Visiting Research Professor John Jett and his daughter Maya plant a tree on campus. Photo by Dr. Peter May.

As part of Earth Week on Stetson University’s DeLand campus, the university community will join 250 other universities across the country to screen a new documentary about our energy future. Switch will be shown at 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 17, in the Rinker Auditorium, inside Lynn Business Center, 345 N. Woodland Blvd. The Stetson campus screening is co-sponsored by the Gillespie Museum of Minerals, the Department of Geography and Environmental Science and Students Advocating Sustainability at Stetson.

The documentary is part of the Geological Society of America’s Switch Energy: Awareness & Efficiency Program, (http://www.switchenergyproject.com/), a multi-pronged effort to build a global understanding of energy.

Switch explores leading energy sites, from coal to solar, oil to biofuel, most of them highly restricted and never before seen on film. Through interviews with international leaders of government, industry and academia, geologist Scott Tinker engages important questions about energy: Is fracking polluting water? How dangerous is nuclear? Will we run out of oil? Can we clean up coal? Will renewables power our future?

The documentary has won a number of awards, for its even-handed treatment of the topic as well as its production values. An informal discussion of the documentary will follow the screening, led by Stetson professors Tony Abbott, geography and environmental science; Tandy Grubbs, chemistry; Jim Buthman, visiting lecturer in political science; and Bekah Burket, representing Students Advocating Sustainability at Stetson.

This event is free and open to the community. For additional information, call or e-mail the Gillespie Museum (386.822.7330; gillespiemuseum@stetson.edu).

“As an institution that fosters efforts around Social Justice, we have an obligation to create platforms where disadvantaged people can speak up and share their voice around issues that are muted in our communities,” said Yolany Gonell, assistant director of Intercultural Initiatives. “It’s important to note that all panelists live here in Florida. The issues that they have faced, the issues that transgender youth continue to face are very real. As an advocate, I believe it is important for all university campuses to recognize the need to create safe and inclusive spaces for all students. This is one way we are providing for that at Stetson University.”

Here is the list of events that will be taking place on this year’s Annual TRANSaction Day:

Pathways: Outing Transphobia

Language Commons, Room 129, Sampson Hall, 132 E. Minnesota Ave., Noon – 1:30 p.m.

This session will feature a panel-led discussion on the various transitioning pathways that highlight the interplay of trans identity with other identities (race, ethnicity, religion, family status, region of origin). Panelists include:

• Col. Nicole Turner – U.S. Army veteran who founded and serves as CEO of three successful real estate and property management firms during her career. She is also a former HUD official and has served as senior vice president of the largest residential real estate investment trust in the U.S. (In the photo above, Turner is shown before and after in her adult life.)

• Laura Radigan – Serves as the Veterans Administration & Active Duty Liaison for the Transgender American Veterans Association (TAVA). She also plays a large role in streamlining sounds and tech support at the Annual Southern Comfort Conference held in Atlanta, Ga.

• Ashley Caballe – Stetson University 2012 graduate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Caballe is currently enrolled in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Graduate Program at Stetson. She has been an advocate for transgender rights since she began her own transition in 2008, sharing her own story with numerous universities throughout the Central Florida area.

• Kai Puhl – Puhl is a non-traditional student studying psychology at the University of North Florida and hopes to work with gay and lesbian youth.

• Allison Mahoney – Mahoney, a 2013 graduating senior at the University of North Florida studying psychology, aspires to work in the private sector after graduation.

• Katherine Gonzalez – A budding transgender advocate, Gonzalez is currently spearheading the formation of a new non-profit organization, the Deltona/ West Volusia GIFT Project which is supported by The Center, located in Orlando, Fla.

TRANS 101

Language Commons, Room 129, Sampson Hall, 132 E. Minnesota Ave., 4 – 5:15 p.m.

Facilitator – Natalie Nguyen, co-chair of the People of Color committee under the Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals and serves as the program coordinator at the University of North Florida.

Questions explored with panelists include: What does it mean to be transgender? Are there multiple paths of being a trans person? What is the relationship between gender and sexuality? What are some inequalities faced by transgender people? How can I be an Ally?

Personal Journey: Keynote speaker, Col. Nicole Turner

Rinker Auditorium, Room 108, Lynn Business Center, 345 N. Woodland Blvd., 7 – 8:30 p.m.

Col. Turner will be sharing her journey as a youth, her initial “coming out” story, her transition process among other candid accounts on being “out” including stories of success and hardships.

