Vol. 20, No. 17 |
June 14, 2001 |
Undergrad teaching focus of General Education Institute
All faculty members are invited to attend all or part of the of the first University of Delaware General Education Institute, being held from Monday through Wednesday, July 9-11, at the Oberod Conference Center in Greenville. According to William Frawley, linguistics, who is coordinating the event, "The institute is an important way to promote serious discussion about the signature academic experience for undergraduates. "I hope this is the first of many, which will foster high level approaches to general education issues," he said. Each morning session will have a different theme, with a plenary speaker at 9 a.m., followed by reports and demonstrations by faculty members who have been funded through the General Education Fund and the Advanced and Emerging Technologies Fund. Working sessions will be held in the afternoon after lunch. Highlights of the program are:
For additional information, a complete agenda or to register, visit the institute's web site at [http:// www.udel.edu/cte/ GenEdInstitute.htm] or e-mail Frawley at [billf@udel.edu]. Lewes presentation to examine research on history of the ocean Katharina Billups, oceanography, will present "Ocean History through the Microscope," as part of the Ocean Currents Lecture Series, at 7 p.m., Thursday, June 21, in 104 Cannon Laboratory, on the Hugh R. Sharp Campus in Lewes. Billups will discuss her methods of chemical analyses on the shells of one-celled organisms called foraminifera (forams), in an effort to reconstruct the history of the ocean. Because the advance and retreat of ice sheets during the last Ice Age affected the ocean, studying the history of the ocean can provide insights into how the Earth's climate has changed because of natural causes. While forams still rank among the most plentiful marine organisms in the ocean today, there are some areas where the bottom sediments are composed of forams that lived thousands of years ago. The shells of these ancient organisms contain information about the water in which they lived. Through the use of slides, Billups will show how deep-sea drilling equipment is used to collect cores or samples of sediments from the bottom of the ocean and how such research can determine whether the forams lived during a period of glaciation or in cold water. The hour-long talk will be followed with light refreshments. Seating at this free public lecture is limited, and reservations are required. For information and seating reservations, call (302) 645- 4279. Walkers, captains needed for annual Heart Walk Sept. 9
In this national fundraising activity where local businesses compete against each other, UD, which raised $7,000 last year, has always been among the top 10 companies statewide. The University is looking for em ployees willing to solicit friends, coworkers, neighbors and others for pledges and participation in the 3.1 mile walk. Incentives can be earned for a number of fundraising levels. YoUDee will be on hand to help cheer on participants. Heart captains also are needed to recruit eight to 10 other walkers from friends, neighbors, family workers and coworkers. For information, send e-mail to Marianne Carter at [mcarter@udel.edu] or call her at 831-1109. Open house set on Academy St. Members of the University community are invited to attend an open house from 2-4:30 p.m., Thursday, June 21, at 413 Academy St. to visit and tour the offices located in the new building adjacent to the Perkins Student Center Open for inspection will be the MBNA Career Services Center and offices in Human Resources/ Labor Relations, Public Safety and Department of Theatre. Light refreshments will be served. "Dark Romanticism" works featured in new exhibition
Arising from the political, social, philosophical and religious turmoil of the late 18th century, the literature of the Romantic period emphasized the emotional and the personal in reaction to the established classical values of order and objectivity. In England, the Romantic authors considered themselves as visionaries possessed with the ability to look beyond the ordinary in life and to ponder the ultimate fate of man in an uncertain world. While some Romantic writers, including co-founder William Wordsworth, along with William Blake and Percy Bysshe Shelley, used their works to express their beliefs in the innate goodness of man and his future promise, others were less optimistic. Questioning the hope of redemption presumed to result from the spiritual union of the human consciousness with the supernatural, these "dark romanticists" were not so sure whether man's knowledge and creativity would ensure his salvation or his downfall. Through creatures such as Byron's M anfred and Cain, Samuel Coleridge's Ancient Mariner and Mary Shelley's Victor Frankenstein, these writers gave life to characters they felt mirrored their own status as social outcasts. These hero-villains wander the earth, alone and misunderstood, paying a heavy price in suffering for offenses against God, man and nature. Their personal torment in an impersonal universe is signaled by settings such as icebound seas, jagged mountains and bottomless abysses, imagery that also would inspire artistic, literary and musical compositions based on similar themes. Joining of novelists of the period such as John Polidori, author of The Vampyre, the Romantics often matched other artists of the era by creating powerful and imaginative works of literature encompassing elements of the mysterious, the monstrous and the supernatural. Curated by Linda Stein, reference department, the exhibition includes books, videotapes, audiocassettes and CD-ROMS. It also features Byron's poetic dramas, Cain and Manfred and Polidori's The Vampyre from Special Collections of the University of Delaware Library. For library hours call 831-BOOK, or check the library's web site at [http://www. lib.udel.edu]. Sign up for Arrival Survival Volunteers are need for this year's Arrival Survival Team (AST), which helps new and transfer students move into housing upon their arrival on campus on New Student Check-in Day, Saturday, Aug. 25. Team members include students, faculty, staff and alumni, who serve as luggage luggers, lobby greeters and team leaders. According to Susan Martin, residence life, 500 volunteers are needed, and she and her staff will "do whatever it takes to accommodate" volunteers' available time and job preferences. To find out more information, or to register as an AST volunteer, call Martin at 831-8423 before the July 31 deadline. Young Scholars Award nominations due by July 1 Nominations for the Young Scholars Award, given by the Francis Alison Society to honor an assistant professor at UD who has shown distinction through research and publications efforts, are due by July 1. Applications, which are made through a department chair, dean or director where there is no department, must include a curriculum vitae and one book, article or other work. A committee of Francis Alison scholars, acting on the advice and participation of all members of the society, will determine the award recipient. The Young Scholars Award, which consists of a ceremonial recognition and a cash prize, will be presented at the annual dinner of UD's named professors. Previous winners include Carlos Plata-Salaman, biological sciences (1996); P. Andrew Evans, chemistry and biochemistry (1997); Lian-Ping Wang, mechanical engineering (1998); Michael Rea, philosophy and Raul Lobo, chemical engineering (1999); and Kristen Poole, English (2000). Nominations should be submitted to: Secretary, Francis Alison Society, 306 Alison Hall. For information, call Jacqeline Bijansky at 831-8283. |
The University will participate in this year's American Heart Association's Heart Walk, on Sunday, Sept. 9, at the Riverfront Walkway in Wilmington to raise funds to fight heart disease and stroke.
An exhibition, "Dark Romanticism: Byron, Coleridge, Mary Shelley and the Pursuit of the Supernatural," is on view in the Information Room of the Morris Library through Sept.14.