http://in-lart-linux1.indysla.iupui.edu/news/index.php/site/index/ en achesnes@iupui.edu Copyright 2012 2012-02-13T17:10:47+00:00 http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/news/index.php/site/in_the_news_-_january_2012/ http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/news/index.php/site/in_the_news_-_january_2012/#When:17:10:47Z Politics Infuse White Case The Indianapolis Star, January 4, 2012A judge ruled Secretary of State Charlie White ineligible to run for Secretary of State in 2010 because he was registered to vote in a precinct where he did not live. This decision means White must be removed from Office and that his opponent, Vop Osili, may replace him. Brian Vargus, Political Science Professor, asserts the Democrats will emphasize the fact that their party will gain the Secretary of State seat. Governor Mitch Daniels, however, is interested in appointing his own candidate. [Article must be accessed through archives]   Expert on U.S. Muslim Relations to Open Danforth Center on Religion & Politics Lecture Series Washington University in St. Louis, January 9, 2012Edward Curtis IV, Professor of Religious Studies, will give the first lecture in the spring 2012 lecture series sponsored by the John C. Danforth Center on Religion & Politics at Washington University in St. Louis, January 18 at 4:30 pm.The lecture, “Muslim-American Dissent and U.S. Politics Before and After 9/11”, was be free and open to the public. [Article]  Why the Capitol Clamor? Money The Indianapolis Star, January 9, 2012Collective-bargaining rules, labeled as “the right to work” by Republicans and “right to work for less” by Democrats, are dividing Hoosiers. Republicans believe that this legislation will bring more jobs to Indiana, while Democrats believe it will create lower wages. Brian Vargus, Professor of Political Science, stated that the political party that spends the most money wins about ninety percent of the time. [Article]  Q & A With Curator Kisha Tandy The Indianapolis Star, January 15, 2012Kisha Tandy, an IUPUI graduate with a B.A. in American History and a M.A. in Library Science, is the curator for a new exhibit, Represent, at the Indiana State Museum.She explains that the exhibit emphasizes presenting African American history “accurately, with documentation and respect”. [Article]  Adopted Children Bring Chinese New Year Celebration with Them The Indianapolis Star, January 15, 2012Jennifer Huang, participant in IUPUI Chinese School (a Liberal Arts affiliate), performed the fan dance onstage with other members of IUPUI Chinese School in celebration of the Chinese New Year. Many adopted Chinese children find this event to be an important cultural festivity to engage in every year. [Article]  Black Aviators Made a Stand The Indianapolis Star, January 16, 2012 This year’s Martin Luther King Jr. celebration influenced a new exhibit, Tuskegee Airman, at the Indiana War Memorial in downtown Indianapolis. This exhibit emphasizes the significant roles African Americans played in the Freeman Field Mutiny non-violent protests in 1945 at the end of World War II. Monroe H. Little, Professor of History and Africana Studies, commented on the 1945 protests stating many protests centered on the integration of the military, but that the onset of the Cold War had a more significant impact on integration then those protests. However, Little agrees that the Tuskegee event was significant: “They took on a difficult task, and they prevailed.” [Article]  SOPA Blackout:Why Wikipedia Needs Women Huff Post, January 18, 2012Sarah Stierch, 2009 Museum Studies graduate and avid Wikipedian, posted a blog in response to the January 18, 2012, Wikipedia blackout. The blackout raised awareness of the significance the free online encyclopedia has on its users. Stierch’s blog informs women of their important contributions, and encourages women to participate to help keep this free encyclopedia in the hands of the user. Only nine percent of people who contribute articles to Wikipedia are women. [Article]  Religious Liberty History of Christianity, JanuaryPeter Theusen, Professor and Chair of Religious Studies, blogs on the Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School vs. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a case involving employment discrimination. [Article]  Noblesville Filmmaker Premiers Movie Friday The Times, January 19, 2012Clayton Jennings, a Senior in the Department of Communication Studies, will be premiered his first independent film, Strayland, at Harbour Shores Church. Strayland is the story of Rafe, a young man who returns to his native town to bury his brother, but before leaving realizes he needs to help his brother’s son.As his life begins to fall apart, a path of rediscovery begins for Rafe. [Article]  Fear, Distrust of Muslims Predates 9/11, Expert Says St. Louis Beacon, January 19, 2012Edward Curtis, Professor of Religious Studies, says the current distrust of Muslims in America predates 9/11. He explains that federal agencies have used various means, such as denying First Amendment protection to Muslim prisoners, to combat a rise in Muslim-American influence. He agrees that many aspects of American life have changed since 9/11, but asserts that this is an extension of what happened previously throughout American history. [Article]  Indiana Lawmakers Consider Some Laws that are just Plain Puzzling The Indianapolis Star, January 22, 2012The Indiana General Assembly will be looking at laws that may seem out of the ordinary. Brian Vargus, Political Science professor, explains that some laws that seem strange to some may be very important to others. Vargus believes lawmakers are showing that they are pursuing interests important to their constituents. [Article]  Thinking is Feeling HUMANities, January 2012Each month the writers at HUMANities ask someone how he or she thinks, reads, and talks. This month Karen Kovacik, Professor of English and Indiana State Poet Laureate, was chosen. Kovacik says poet Louise Gluck said it best that “thinking is feeling,” because it challenges one to think and respond to others on a deeper level. [Article]   Charlie White’s Freedom, Political Future on the Line The Indianapolis Star, January 29, 2012 After being indicted on several felony charges, Secretary of State Charlie White challenged his political future by talking to the media, something his top advisor told him not to do. In his impromptu speech to the media, he discussed his theory that the charges were politically motivated. Brian Vargus, Political Science Professor, states that neither Democrats nor Republicans will forget the controversy White has produced. [Article] ** Articles compiled by Angela Vinci-Booher African American and African Diaspora Studies, Anthropology, History, Museum Studies, Political Science, Religious Studies 2012-02-13T17:10:47+00:00 http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/news/index.php/site/iupui_to_stage_lost_play_by_shakespeare_and_fletcher_for_theater_openi/ http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/news/index.php/site/iupui_to_stage_lost_play_by_shakespeare_and_fletcher_for_theater_openi/#When:21:21:10Z A campus theatre that has been years in the making and a play that has been years in the re-making will take center stage this April with performances of the much-anticipated play during the grand opening of a state-of-the-art performance space at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. The IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI and Hoosier Bard Productions will present the “lost” play, The History of Cardenio, by William Shakespeare and his younger contemporary John Fletcher as recreated and reimagined by Florida State University Professor Gary Taylor and directed by IUPUI Associate Professor Terri Bourus. The first of seven performances of the play will take place at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, April 19, 2012, in the IUPUI theatre, located on the ground floor of the IUPUI Campus Center, 420 University Boulevard. Tickets will go on sale in March and may be purchased through the IU Foundation. The History of Cardenio was inspired by episodes in the literary masterpiece by Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote. Published in Spanish in 1605, Don Quixote was first translated into English in 1612. Don Quixote is an old man who believes what he reads about super-heroism, and Cardenio is a young man who believes what he reads about love. But such ideal fictions do not prepare them for the comedies and tragedies they face in the real world. From the raw materials of madness, sexual coercion, racial prejudice, bisexuality, betrayal and death, The History of Cardenio creates a magical tragicomic romance, stubbornly real and hauntingly unreal, that will make young and old alike laugh and cry. An internationally recognized scholar and multiple award-winning author, Taylor, the George Matthew Edgar Professor of English at Florida State University, has recreated the 17th-century script of Shakespeare and Fletcher’s play. In a rigorous 20-year quest for authenticity, he has identified fragments of the original and discredited some later claims about it. The IUPUI performances of The History of Cardenio will mark the first complete theatrical production of Taylor’s script. Director Terri Bourus, Equity actor and associate professor of English Drama in the IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI, is also a six-time award winning teacher. “Directing a play is much like teaching a class,” Bourus said. “The classroom is a place where intellect and creativity interact, and a teacher directs that dialogic process. The stage is a place where scholarly discussion can be tested; it is as much a laboratory as those used by the sciences.” Taylor tested and refined his reconstruction of The History of Cardenio in a series of theatrical workshops. Bourus has written a history of these experiments, which will be published this year by Oxford University Press. Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London presented the most recent iteration of the script at a public reading in November 2011. Taylor says the Globe workshop opened the door to more discoveries about this play. “Actors notice things that computers don’t,” Taylor says. Taylor and Bourus, two of the editors for the IUPUI-New Oxford Shakespeare, an editing project that is creating the first multi-format, multi-platform edition volume of Shakespeare’s work, believe that performances are also indispensable to their editorial research on his plays. To conduct such research, Bourus founded Hoosier Bard Productions in 2010 in Indianapolis, the theatrical arm of the New Oxford Shakespeare because, as she says, “It is only through performance that we can see how our editing decisions affect these dramatic texts. Shakespeare is drama and editors need to play it out, as it were, on the boards.” In conjunction with this play, the corresponding academic colloquium, The History of Cardenio: Spain and England, Then and Now, is already attracting major Shakespeare and Cervantes’ scholars from around the world. The April schedule includes pre-performance talks by Taylor, Bourus and other top-tier scholars, and post-performance conversations with the audience as well. For ticket information, contact IUAA at (317) 274-5063, or email: yowens@iupui.edu. Tickets are $15 for students and $35 for general admission. For additional information on the performances and the academic colloquium, visit http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/Cardenio. For additional information on the New Oxford Shakespeare project, visit http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/shakespeare/. Acomplete schedule of performances follows: Thursday, April 19 • 5:30 p.m., free public lecture in theater, “Cervantes and Shakespeare”   • 7 p.m., play, The History of Cardenio • 10 p.m., talk-back Friday, April 20 • 5:30 p.m., free public lecture in theater, “Shakespeare Lost and Found: A Resurrection Event” • 7 p.m., play, The History of Cardenio   • 10 p.m., talk-back Saturday, April 21 • 4 p.m., free public lecture in theater, “Theater Is Research” • 5 p.m., gala reception in theater lobby, reservations required. • 7 p.m., play, The History of Cardenio   • 10 p.m., talk-back Tuesday, April 24 • 5:30 p.m., free public lecture in theater, “When is Sex Legal? Rape, Coercion, Bigamy, Mixed-Race Marriage, and Not Being Straight”  • 7 p.m., play, The History of Cardenio • 10 p.m., talk-back Thursday, April 26 • 5:30 p.m., free public lecture in theater, “Shakespeare, Indianapolis and Race” • 7 p.m. play, The History of Cardenio • 10 p.m., talk-back Friday, April 27 • 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.," The History of Cardenio: Spain and England, Then and Now," an academic research colloquium.  • 5:30 p.m., free public lecture in theater, “Working Together: Theater, Collaboration, and Cardenio” • 7 p.m., play, The History of Cardenio • 10 p.m., talk-back Saturday, April 28 • 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.," The History of Cardenio: Spain and England, Then and Now," an academic research colloquium.  • 7 p.m., play, The History of Cardenio • 10 p.m., talk-back Communication Studies, English 2012-02-09T21:21:10+00:00 http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/news/index.php/site/tributes_to_dr._jack_price_and_dr._b._bruce_wagener/ http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/news/index.php/site/tributes_to_dr._jack_price_and_dr._b._bruce_wagener/#When:16:02:08Z The Memorial Resolution in honor of Dr. B. Bruce Wagener, emeritus faculty of the Department of Communication Studies. Presented at the January 27, 2012 School of Liberal Arts Faculty Assembly meeting by Dr.  Kristy Sheeler, Chair of Communication Studies. [View the video tribute]The Memorial Resolution in honor of Dr. Jack Price, faculty of the Department of Communication Studies. Presented at the January 27, 2012 School of Liberal Arts Faculty Assembly meeting by Dr. Kristy Sheeler, Chair of Communication Studies. [View the video tribute] Communication Studies, Faculty and Staff 2012-02-01T16:02:08+00:00 http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/news/index.php/site/icic_offers_workshop_to_help_international_researchers_enhance_oral_present/ http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/news/index.php/site/icic_offers_workshop_to_help_international_researchers_enhance_oral_present/#When:14:15:26Z Making oral presentations at scientific and academic conferences and meetings is a standard expectation for university researchers and instructors. For non-native English speakers, however, giving oral presentations that are clear, concise and  understandable to the audience