Monday, July 14, 2014

Gender Studies Student Wins "Emerging Scholar Award" at Feminism Conference in Akron, Ohio

Wheeler (left) and Whitman (right) with keynote speaker Vanessa Valenti (center)
(photo courtesy of Ferda Asya)
Albra Wheeler and Jacqueline Whitman, two Gender Studies Minor (GSM) students, presented their papers at a conference titled The Multiple Faces of Activism: Feminism in the 21st Century, at the University of Akron, in Akron, Ohio. Both students are recipients of the student professional development awards from the College of Liberal Arts.
Wheeler's paper, "The Wonderbra: Oppression vs. Liberation in a Patriarchal Society," traces the evolvement of modern brassieres and looks at the bra through historical and feminist perspectives and aims to establish whether the “Wonderbra” signifies submission to or emancipation from the patriarchal society.

Whitman's paper, "Womanhouse: Opening the Closed Door," is a study of three bathrooms, “Nightmare Bathroom,” “Lipstick Bathroom,” and “Menstruation Bathroom,” which symbolically represent the anguish women endure in their private lives.

Wheeler with her award
(photo courtesy of Ferda Asya)
At the conference, Wheeler won the "Emerging Scholar Award,” which is given in recognition of a student who displays exemplary scholarship as demonstrated in research, education, and related academic activities that seek to further feminist research, practice, teaching, and/or activism by the Committee for Research on Women and Gender of the University of Akron. This award also recognizes a student with a demonstrated commitment to women's and gender issues.

Wheeler's achievement is especially outstanding considering that the conference was open to graduate and undergraduate students from several states, including Kentucky, Michigan, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

“Frankly, when I conveyed the ‘call for papers’ of this conference to the GSM students, I expected them to deliver successful papers, but I did not predict that one of them would receive this prestigious award,” said Dr. Ferda Asya, associate professor of English and Director of Gender Studies Minor.

Congratulations, Albra and Jacqueline!

Friday, July 11, 2014

BU Prof Awarded Phi Kappa Phi Literacy Grant

Congratulations to Dr. Mary Katherine Waibel Duncan of the Bloomsburg University Department of Psychology, recipient of a Phi Kappa Phi Literacy Grant in support of “Handmade Literacy for Our Hometown." Working with the BU Toy Library, faculty and students from the university’s chapter of Phi Kappa Phi will educate elementary and middle school-aged children about the needs of the community and engage the children in literacy-based service projects. The literacy projects will include fashioning inspirational banners to adorn the rooms of residents at assisted living facilities and nursing homes, handcrafting cards for displaced children and their families residing at local hospitality houses and creating informational posters to share the stories of animals awaiting adoption at local shelters.

The Phi Kappa Phi Literacy Grant program was initiated in 2003 to provide funding to Phi Kappa Phi chapters and active members for ongoing projects or new initiatives that reinforce part of the Society's mission "to engage the community of scholars in service to others." Drawing from a multi-disciplinary Society of students and scholars from large and small institutions, applicants are encouraged to consider literacy projects that have creative relevance to their disciplines and to the needs of their communities.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Scholarship Takes to the Stage

Scholarship takes many forms. For David A. Miller, assistant professor in the Theatre & Dance Division, scholarship includes directing professional theatre and this summer he is doing just that: directing The Nosemaker's Apprentice: Chronicles of a Medieval Plastic Surgeon for Amphibian Stage Productions in Fort Worth, TX. The play, according to its authors, is part Monty Python and part Airplane. Fans of Mel Brooks and South Park will also delight in the particular brand of humor in this play.

 Alexandra Lawrence as Amelia and Scott Weinrich as Gavin
in technical rehearsals for 
The Nosemaker's Apprentice.
About The Nosemaker's Apprentice: "A father weaves a magic tale for his daughter to justify his unlicensed plastic surgery practice, tracing the origins of cosmetic surgery to craftsmen in medieval Europe. The hero of this tale is Gavin, a young orphan rescued from a dismal existence in the Ivanhoe Workhouse for Criminally Impoverished Boys when he is apprenticed with the local Nosemaker, and who eventually becomes one of the finest surgeons in Vienna, cradle of quack medicine." (Samuel French, Inc.)

It's not the first visit to Cowtown for Miller. Over the course of the past 10 years, David has directed 6 full productions and 4 staged readings for Amphibian. He first connected with Amphibian company members through colleagues in graduate school at Rutgers University, where he earned his MFA in Directing. His most recent Amphibian productions include a reading of On the Ceiling, about two artisans at work on the Sistine Chapel, and a production of Wittenberg, about Hamlet's senior year at Wittenberg University where his professors are Martin Luther and Doctor Faustus.

Bloomsburg University audiences will have a chance to see The Nosemaker's Apprentice when it is performed as part of the BU Players' 2014-15 season. For more about the BU Players' season, visit http://www.bloomu.edu/buplayers-current. For more about the Fort Worth production and Amphibian, visit http://www.amphibianproductions.org/2014-Nosemakers_Apprentice.htm. For more about David's professional work, visit http://mrdavidamiller.com/.

Photo: Alexandra Lawrence as Amelia and Scott Weinrich as Gavin in technical rehearsals for The Nosemaker's Apprentice.  


Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Students Inducted into Anthropology Honor Society

On May 2, 2014 twenty-five Anthropology students were inducted into the Lambda Alpha National Collegiate Honor Society in Anthropology in the Schweiker room of Andruss Library.  Gabrielle Vielhauer was recognized as Outstanding Senior in Anthropology, Erika Maxson was awarded the Wymer and Warner Anthropology Scholarship, and graduating seniors, conference presenters, and student scholarship and grant recipients were recognized in the annual anthropology honors reception and induction ceremony. 

Below are some photos of the event. Congratulations to all!