This initiative was inspired by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and is coordinated by Stetson University’s Safe Zone Program and the Cross Cultural Center. Sponsors include the university’s Gender Studies Program, the Multicultural Student Council, Kaleidoscope – Stetson University’s Gay Straight Alliance and WORLD International Learning.

For more information please contact Yolany Gonell (ygonell@stetson.edu), assistant director of Intercultural Initiatives at Stetson University, or call 386.822.7402.

As its final Science Saturday program for this academic year, the green fair will bring together student organizations and programs from across the campus showcasing environmental initiatives and offering hands-on activities in the museum and on the grounds of the Rinker Environmental Learning Center.

Visitors can build a bird house with Stetson’s chapter of Habit for Humanity or a ladybug house in the Hatter Harvest community garden. Volunteers of the campus Longleaf Pine Restoration Project will offer a workshop on natural plant dyes; museum staffers and Students Advocating a Sustainable Stetson will direct a natural stone and recycled glass beading station. The Stetson HATS program, Stetson Recycling, and members of the honors program have designed a recycled art studio. SADD has arranged for a prescription drug collection and student representatives from the Conflict Free Resolution Initiative will feature a display on recycling electronics. Back by popular demand, members of Stetson Cycles will offer smoothies from their human-powered blender. Spencer Toby, Stetson Cycles, and Josiah Todd, Hatter Harvest, are pictured powering a blender on the Smoothie Bike.

The event is free and open to all.  The Gillespie Museum and Rinker Environmental Learning Center are located on the southeast corner of Stetson’s DeLand campus, 234 East Michigan Avenue.

For more information, call (386.822.7330) or e-mail the Gillespie Museum at gillespiemuseum@stetson.edu.

Articles about sports and stories coming from the College of Law lead Stetson’s coverage this week. Top national placements include The New York Times, Bloomberg, MLB.com and USA Today. Notable local placements include Orlando Sentinel, Florida Times-Union, Daytona Beach News-Journal and Florida Higher Education Spectator.

Top Stories

• In an article on teams that beat FGCU in basketball, the New York Times lists Stetson as one of those victors and quotes Stetson Coach Casey Alexander.
• Law professor Ellen Podgor is profiled in the April 2 New York Times White Collar Watch article, “Women Lead the Way in White-Collar Law.”
• Law professor Peter Lake is quoted in the March 28 Bloomberg article, “Frats Worse than Animal House Fail to Pay for Casualties.” The article ran nationally in dozens of outlets.
• Stetson was mentioned in a major league baseball story that said Chipper Jones had not picked up a baseball since throwing out the first pitch to start Stetson’s season. The article ran on the websites of many MLB teams.
• Law professor Luz Nagle is also quoted in the March 28 ABA Journal article, “Slavery continues to haunt the modern world, but efforts to eradicate it are growing.”
• Stetson’s victory over FGCU was mentioned in a March 28 article on SBNation.com in relation to FGCU’s chances to advance past the sweet 16 at the NCAA championship. Additional coverage: KFOX TV, WOKV FM, WSOC TV, WTOV TV, WFTV. The Dalton Daily Citizen also ran an article on FGCU which included a mention of Stetson’s victory over that team. Additional coverage: El Informador.
• Law professor Kate Bohl is quoted in the April 3 Herald Tribune article, “State abuse law passed after Penn State applies in Frazier case.”
• In a follow-up article on coaches’ salaries, USA Today referenced an article and research published in the Journal of Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics co-written by Matt Wilson, director of the Sport Management Program at Stetson. The original article in USA Today did mention Stetson and the research authors by name.
• Law professor Ciara Torres-Spelliscy is quoted in the April 4 Center for Public Integrity article, “Governors’ group rely increasingly on ‘dark money’ affiliates.”
• Law professor Roberta Flowers appeared on Bay News 9 on April 3 discussing drug sentencing disparities.

