared

Project: Purposeful Work intern with the �ֲ��ý Dance Festival

Funding: Purposeful Work initiative

Focus: Technical theater

Location: �ֲ��ý

Jason: I didn’t know if I wanted to to do an internship in technical theater because I was already more focused on chemistry. But I thought, “It’s early on, so I might as well figure out if this is something that I want to do with my life instead of being a chemistry major.”

I found myself fully immersed in the creative problem-solving attitude of theater. Whether this is a blessing or curse is something I’m still trying to figure out!

There have been intense moments at crunch times but there’s also the idea of learning on the job and understanding why things work and how things work. [The technical directors] bring a whole new level to the way things get done that I would have never seen before.

We work 14-hour days together. I’ve never worked with such close family. Sure we give each other crap and there’s hard days, but when we work together and we’re all on the same mindset it’s like magic backstage, it’s really cool.

Jason Ross ’19 in Schaeffer Theatre. (Josh Kuckens/�ֲ��ý College)

Matthew Auer, Indiana University honors dean, named �ֲ��ý College vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty

�ֲ��ý News — Mon, 13 May 2013 16:00:59 +0000

Matthew R. Auer becomes vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty at �ֲ��ý on July 1. Photograph by Kendall Reeves.

�ֲ��ý President A. Clayton Spencer announced today that Matthew R. Auer will become dean of the faculty and vice president of academic affairs, effective July 1.

Auer, dean of the Hutton Honors College and professor of public and environmental affairs at Indiana University, succeeds Pamela J. Baker ’69, Helen A. Papaioanou Professor of Biological Sciences and longtime faculty leader at �ֲ��ý.

“Matthew Auer is a leading scholar and globally engaged expert in the arenas of environmental policy, energy policy, sustainable development and foreign aid,” Spencer said, in announcing the appointment. “He is also a dynamic and effective academic leader who has focused his energies on improving programs for undergraduates at Indiana University, first as director of undergraduate programs in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and for the past five years as dean of the Hutton Honors College. I am so pleased that we have found a scholar, teacher and collaborative leader of Matt’s stature to lead our faculty in this time of great challenge and promise in higher education.”

“The curriculum’s academic rigor is legendary and its action-oriented, self-reflective approach to experiential learning is path-breaking,” Auer said.

“I am thrilled and honored to join �ֲ��ý,” said Auer. “�ֲ��ý has been on my radar screen for years. The faculty of talented teacher-scholars is dedicated to the personal and intellectual development of the college’s diverse student population. The curriculum’s academic rigor is legendary and its action-oriented, self-reflective approach to experiential learning is path-breaking. �ֲ��ý’ faculty enters a period of major generational renewal in the short years ahead even as higher education is transformed by new technological, pedagogical and curricular innovations. It’s an exciting time to lead the faculty, and I can’t wait to get to work.”

Auer has authored or co-authored more than 50 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on environmental policy. His paper, “Communication and Competition in Environmental Studies,” published in Policy Sciences in 2010, earned the Harold D. Lasswell award for best article in that journal. His edited 2004 volume Restoring Cursed Earth: Appraising Environmental Policy Reforms in Eastern Europe and Russia was nominated for the International Studies Association’s Sprout Award for best book in global environmental studies. Auer has taught since 1996 at Indiana University, where he has earned numerous teaching awards, including IU’s highest honor for instruction, the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Auer has served in a variety of public policy roles at national and international levels. He was senior adviser to the U.S. Forest Service from 2001 to 2006, and during that time was a member of the U.S. delegation to the United Nations Forum on Forests and to the International Tropical Timber Council. For more than 20 years he has developed, implemented and evaluated energy and environmental aid programs for the U.S. Agency for International Development and for foreign aid agencies in, among other countries, Mexico, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Estonia, Poland, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand.

Auer has raised academic standards in the honors college and aligned the college’s course offerings with the university’s revamped general education requirements.

At Indiana University’s Hutton Honors College, which offers a rigorous academic experience for undergraduates within the larger research university, Auer leads a staff of 19 professionals. He is the college’s principal recruiter of faculty who teach hundreds of honors courses in various units at IU. He has raised academic standards in the honors college and aligned the college’s course offerings with the university’s revamped general education requirements. Auer has also raised resources for study abroad programs and helped develop an undergraduate research scholarship program at IU.

Auer received a doctorate in forestry and environmental studies from Yale University in 1996. His other academic degrees include an M.S. (1994) and M.Phil. (1993) from Yale, a master’s from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University (1990) and an A.B. magna cum laude in anthropology from Harvard University (1988).

Auer’s appointment culminates a national search carried out by a search advisory committee composed of faculty, staff and the president. The search included visits to campus by finalists, who spoke in large forums and small meetings about their research interests, administrative experience and vision. Auer’s visit received an overwhelmingly positive response from the �ֲ��ý community.

“I am grateful to Pam Baker for her leadership of the �ֲ��ý faculty and her partnership during my first year at �ֲ��ý,” said Spencer. “I am also grateful to the faculty and staff who worked with such dedication on this search, and whose vision for the college has led us to this outstanding appointment.”

Auer will come to �ֲ��ý with his wife Anne and their 12-year-old twins.

