Boston University Arts & Sciences
Professor of Mathematics Robert L. Devaney was honored in late February as the first annual Feld Family Professor of Teaching Excellence at CAS. One of three professorships endowed last year with $10 million from the Feld Family Foundation — the others are in the School of Management and the College of Communication — the appointment recognizes a faculty member “who has achieved the highest level of accomplishment in teaching and mentoring as well as in scholarship,” says Dean Sapiro.
Caradonna Wins University-Wide Metcalf Award
Associate Professor of Chemistry John Caradonna has won one of this year’s two University-wide Metcalf Awards for Teaching Excellence. The winners of this year’s Metcalf Awards and the Metcalf Cup and Prize — the University’s highest teaching honors — were announced at the annual Senior Breakfast, on April 30, and will be presented at Commencement, on Sunday, May 16.
CAS Announces Annual Teaching and Advising Awards
Dean Sapiro recently announced the winners of the 2010 annual College teaching and advising awards. These awards recognize professors who excel at communicating complex ideas, motivating students to engage more deeply, listening to their academic and career concerns, and giving thoughtful guidance.
Computer Science Professor Receives NFS Grant to Develop New Internet Architecture
Ibrahim Matta, Associate Professor of Computer Science, has been awarded a $560,000 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to develop a new approach to Internet architecture.
CAS Playwrights Take Top Honors at National Theater Festival
Kate Snodgrass, head of the playwriting group in the Creative Writing Program at Boston University’s College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), and three of her graduate students recently received national awards at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in Washington, D.C.
Center for the Study of Asia Appoints New Director
The Boston University Center for the Study of Asia (BUCSA) appointed Professor of International Relations and Political Science Joseph Fewsmith its next director. Fewsmith is also the director of the East Asian Studies Program at BU.
Lopez’s Production Earns Rave Reviews
Melinda Lopez, a faculty member in the Creative Writing Department, received a rave review in the April 6 edition of the Boston Globe for her play From Orchids to Octopi: An Evolutionary Love Story.
Submitting Final Grades
Please make sure, as always, to submit your final grades on time. This is important for all students, but especially for seniors who are expecting to graduate on May 16. Final grades must be submitted within 72 hours of the final exam for each course; the absolute deadline for submission is 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 11. If an emergency prevents you from meeting that deadline, please contact Tom Forbes, Manager of Student Records, by e-mail to forbes@bu.edu.
Now Accepting Nominations for Distinguished Alum Awards
Nominees for the Arts & Sciences Distinguished Alumni Awards must be submitted by May 24, 2010. Worthy candidates who have distinguished themselves by enhancing their community, the Graduate school of Arts & Sciences, or their professional field can be nominated online. Additional information (including newspaper clippings, work samples, press releases, and other relevant information about the nominee) can be emailed to casalum@bu.edu or mailed to the address below.
Lauren K. Hall
595 Commonwealth Avenue
Suite 700, West Entrance
Boston, MA 02215
This year’s honorees will be inducted during an awards ceremony on Saturday, October 30, as part of Alumni Weekend 2010.
Summer Community for Faculty: Dean’s Casuals
cas·u·al [kazh-oo-uhl] – adjective
Origin: 1325–75; ME < L cāsuālis, equiv. to cāsu(s) case 1 + -ālis -al 1
1. happening by chance; fortuitous.
2. without definite or serious intention; careless or offhand; passing
Once again, Gina Sapiro will be holding three “Dean’s Summer Casuals” in her office this summer, CAS 106, on Wednesday, June 16; Tuesday, July 13, and Wednesday, August 4, all from 4-5 p.m. These are informal gatherings aimed at faculty who work on campus in the summer just to take a little time to get together, catch up with each other, and schmooze.
Accolades
Associate Professor of Archaeology KATHRYN BARD has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Bard, who has conducted pathbreaking excavations in Egypt, is among 229 leaders in the sciences, social sciences, the humanities, the arts, business, and public affairs elected this year into the Academy — one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honorary societies.Professor of Computer Sciences LEONID LEVIN has been elected to receive a Humboldt Research Award for Senior U.S. Scientists. The award was granted in recognition of his past accomplishments in research and teaching, which focus on computer science, randomness and cryptography. The Humboldt Foundation grants up to 100 Humboldt research awards annually to scientists around the world whose work will continue to have a significant impact in their field. Award winners receive EUR 60,000 in funds and are invited to undertake collaboration with colleagues in Germany.
Associate Professor of English and Acting Director of African American Studies GENE JARRETT was recently awarded a fellowship at Harvard University’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study for the 2010-2011 academic year. His research examines the relationship between culture and politics in African American literature from the eighteenth century to the present. He plans to write a definitive biography of Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906), the first professional African American writer. At Harvard, Professor Jarret will spend his fellowship year researching and writing about his subject’s ancestry and early life, the first section of the book.
The members of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) recently elected BARBARA SHINN-CUNNINGHAM, professor of biomedical engineering and cognitive and neural systems, to the ASA’s eight-member executive council. The ASA brings together experts in sound from a wide range of disciplines. The society’s members have been involved in the development of acoustical standards concerned with terminology, measurement procedures, and criteria for determining the effects of noise and vibration. A longtime member of the society, Shinn-Cunningham hopes to use her position to increase awareness of the society among a new generation of acoustical specialists.
| Upcoming Meetings and Events | ||
MAY 17 MAY 28 |
JUNE 4 JUNE 16 JULY 9 JULY 13 JULY 16 Peter Paul Career Development Award Nominations due to Dean’s Office AUGUST 4 AUGUST 25 AUGUST 26 |
|
| Other Events |
When: Thursday, May 20, 2 p.m. The Editorial Institute will be hosting a symposium commemorating the parallel lives and legacies of Mark Twain and Leo Tolstoy, supported by the Boston University Humanities Foundation. The Editorial Institute invites academic faculty, independent researchers, editors, conservators, and graduate students working on Mark Twain and/or Leo Tolstoy to submit abstracts for a conference analyzing the parallel lives and legacies of both authors on the centennial of their passing. As we hope to generate a conversation between disciplines, specialization in both authors is not necessary (but certainly welcome). For questions, please contact Alex Effgen at the Editorial Institute. To contribute, please send a short curriculum vitae and 300-word abstract to the above email by Wednesday, 26 May 2010. |
|
| Keep Us in the Loop
Let us know about news or upcoming events. Please send news items to cascom@bu.edu, or call Patrick Farrell at 617-358-1185. Announcements about upcoming events can also be submitted online. |