Other Stories in the News

• Former Stetson basketball coach Glenn Wilkes discussed Stetson men’s and women’s basketball, coaching staff, and other topics in an interview with the Daytona Beach News-Journal on March 28, and a companion piece in the same paper.
• The Gulfport Patch ran an article on April 2 about Stetson University College of Law students Paul Crochet, Meagan Foley and Alexander Zesch all receiving Honorable Mention Best Oral Advocate Awards at the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot in Vienna, Austria. The Stetson team was one of only two U.S. law schools to advance to finish in the quarterfinals of the competition.
• Stetson was mentioned in an April 3 article in the Leaf-Chronicle regarding Dave Loos stepping down as athletic director at Austin Peay after 16 years. Loos will maintain his duties as head basketball coach. Additional coverage: Daily News Journal, The Tennessean, Asheville Citizen-Times.
• In an article on art and museums in Central Florida, the Orlando Sentinel mentioned Stetson as a venue for museum-caliber art.
• For an in-depth look at Pope Francis’ impact on Christians and the values of charity, social justice and living modestly, the Daytona Beach News-Journal interviewed Greg Sapp, associate professor of religious studies. Sapp also was quoted in a March 31 Daytona Beach News-Journal article on Pope Francis. Additional coverage: Florida Higher Education Spectator.
• The Florida Bar News ran an article on April 1 about Stetson’s Black Law Students Association being named Chapter of the Year for the southern region for community activism.
• Law professor Kirsten Davis is featured in the Monroe County Beacon article, “Monroe County Native Spearheads Stetson’s First Law and Rhetoric Colloquium.”
• A Florida Times Union article on March 31lists Wendy B. Libby as a speaker at the Women’s Leadership Conference on April 5.
• Mark Powell was mentioned in an April 3 article in the Mountaineer News for his participation in Western Carolina University’s Spring Literary Festival.
• Itso Belichovski, was mentioned in a Daytona Beach News-Journal article on April 3 highlighting the dangers and misconceptions of smoking hookah.

Alumni in the News

• Bill Newsome is mentioned in a New York Times article as one of two lead researchers on a new project intended to record and map brain circuits in action to show how millions of brain cells interact. The project received wide attention due to support from President Obama. Additional coverage: NBC News, WhiteHouse.gov, USNews.com, The Guardian (UK), and hundreds of other media outlets, and health and education websites.
• Law alumna and Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, is featured in the News 4 Jax article, “5 questions for Pam Bondi.”
• The Daytona Beach News-Journal March 31 article on Chris Johnson, Atlanta Braves third baseman, featured Stetson prominently.
• Alumnus and Judge of Compensation Claims Ray Holley is featured in the April 1 Jacksonville Daily Record.
• In a retrospective of the 2003 MLB draft, BleacherReport.com mentions Brian Snyder who played his last game in 2008 as member of the San Diego Padres system.
• According to the April 2 Crestview News Bulletin, Law alumna Lori Baggett was recently elected as a Shareholder of Carlton Fields and was also chosen to be a member of the 2013 class of fellows.
• Melissa Pilgrim was highlighted in an UpstateBizSC article on April 1 for being named the director of research at the University of South Carolina Upstate. Additional coverage: GSA Business.

Keep up with what’s happening at Stetson University campuses through Stetson Today. Additional news coverage can be found at In the News and Law Faculty in the News.

Links to recent news releases from the Law and DeLand campuses can be found at: DeLand campus news releases and College of Law news releases.

As a culmination of the year’s work, the choir will be performing a variety of sacred and secular repertoire with the most recent material taken from their 2013 Spring Tour through the states of Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia.

The 90-minute program features music by composers including Palestrina, Mendelssohn, Copland, Whitacre and Russian choral master composers. The choir is conducted by Dr. Timothy Peter, director of choral activities, who is completing his first year in leading the Stetson University School of Music choral program.

General admission is $10; $8 for seniors; and $5 for area students. It is free to Stetson students, faculty and staff with ID, and for concert series card holders. For tickets and information, contact Stetson’s School of Music at (386) 822-8950, or www.stetson.edu/music. To see Stetson’s full cultural calendar, click here.

Michael Gorham

The internet age presents serious challenges to authoritarian governments by democratizing political discourse. Citizens now have the means to speak directly to each other without the filter of the official media. To explore the impact of the new media on Russian public life, the Russian Studies Program at Stetson University will host a symposium, #Politics: The Social Media Revolution in Putin’s Russia on Wednesday, April 3, at 4 p.m. in the Rinker Auditorium of the Lynn Business Center, 345 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand. The speakers for the event are Professor Michael Gorham of the University of Florida and Professor Sarah Oates of the University of Maryland. Professor Eugene Huskey of Stetson will moderate the symposium.