may be challenging because of intercultural differences in presentation formats and styles. The Indiana Center for Intercultural Communication, a language and cultural training center that is part of the School of Liberal Arts at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, is presenting a workshop designed to help international researchers enhance their oral presentation skills. The workshop is being developed in collaboration with the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at the IU School of Medicine. This engaging, interactive session will provide guidance to non-native English speakers through individual practice and small-group discussions to ensure clear oral communication in English. Participants will learn about the key features of oral presentations related to language use and pick up tips on organizational structure, the use of visual aids and enhancing oral enunciation and pronunciation. The workshop is scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon March 23 at the Riley Outpatient Center Conference Room of the Lilly Learning Center. Registration, which costs $50 for IU and IUPUI students, faculty and staff, is available online at tinyurl.com/74ozmn2. Workshop presenters are Ulla Connor, ICIC director and Chancellor’s Professor of English at IUPUI, an internationally known speaker and author; and Lauren Harvey, ICIC’s assistant director of training, an experienced presenter and Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages certified trainer. This is the latest in an ongoing series of intercultural communication and language workshops ICIC has developed for international medical and science professionals and researchers. The goal of these workshops is to equip international participants with effective communication strategies and improve mutual understanding. For more information, contact ICIC at 317-274-2555 or icic@iupui.edu, or visit ICIC’s website, liberalarts.iupui.edu/icic.Photo: Professor Ulla Connor Centers, English, Faculty and Staff, International, Lectures and Seminars, Opportunities, Research 2012-02-01T14:15:26+00:00 http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/news/index.php/site/wheeler_among_10_iu_faculty_awarded_fulbright_grants_for_teaching_and_resea/ http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/news/index.php/site/wheeler_among_10_iu_faculty_awarded_fulbright_grants_for_teaching_and_resea/#When:19:55:51Z Dr. Rachel Wheeler, associate professor of religious studies, is among the ten IU faculty who are Fulbright recipients this year. Wheeler is spending the year teaching in the American Studies Department at the Johannes Gutenberg University at Mainz, Germany. She also is working on a full-length biography of a Mohican-Moravian man named Joshua, 1742-1806, who lived through the religious revivals and wars of the 18th century.The ten faculty represent three campuses —Bloomington, Indianapolis and Fort Wayne—and their research and academic activity take place in countries across the globe such as Brazil, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Japan, Peru, Russia Sweden and Turkey. This year’s recipients stem from a range of departments and schools, including the Kelley School of Business and the College of Arts and Sciences at IU Bloomington. They include scholars of design, finance, folklore and ethnomusicology, journalism, political science, physics and religious studies.Other recipients of faculty and staff Fulbright awards for the 2011-12 academic year are: Mark W. McK. Bannatyne, chair of the Department of Design and Communication Technology at IUPUI, who gave lectures and professional development workshops in the fall at the University of Communication and Management in Poznan, Poland. He also provided workshops on diverse computer graphics topics to 19 high schools throughout the Wielkopolska province and helped public school teachers develop instructional materials for a computer graphics curriculum.Ulf Jonas Bjork, a professor of journalism at IUPUI, who will teach this spring at Uppsala University in Sweden as the Fulbright Uppsala Distinguished Chair in American Studies. He will teach a course in U.S. mass media and collaborate on a book project about the Americanization of Sweden with colleagues at the Swedish Institute for North American Studies.William Bianco, professor of political science at IU Bloomington, who is spending a year in Russia to research the space program and to compare flight rules under NASA and the Russian space program. His activities have included interviews with staff from both space programs and the possible establishment of a joint project with the school that trains Russian flight controllers.Michael Dylan Foster, assistant professor of folklore at IU Bloomington, who will live in Japan for eight months while he pursues research for a book project, "Visiting Strangers: Gods, Ethnographers, and Tourists in Japan." The project