�ֲ��ý, Bowdoin share $150,000 grant to improve quantitative education

�ֲ��ý News — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:19:54 +0000

A national foundation that supports liberal arts education has awarded nearly $150,000 to �ֲ��ý and Bowdoin colleges for a collaborative effort to strengthen students’ quantitative reasoning skills.

The New York-based Teagle Foundation has granted the colleges $148,780 for a three-year project exploring effective ways to teach quantitative reasoning. The foundation’s Systematic Improvement in Student Learning initiative will support the schools’ efforts to develop techniques for assessing students’ progress in such reasoning. It’s hoped that these assessments will provide a basis for developing best practices in curriculum and teaching techniques.

“Quantitative reasoning” refers to the application of quantitative skills, such as computation, in the interpretation of ideas and the formation of arguments in any subject. Effective quantitative reasoning requires the development of such mental habits as thinking logically and basing decisions upon evidence.

“We live in a technologically driven society, and students must be able to reason quantitatively in order to participate fully in that society,” says Matt Côté, who is coordinating the project for �ֲ��ý College. Côté is an associate professor of chemistry and associate dean of the faculty.

“Much of a liberal arts education is about thinking well, reasoning well and presenting an argument. In many contexts quantitative reasoning is central to those processes.”

The two colleges plan to measure the reasoning skills of students at three points in their academic careers: upon arrival as first-year students, near the completion of their first quantitative reasoning course and just prior to graduation. At each stage, a combination of quantitative and qualitative tools will be used to gauge students’ skills and their effectiveness in applying those skills when reasoning from evidence.

These assessments will give �ֲ��ý and Bowdoin the data and the insights necessary to improve how such reasoning is taught, Côté explains. “We want to figure out which aspects of our efforts to enhance students’ quantitative reasoning are most effective and where there is room for improvement. Our assessment efforts will provide concrete information about what form those improvements ought to take.”

The grant comes at a crucial time for both schools, says Nancy Jennings, chair of Bowdoin’s education department. “We’ve already done preliminary work in making a transition in our general education requirements from a focus on quantitative skills to quantitative reasoning,” says Jennings.

“Faculty who teach quantitative reasoning courses have had some discussions about what the new focus includes and what our aims are, but we haven’t had the time or resources to thoughtfully and systematically put all the pieces together yet, especially the assessment piece. That we can now do this thoughtful, systematic work collaboratively with colleagues from �ֲ��ý just means the discussions and outcomes will be that much richer.”

The Teagle support will also advance the colleges’ participation in the regional New England Consortium on Assessment and Student Learning initiative and, more broadly, enable Bowdoin and �ֲ��ý to share their findings with wider national audiences.

The Teagle Foundation provides leadership for liberal education, marshalling intellectual and financial resources needed to ensure student access to challenging, wide-ranging and enriching college educations. The foundation emphasizes measurement-based approaches to educational improvements and the broad dissemination of project results. .

– Doug Hubley, Office of Communications and Media Relation

New vice president for academic affairs named

�ֲ��ý News — Mon, 26 Jul 1999 04:00:43 +0000

Dr. Jill N. Reich has been appointed as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty at �ֲ��ý College, President Donald W. Harward announced. Reich joined the �ֲ��ý community July 1.

A former dean of the faculty at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., Reich was most recently executive director of education for the American Psychological Association. From 1977 to 1994, she was a faculty member, department chair and associate graduate dean at Loyola University of Chicago. A graduate of Regis College, Reich received her Ph.D in experimental psychology from Dartmouth.

“As a scholar and teacher, her achievements are profound,” Harward said. “She has championed scholarship and teaching excellence within arenas of professional disciplines and in interdisciplinary contexts. We look forward to her leadership at �ֲ��ý.”

The challenge of the academic vice president, Reich said, “is to foster the scholarly and teaching expertise of the faculty, while recognizing the times in which we live. These times demand a grounding in the liberal arts and sciences, shaped within a context that enhances applications to the community and the rapidly changing global marketplace.”

Reich said she looks forward to “my opportunity to help advance a liberal education of excellence, one that prepares its graduates to engage in the intellectual, economic, scientific, ethical and social challenges of the global community in which they live and for which many will serve as leaders.”

Dean of the Faculty – News

�ֲ���ý College names Malcolm Hill as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty

Associate Dean of Faculty and Professor of Psychology Kathryn Graff Low appointed interim dean of the faculty for 2017–18

�ֲ���ý Dean of the Faculty and VP for Academic Affairs Matthew Auer appointed dean of the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia

Students explain what their �ֲ���ý-funded summer work means right now

Matthew Auer, Indiana University honors dean, named �ֲ���ý College vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty

�ֲ���ý, Bowdoin share $150,000 grant to improve quantitative education

New vice president for academic affairs named

�ֲ��ý College names Malcolm Hill as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty

�ֲ��ý Dean of the Faculty and VP for Academic Affairs Matthew Auer appointed dean of the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia

Students explain what their �ֲ��ý-funded summer work means right now

Matthew Auer, Indiana University honors dean, named �ֲ��ý College vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty

�ֲ��ý, Bowdoin share $150,000 grant to improve quantitative education