Michael Gorham is associate professor of Russian Studies at the University of Florida and an associate editor of The Russian Review. Originally a specialist in language and politics in early 20th century Russia, he has worked in recent years on the media revolution in contemporary Russia. Among his recent articles is “Medvedev’s New Media Gambit: The Language of Power in 140 Characters or Less.”  He has just completed a book manuscript entitled In Newspeak’s Wake: Language, Culture, and Politics from Glasnost to Social Media.

Sarah Oates

Sarah Oates is professor and Senior Scholar in the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland. Before moving to Maryland in 2012, she had taught for many years in the Politics Department at the University of Glasgow, Scotland. A widely published scholar on democratization and communications, she serves as an expert for the European Commission’s Digital Futures project. Her latest book, Revolution Stalled: The Political Limits of the Internet in the Post-Soviet Sphere, will be published next month by Oxford University Press.

“Stetson teacher-scholars facilitate transformational learning in our students,” said Provost Elizabeth Paul, who made the announcement Wednesday, March 27. “They are themselves passionate lifelong learners who, through their scholarly, creative and professional engagement, make important contributions to the advancement of knowledge, disciplines and society. And they are leaders of the continual progress of Stetson University in realizing our important mission. Each and every one of these individuals exemplifies teacher-scholar excellence. I celebrate their accomplishments and thank them for their inspiration and impact.”

Cindy Bennington – Promotion to Professor of Biology

Bennington

Dr. Cindy Bennington has conducted ecological research in Alaska, West Virginia, New Jersey, and Florida.  At Stetson, she teaches courses on ecology and botany; she actively engages students in research on arctic and temperate plant species. Central Florida’s dry, sandy, nutrient-poor soils, coupled with a rich diversity of animal attackers, provide ample opportunities for her to pursue long-standing interests in plant adaptation to stressful environments.  She also regularly involves Stetson students in environmental service-learning projects both on and off campus.  Currently, she and Dr. Karen Cole, Director of the Gillespie Museum, are working to develop the Volusia Sandhill Teaching Landscape, a project adjacent to the Museum where visitors can learn about the longleaf pine ecosystem that historically dominated the sandhills of central Florida.

David Bjella – Promotion to Professor of Music

Bjella

A native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Cellist David Bjella has had a multi-faceted career as a teacher, chamber musician, orchestral player, and soloist. He directs the Chamber Music program at Stetson and is Co-Principal in the IRIS Chamber Orchestra.  He is also a member of the Inman Piano Trio. One of the featured IRIS chamber musicians for the Naxos-released CD “Music of Stephen Hartke,” chosen by the New York Times as a “Top 10 Classical Recording of 2003,” Bjella has held appointments as Visiting Associate Professor of Cello at Florida State University and Professor of Cello at the University of Central Florida. He has also taught in the Valade Master Teacher program at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan.

Debbi Dinkins – Promotion to Professor and Associate Dean of the duPont-Ball Library

Dinkins

Debbi Dinkins, Associate Dean of the duPont-Ball Library, works closely with the Dean of the Library on administration and planning.  She is responsible for all aspects of Technical Services, including acquisitions, cataloging, periodicals, and computer systems.  Dinkins manages the library’s materials budgets and operating budgets.  She oversees the acquisition and cataloging of the library’s collections, which include over 300,000 volumes of books and bound periodicals, more than 70,000 electronic books, and access to over 64,000 electronic journals.  Management and maintenance of the 46 public computers in the library are also her responsibility. Dinkins’ research and professional interests include patron-driven acquisition of eBooks, library collection evaluation, and cataloging.  Her articles have been published in such journals as College and Research Libraries and The Journal of Academic Librarianship.

Tishia Dunham – Promotion to Associate Professor of Legal Skills

Dunham

Tishia Dunham teaches legal skills and is Director of Bar Preparation Services.  Prior to joining Stetson’s faculty, Professor Dunham practiced law in the areas of employment law, commercial litigation, and real property with an emphasis on community associations.  Dunham teaches and writes primarily in the area of state constitutional law. She is the co-author of Florida Constitutional Law: Cases and Materials (Carolina Academic Press, 2013).