explores the intersection of festival, ethnography and tourism, with a particular focus on local rituals in which masked demon-deity figures visit community households.Lynn Hooker, assistant professor of Central Eurasian studies and an adjunct professor of folklore and musicology at IU Bloomington, who will research the role of Romani (Gypsy) musicians in Hungarian society, especially during the socialist period. She will conduct oral history interviews with musicians, do archival research on the nationalization of the music industry and observe present-day music events.Stephen L. Selka, an assistant professor in the departments of religious studies and American studies at IU Bloomington, who will spend the spring in Brazil studying the engagements between Afro-Brazilian religious practice, specifically the Afro-Catholic festival of the Sisterhood of Our Lady of the Good Death in northeastern Brazil, and various enterprises grounded in the discourse of cultural heritage.Richard L. Shockley, CenterPoint Energy Faculty Fellow and an associate professor of finance at IU Bloomington, who will spend the spring on the faculty at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul, Turkey. While in Turkey, he plans to study how the structures of Islamic financing arrangements affect the liquidity, stability and scale of a banking system.Regina Smyth, associate professor of political science and a faculty member in the Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis at IU Bloomington, who will be affiliated with the Department of Political Science at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, Russia. While in Russia, she will continue her research on the effect of electoral competition on regime development in Russia, observing the 2011-12 parliamentary and presidential election cycles.Desiderio Vasquez, associate professor of physics at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, who will contribute to the development of a Computational Nonlinear Science Program at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú in Lima."The continued success of our faculty who are selected as Fulbright scholars underscores IU’s engagement efforts worldwide," said David Zaret, IU vice president for international affairs. "We are proud of our scholars who will represent the university worldwide, while adding to the depth of their knowledge for the betterment of our students in Indiana."Fulbright awards for faculty and staff are managed by the Council for International Exchange of Scholars. The CIES Core Scholar Program for faculty sends about 800 faculty and professionals to countries around the world. Faculty and Staff, Grants, International, Religious Studies, Research 2012-01-26T19:55:51+00:00 http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/news/index.php/site/2012_taylor_symposium_to_explore_the_campus_for_the_community/ http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/news/index.php/site/2012_taylor_symposium_to_explore_the_campus_for_the_community/#When:12:00:24Z More than half a million students have graduated from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis since the late 1960s when Indiana and Purdue universities joined their extension programs to create the urban campus. How has IUPUI shaped Indianapolis? How has Indianapolis shaped IUPUI?In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the founding of the School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI, the 2012 Joseph T. Taylor Symposium considers the connections between the university and city and how they have created a campus for the community."The Campus for the Community" is the theme for the Joseph T. Taylor Symposium, hosted by the IU School of Liberal Arts. The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012, in the IUPUI Campus Center, 420 University Blvd.Presentations, which run from 8:30 a.m. to noon, will feature expert discussions on the history of urban universities in the post-World War II era and examinations of the economic and cultural benefits a community receives from an urban university.Martin University Acting President Charlotte Westerhaus will deliver the keynote address during the symposium luncheon from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. in Room 450 of the Campus Center. Luncheon activities include Chancellor Charles R. Bantz’s presentation of the Joseph T. Taylor Excellence in Diversity Award.Symposium attendance is free and open to the general public, but there is a charge for lunch. Single luncheon tickets are $35 each or $30 if purchased by Feb. 5. Single sponsor tickets are $60, and table tickets for 10 are $500.Registrations, required for the luncheon, are due by Feb. 19. For additional information and registration, go to liberalarts.iupui.edu/taylor. For questions, contact Lauralee Stel at lstel@iupui.edu or 317-278-1839.The School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI is sponsoring this year’s symposium in association with the Department of History at IUPUI. The Taylor Symposium is named for the late Joseph T. Taylor, the first dean of the School of Liberal Arts. Taylor is remembered for his commitment to dialogue and diversity.The event is part of the 2012 IndyTalks series, exploring the idea of “Indy at the Crossroads.” IndyTalks is a collaboration dedicated to fostering a sense of community through respectful and creative civic dialogue.  