Glen Epley – Awarded tenure as Professor of Teacher Education

Dr. Glen Epley has been a sportswriter for a metropolitan daily newspaper, a high school history teacher, a professor at three universities, a deputy superintendent of the Volusia County Schools, and an executive with Brown & Brown, Inc., one of the premier insurance brokerages in the nation and world.  Since joining Stetson, Dr. Epley teaches primarily in the graduate program for educators who are pursuing masters’ degrees in educational leadership.  His specialties are school law and school finance.  He also teaches a seminar on the legal rights of students in public schools.  Dr. Epley’s research focuses on constitutional jurisprudence as it affects public schools, and he has published in NASSP Bulletin, Phi Delta Kappan, Education Law Reporter, Kappa Delta Pi Record, and The Clearing House, among others.  He is a frequent presenter at national conferences on school law and school finance.  His current research project involves the legal concerns for school officials when they attempt to regulate student speech off school grounds on the internet and social media sites.

Eric Kurlander – Promoted to Professor of History

Kurlander

Dr. Eric Kurlander teaches classes on modern German, European, and world history. His recent book, Living with Hitler (Yale, 2009), examines the ways in which German liberals negotiated, resisted, and in some ways accommodated the Third Reich. He is also author of The Price of Exclusion: Ethnicity, National Identity, and the Decline of German Liberalism, 1898-1933 (Berghahn, 2006). His articles have appeared in Central European History, The Journal of Contemporary History, The Historian, and other journals.  Kurlander has held fellowships from the Fulbright Foundation, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, the German Historical Institute, and other granting agencies.  He is currently at work on two additional book projects:  a textbook co-authored with colleague Dr. Kimberly Reiter, The West in Question: Continuity and Change (Pearson-Longman), and Nazi Monsters:  A Supernatural History of the Third Reich (Yale trade division, forthcoming).

 Lance Long – Awarded programmatic tenure and promoted to Professor of Legal Skills

Long

Lance Long joined Stetson after having taught legal research and writing at J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University, and at the University of Oregon School of Law. Before teaching, Professor Long practiced with Morrison & Foerster in Orange County, California and Hill, Johnson & Schmutz in Provo, Utah. His practice focuses on appellate and motion practice in the areas of intellectual property, contract, and construction law. Professor Long’s scholarship currently centers on empirical analyses of language patterns in appellate briefs and opinions. His two most recent articles, “Does the Readability of Your Brief Affect Your Chance of Winning on Appeal?” and “Clearly Using Intensifiers is Very Bad—Or Is It?” were published, respectively, in the Journal of Appellate Practice & Process and The Idaho Law Review.

Brigid Noonan – Promotion to Professor of Counselor Education 

Noonan

Dr. Brigid M. Noonan, Ph.D., LMHC, NCC, ACS, chairs the Department of Counselor Education.  She has more than 19 years of clinical experience working with a range of diverse clients, with a focus on addiction, eating disorders and depression, disability, career issues, and sexual identity.  Her research focuses on international counselor education, advocacy and social justice, working with families, and sexuality and spirituality.  Her recent articles have been published in such venues as International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling and Professional Issues in Counseling.  She is also co-author of a chapter in Handbook of Counselor Preparation:  Constructivist, Developmental, and Experiential Approaches (Sage, 2011).

Jason Palmer – Awarded programmatic tenure

Palmer

Jason Palmer joined Stetson after teaching legal writing and oral advocacy at George Washington University Law School. Most recently, he worked for the Department of State, representing the United States in international arbitration cases before the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal. He also spent four years in Switzerland working as a claims judge for the Claims Resolution Tribunal for Dormant Accounts, adjudicating claims of victims of Nazi persecution; for the United Nations Compensation Commission, coordinating review of Palestinian claims against Iraq as a result of its invasion and occupation of Kuwait; and for the Europa Institute at the University of Zurich, creating and teaching a course for Swiss lawyers on U.S. legal writing. Before working in Switzerland and at the Department of State, Professor Palmer spent several years in private practice in Washington, D.C., focusing on commercial litigation and international arbitration.  He is author of numerous articles on international law, and he has served as editor of several legal journals.

Leila Roach – Awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor of Counselor Education

Roach

Dr. Leila Roach coordinates the Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling Program. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, an approved supervisor for Mental Health Counselors in the state of Florida and a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC). Dr. Roach has 22 years of experience counseling children, adolescents, adults, couples and families, including members of the Deaf community, in a variety of settings. She has advanced training in play therapy, couples counseling, and disaster mental health. Her research interests include wellness in counseling and counselor education, the personal and professional development of counseling students, and spirituality in counseling.

 Joshua Rust – Awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor of Philosophy

Rust

Dr. Joshua Rust is the author of two books, John Searle and the Construction of Social Reality (Continuum, 2005) and John Searle (Continuum, 2009). He is also a coauthor of several articles in empirical philosophy concerning the behavior of ethicists as compared to other academic professionals. On the lighter side, he has coauthored two essays (with Dr. Susan Pepper-Bates) at the intersection of popular culture and philosophy: one on True Blood and the other on Harry Potter. Areas of interest include metaphilosophy, explanation, social construction, and Wittgenstein. He is also interested in the history of 20th century analytic philosophy and ancient philosophy. Joshua is the secretary/treasurer for the Florida Philosophical Association, co-chair on the Values Steering Committee, and a member of the Social Justice Lecture Series Committee.

 Ranjini Thaver – Promoted to Professor of Economics 

Thaver

Dr. Ranjini Thaver, born in South Africa, completed her bachelor’s degree, with honors, in Economics at the University of Cape Town, and her master’s and doctoral degrees in Economics at the University of Notre Dame. She has taught at Stetson since 1992. She developed the first university-based microcredit program in the world, located in a poverty-stricken area in DeLand, and in Manio Village, Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. She has partnered with local and national organizations to deliver economically empowering programs to the poor, such as personal finance education workshops, and volunteer income tax preparation (VITA). She is recipient of Stetson University’s McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching. She has presented her research at international, national, and local conferences, and at universities such as Cornell, Notre Dame, and Mary Washington College.

Chris Tobler – Awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor of Finance 

Tobler

Dr. Chris Tobler teaches both undergraduate and graduate level course in finance and in the Executive MBA and JD/BMA programs.  His teaching interests include investments, corporate finance and risk-management.  His scholarship focuses on derivatives, asset pricing, and the role of overvaluation in mergers and acquisitions. He has published in various journals including the Journal of Finance and Accountancy, Banking and Finance Review and the International Journal of Global Business and Economics.

Louis Virelli – Promoted to Professor of Law

Virelli

Louis Virelli teaches courses in administrative law, civil procedure, constitutional law, and federal pretrial practice. He co-coaches two of Stetson’s moot court teams and is faculty advisor to the Freethinkers Rhetoric Society and the Stetson chapter of the American Constitution Society.  Prior to joining Stetson, Professor Virelli served as a trial attorney in the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.  He also taught legal research and writing at the University of Pennsylvania School of Law, where he was named best oralist in the law school’s Keedy Cup moot court competition and served as articles editor on the Journal of Constitutional Law. Professor Virelli clerked for Judge Franklin S. Van Antwerpen of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Judge Leonard I. Garth of the Third Circuit.  He has written on constitutional interpretation, congressional power, the teaching of evolution in public schools, and the role of scientific information in the regulatory process. His articles have appeared in such journals as the Miami Law Review, the Northwestern University Law Review Colloquy, the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Constitutional Law, and the Administrative Law Review. 

Becky Watts – Awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor of Communication and Media Studies 

Watts

Dr. Rebecca Watts’ teaching and scholarship centers on the application of rhetorical theory and criticism to public culture, including Southern culture, political culture, and popular culture. She is interested in organizational crisis rhetoric as well as internet communication as a way of increasing participation in public culture (in everything from political culture to sports culture).  Her book, Contemporary Southern Identity: Community through Controversy (University Press of Mississippi, 2008), applies rhetorical theory and criticism to Southern culture specifically and public discourse in general.

John York – Awarded tenure and promoted to Associate Professor of Chemistry 

York

Dr. John York has expertise in inorganic, organometallic, and biological inorganic chemistry.  His research focuses on using transition metal compounds to perform important chemical transformations.  He is especially interested in understanding how copper can function in both biological and industrial systems to bind with important organic molecules like alkenes and thiophenes. In this research, Dr. York utilizes both synthetic chemistry and computational chemistry methods.  He is also active in the field of chemical education and develops innovative techniques and materials for teaching chemistry to undergraduate students.

Father Jack excites some, appalls others with his tale of his missionary experience in Uganda in “Dancing at Lughnasa,” presented at Stetson’s ‘Second Stage’ in the Museum of Florida Art, 600 N. Woodland Blvd., DeLand. Clockwise from left: Allison Cooper, Ashley Johnson, Amie Vaughan, Kristina Ramos, Jacob Manos. Photo by Ken McCoy.

Stetson University finishes up its 107th season with Brian Friel’s Tony Award winning play, Dancing at Lughnasa. Dancing at Lughnasa is directed by Dr. Ken McCoy, professor of theatre arts at Stetson University, and will run from Thursday, April 18 through Sunday, April 21.