Visit indytalks.info to learn more about IndyTalks series. Campus News, General News, History, News 2012-01-20T12:00:24+00:00 http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/news/index.php/site/liberal_arts_professor_jason_kelly_named_as_society_of_antiquaries_fellow/ http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/news/index.php/site/liberal_arts_professor_jason_kelly_named_as_society_of_antiquaries_fellow/#When:18:11:19Z The Society of Antiquaries of London has elected Jason Kelly, associate professor of British history in the IU School of Liberal Arts at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, as a fellow.The society’s Royal Charter of 1751 charges the group with “the encouragement, advancement and furtherance of the study and knowledge of the antiquities and history of this and other countries.” Created in 1707, the Society of Antiquaries of London currently has more than 2,900 members, including experts in architecture, art and architectural history.Kelly’s membership in the society comes as a result of significant achievement in the study of antiquaries and the field’s history. The professor’s latest book, The Society of Dilettanti: Archaeology and Identity in the British Enlightenment, was published in 2010 by the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art and Yale University Press. The book examines the influence the Dilettanti had on British archaeology and museums during the Enlightenment. Kelly, the president of the Midwest Conference on British Studies, is also the author of a forthcoming critical edition of the James Russel manuscripts for the Walpole Society.The Society of Antiquaries is based at Burlington House in London, where the society’s library, museum and art collection are housed. The society also owns and manages Kelmscott Manor, the home of writer, designer and socialist William Morris, from 1871 until his death in 1896. History, International, Research 2012-01-19T18:11:19+00:00 http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/news/index.php/site/in_the_news_-_december_2011/ http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/news/index.php/site/in_the_news_-_december_2011/#When:11:00:26Z Arts Illiana Announces WordfestThe Woods, December 1, 2011Arts Illiana, the Arts Council of Wabash Valley, announces Wordfest: Wabash Valley Creative Writing Symposium held December 2-3, 2011 at the Vigo County Public Library.  The newly appointed Indiana Poet Laureate, Karen Kovacik, Professor of English, was the keynote speaker for the two-day event. [Article]CME Reportedly Looking into Move to IndyWTHR, December 5, 2011The Chicago Mercantile Exchange may bring hundreds of jobs to central Indiana.  An incentive package intended to keep the exchange in Chicago failed, but they could be drafting another proposal.  Bob Harris, Professor of Economics, states that "no matter what Chicago offers, we should consider the move."  [Article]IUPUI Exhibit to Examine Various Types of HomelessnessIndiana Public Media, December 8, 2011A student-curated exhibit entitled, "What Does Homelessness Look Like?" was featured at the Indianapolis Central Library December 6-20, 2011.  The exhibit focused on how and why archaeologists study homeless material culture. Larry Zimmerman, Professor of Anthropology and Museum Studies, offered a few examples of homeless individuals, stating that the type of homelessness "depends on the individual".  [Article]Racial Identity Important After AdoptionKansas City InfoZine, December 16, 2011Parents who adopt children from overseas may not be prepared for confronting race issues their child/children may face.  Philip Goff, Director of the Center on Religion and American Culture, explained a few struggles he and his wife experienced in the adoption of two children and their strategies for working through them.  [Article]Archaeology of HomelessnessNUVO, December 16, 2011Larry Zimmerman, Professor of Anthropology and Museum Studies, and his students discuss their exhibit on homelessness in Indianapolis. The exhibit is running at the Indianapolis Central Library December 6, 2011 to January 27, 2012, and was created as part of a class co-taught by Professor Elizabeth Kryder-Reid.  The exhibit explains their research strategy and results, and the student’s thoughts on their work and value of their research.  [Article]Uterine Transplants: a New Frontier in ScienceThe Indianapolis Star, December 17, 2011A handful of researchers, including some at the Indiana School of Medicine, are examining whether uterine transplants might help women who lack a womb to bear children.  Thousands of women could benefit, but practical and ethical questions remain.  Eric Meslin, director of Indiana University Center for Bioethics and a professor of philosophy, remarks that these possible transplant procedures would be "phenomenal". [Article]IPS Voters Would Lose Their Say Under Mind Trust Reform ProposalThe Indianapolis Star, December 18, 2011The Mind Trust’s controversial reform proposal would transfer control of the Indianapolis Public Schools to the mayor and city-county council. For this proposal to succeed, lawmakers must persuade voters that this action will be beneficial, even though it would mean voters who live in IPS would not be allowed to elect their school board.  Brian Vargus, Professor of Political Science, states that the importance of this concern is determined by the reaction of the voters.  [Article]Scandals Could Mean Rough Start for New City-County CouncilThe Indy Channel, December 21, 2011After scandals surfaced with the new City-County Council, many people have lost their trust in the public officials.  William Blomquist, Professor of Political Science, states that shamed politicians can have a destructive affect on other public officials.  Blomquist suggests these scandals may lead the public not to participate in government events such as voting and attending council meetings.  [Article]Political Analyst Speaks of Biggest Winners and Losers in 2011Indy’s News center, December 27, 2011Brian Vargus, Professor of Political Science, suggests that the Indiana Republicans are big winners because their position enabled them to push through redistricting, a move that may help them set gains in 2012. He also says groups helped by federal stimulus dollars made big gains. Alternatively he states that cities, towns, and schools across the state suffered loss in 2011. [Article]*Articles compiled by Angela Vinci-Booher Anthropology, Centers, English, Political Science 2012-01-12T11:00:26+00:00 http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/news/index.php/site/gil_latz_begins_appointment_as_iupui_associate_vice_chancellor_for_internat/ http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/news/index.php/site/gil_latz_begins_appointment_as_iupui_associate_vice_chancellor_for_internat/#When:17:56:12Z Gil Latz on January 1, 2012 began his appointment as IUPUI associate vice chancellor for international affairs. The position includes a dual appointment as associate vice president for international affairs for the Indiana University system.  He also has an academic appointment as professor of geography in the IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI.  As associate vice chancellor, Latz will oversee the IUPUI Office of International Affairs, which serves as IUPUI’s hub of international activities. Latz comes to IUPUI from Portland State, where he served as vice provost for international affairs since 2002 and professor of geography and international studies since 1993. Latz will assume the dual administrative appointment vacated by Susan Buck Sutton, who retired from IUPUI in 2011 to serve as senior advisor for international initiatives at Bryn Mawr College.  Under Sutton’s leadership, IUPUI began a program of comprehensive internationalization that was recognized in 2009 with the Heiskell International Education Award for International Partnerships.  In 2011 the campus received the Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization. “IUPUI’s contributions to international education and its definition of internationalization, ‘the wise, informed, and responsible engagement of students, faculty, staff, and the institution itself in the global networks that shape us all,’ has inspired me over the years,” Latz said. “I am delighted with the opportunity to join colleagues who are making unique contributions – through research, teaching, service, and in partnership with local and global communities – to an understanding of our increasingly interdependent world,” he said. In addition to serving as vice provost at Portland State, Latz was appointed in 2010 as executive director of the Waseda Oregon Program, a joint venture between Waseda University in Tokyo and Portland State University. The Waseda Oregon Program provides exchange programs in language and culture for undergraduate students at Waseda, and U.S.  universities, including Portland State and other Oregon universities. Latz is also the 2011 recipient of Portland’s Global Business Award which recognizes leadership success. Latz received his doctorate and master’s degrees in geography from the University of Chicago and his bachelor’s in religion and English literature at Occidental College in Los Angeles. Campus News, Geography, International 2012-01-09T17:56:12+00:00 http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/news/index.php/site/sociologist_explores_making_personal_health_records_more_usable/ http://liberalarts.iupui.edu/news/index.php/site/sociologist_explores_making_personal_health_records_more_usable/#When:13:57:46Z IMAGE:David Haggstrom, M.D. is a Regenstrief Institute investigator and assistant professor of medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine.Although personal health records are now securely accessible online to a large and growing number of individuals, little research has been conducted on opinions about their ease of use.A new study coauthored by Sociology faculty member Dr. Neale Chumbler recruited patients into a human-computer interaction laboratory to determine the user experience for several popular functions of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ My HealtheVet, the most widely disseminated personal health record system in the United States. The study appears in a supplement to the December 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. Gaining insight into facilitators and barriers to adoption of MyHealtheVet, the most pervasive example of patient-centered technology currently in use, will provide guidance for the design and redesign of next-generation systems."Understanding how first-time users interact with their personal health records will enable us to design and implement future-generation systems that will serve the needs of patients and those with whom they wish to share health information, including doctors and other trusted parties. Ultimately it will help us, as physicians, provide better care for our patients," said Regenstrief Institute investigator David A. Haggstrom, M.D., a research scientist with the Center of Excellence on Implementing Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Health Services Research and Development Service in Indianapolis. He is an assistant professor of medicine at the Indiana University School of Medicine.IMAGE:Neale Chumbler, Ph.D. is a Regenstrief Institute investigator and professor and chairman of the Department of Sociology and director of the Institute for Research on Social Issues in the School…The researchers studied four functional areas of MyHealtheVet: registration and log-in; prescription refills; tracking of self-reported health information such as colonoscopy test results and physical activity diary entries; and searches for health information about specific topics such as post-traumatic stress disorder.Once into the secure Web-based system, users found the prescription refill function to perform better than expected. More than 20 million refills have been ordered online through MyHealtheVet since 2005. Some users were concerned about the system displaying the names of their specific drugs, a possible issue if using a public computer or sharing space in the home or office.Patients indicated that they thought it important that information they uploaded into their personal health record, such as blood sugar or blood pressure levels over time, be downloadable as graphs that they could print and bring to a future doctor’s visit."I believe our novel, interdisciplinary-focused study yielded findings that will inform the future redesign and implementation of the VA personal health record system. Our study offered straightforward steps to tailor functions to the individual preferences of the veterans," said Regenstrief Institute Investigator Neale Chumbler, Ph.D., a research scientist with the Center of Excellence on Implementing Evidence-Based Practice, Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Health Services Research and Development Service in Indianapolis. He is professor and chairman of the Department of Sociology and director of the Institute for Research on Social Issues in the School of Liberal Arts at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.  Dr. Chumbler is principal investigator on the VA grant that supported the research published in "Lessons Learned From Usability Testing of a Personal Health Record." The VA played no role in the study design, analysis or interpretation of data in this study.Patients in the future will expect to access their personal health information through Web portals tethered or linked to hospital systems or HMOs, or other entities where they receive their care, the study authors note. Overall, users in this study sought aspects of personal health records that were "adding value" to their interaction with their VA care providers.###Authors of the study in addition to Drs. Haggstrom and Chumbler are Regenstrief Investigators Jason Saleem, Ph.D., and Alissa Russ, Ph.D., both of the VA Center of Excellence; Josette Jones, Ph.D., of the School of Informatics and the School of Nursing at IUPUI; and Scott A. Russell, B.S.E., of the VA Center of Excellence. Dr. Saleem, who is a human factors engineer, directs the human-computer interaction laboratory. Centers, Research, Sociology 2012-01-09T13:57:46+00:00