Dancing at Lughnasa focuses on five unmarried sisters living together in the Irish countryside in August 1936. The play is told from the point of view Michael Evans as he recounts the summer in his aunts’ cottage when he was seven years old.   The household is made up of the imperious teacher Kate, the irreverent Maggie, the serene and steady Agnes, the sweetly eccentric Rose, and finally, the romantic Chris and her seven-year-old son Michael, born to her out of wedlock. Their usual routines are disrupted first when Michael’s Uncle Jack returns from 25 years of missionary work as a Catholic priest in Africa, and further when Michael’s father Gerry arrives for a visit.

The August harvest festival, known as Lughnasa, provides the play’s backdrop and stirs up the conflict of pagan and Christian cultures. This happens not only between Kate’s strict interpretation of Catholicism and Irish folklore, but also in Father Jack’s mind as his years in Africa has caused him to merge his own religion with that of his African parishioners. One by one, the sisters submit to the lure of the earth, dancing like dervishes, remembering pilgrimages to past dances and their lost innocence. Michael is the silent witness who will tell their story in its context of personal, cultural, emotional, and economic change.

The ensemble cast of Dancing at Lughnasa includes Cassie Kris, Allison Cooper, Jacob Manos, Kristina Ramos, Alex Schelb, Robert Spellman, Amie Vaughan, Austin Scott, and Ashley Johnson.

Showtimes are 8 p.m., Thursday, April 18 through Saturday, April 20. The Sunday performance will be a matinee on April 21 at 3 p.m.

Admission for each performance is $12 for adults, and $10 for senior citizens and non-Stetson students. Stetson students, faculty, and staff presenting valid I.D. will be admitted free of charge.

Stetson Theatre Arts’ “Second Stage” Theatre is located in the Museum of Florida Art at 600 N. Woodland Blvd. Parking is free. Tickets will be available at the door, and can be purchased by either cash or check. Reserved tickets must be picked up 30 minutes prior to the start of each show.

For information or reservations, call Stetson Theatre’s “Second Stage” box office at (386) 822-8700 beginning April 8. All tickets can be purchased at the door by cash or check up to one hour prior to curtain of each performance.

The opening reception for Stetson’s Digital Arts Senior Exhibition is Monday, March 25, 6-8 p.m., at the Hand Art Center. The exhibit will run through April 5.

Stetson University will be holding its end of the year Digital Arts Senior Project Exhibition in the Hand Art Center from March 25 to April 5. The public is invited to the opening reception on Monday, March 25, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Hand Art Center, located at 139 E. Michigan Ave., on Stetson University’s DeLand campus.

The exhibit will feature works by Stetson students. It is free and open to the public. Cultural credit is available to Stetson students.

Stetson University’s Homer and Dolly Hand Art Center is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. For more information please contact (386) 822-7270.

Dr. Chris Ferguson ’93, leading expert on the relationship between violent video games and violent behavior, will give a public lecture at Stetson March 21.

“Why Angry Birds Don’t Make for Angry Children: How Psychological Science Got Video Game Effects Wrong” is the topic for the Stetson University Distinguished Psychology Alumni Lecture on Thursday, March 21, by Dr. Chris Ferguson, leading expert and prolific writer on the relationship between violent video games and violent behavior.

The lecture, which is free and open to the public, will be at 7:30 p.m., March 21, in the Stetson Room, second floor of the Carlton Union Building, 131 E. Minnesota Ave., DeLand.

Ferguson, a 1993 graduate of Stetson, with a bachelor’s in psychology, received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Central Florida in 2004. His research on video games and violent behavior has been cited or consulted by the US Supreme Court, the White House, and the governments of several countries. In December 2012, he was interviewed by ABC News in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. His media appearances and contributions also include the BBC, NPR, LA Times, USA Today, and Washington Post.  He recently served as guest editor for an American Psychological Association’s special journal issue on the topic of video games and mental health. Ferguson is also the editor of Violent Crime: Clinical and Social Implications and co-author of The Everything Parents’ Guide to Dealing with Bullies.

Currently Ferguson is chair, Department of Psychology and Communication at Texas A&M International University.

For further information about the lecture, please contact Dr. Camille Tessitore King, associate professor of psychology at Stetson, at (386) 822-7093, or cking@stetson.edu.