newsandnotes
Cynthia Jones is named a Va. Outstanding Scientist Cynthia Jones, professor of biological sciences, was one of six researchers selected this week to receive the annual Virginia Outstanding Scientist Award. Gov. Mark R. Warner and Science Museum of Virginia Director Walter R.T. Witschey announced on Feb. 11 the names of the state’s Outstanding Scientists and Industrialists of 2003. The honorees will be introduced to the General Assembly Feb. 18 and receive their awards at a Science Museum banquet April 1. “These recipients are at the cutting edge of their fields, from cancer cures to protecting the Chesapeake Bay, and from transportation safety to particle physics,” said Warner. “Their creativity, contributions and dedication are aimed at making life – in Virginia and beyond – better for us all.” A member of the Old Dominion faculty since 1986, Jones has established an international reputation for her pioneering work in fisheries ecology. In the 1980s she developed new techniques to determine the daily age of fish by studying their ear bones, or otoliths, which have daily and annual rings similar to those of trees. Based on this research, scientists can now determine the date of birth in young fish as well as track their growth and survival during their most vulnerable life stages. In the 1990s Jones pioneered a chemical analysis technique that can determine where a particular fish was hatched and what waters it has inhabited since. Using this information, scientists can tell what environmental changes a species can tolerate, identify essential habitats and determine the advantages and disadvantages of a specific habitat. Clearly, Jones’ work has significant implications for sustaining fish populations. “This is of particular interest in Virginia for the Chesapeake Bay is the nation’s largest estuary and a major nursery ground for fish and shellfish,” said David R. Hager, vice provost at Old Dominion. Currently, Jones is using her cutting-edge techniques to determine the importance of sea grass beds to the survival of the bay’s fish. To date, she has been able to discern differences in sea grass beds that are only 10 miles apart. Gov. Warner recently appointed Jones to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission in recognition of her contributions in research. She is the first fisheries scientist to serve on the commission in its 125-year history. Also selected as a Virginia Outstanding Scientist of 2003 were:
Controversial author, Nobel laureate next in line for lecture series The author of the acclaimed book “Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word” and the 1976 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize will be the next speakers in the President’s Lecture Series. Harvard law professor Randall Kennedy, author of the controversial book, will speak at 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20, in the Webb Center cafeteria. Betty Williams, who received the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to unite the people of Northern Ireland, will speak as the Raoul Wallenberg Humanitarian Lecturer Thursday, March 6. Her talk, “Creating Safe Havens for the World’s Children,” will take place at 8 p.m. in the Mills Godwin Jr. Life Sciences Building auditorium. Published in January 2002, Kennedy’s book propelled him onto the pages of The New York Times and Newsweek. It was also the subject of an episode of the TV series “Boston Public.” The book “puts a tracer” on what is perhaps America’s most infamous derogatory word and is a must-read for students of American life. When followed through popular culture, the court system, academia and disparate racial communities, the word and its relative acceptability is in constant flux. It has been used to remove judges and inflame juries, as a term of endearment and one of derision, and to ban as well as celebrate other books. Kennedy discusses his book and the history of the word in an attempt to enlighten audiences about the racial dynamics that define America. A native of Columbia, S.C., Kennedy is a graduate of Yale Law School. He was a Rhodes scholar and a law clerk for former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. His first book was the highly regarded “Race, Crime, and the Law” (1997). In January, he published “Interracial Intimacies: Sex, Marriage, Identity and Adoption.” Williams won the Nobel Prize as a co-founder of the Northern Ireland Peace Movement, which was dedicated to ending sectarian violence. She started the organization with Mairead Corrigan after three of Corrigan’s nieces and nephews were run down by a getaway car carrying Irish Republican Army guerrillas. For more than 20 years, Williams has traveled the world, working with fellow Nobel laureates to evaluate and come to the aid of areas where the cause of peace, and especially the safety and well-being of children, is at risk. In 1997, she founded the nonprofit organization World Center of Compassion for Children (WCCC), which works to create safe havens where children will be fed, sheltered, nurtured and encouraged to grow to their fullest potential. With the aid of other organizations, the WCCC enables children to regularly address the United Nations General Assembly and establish a voice within the Court of Human Rights. The annual Wallenberg Lecture is sponsored by the Marc and Connie Jacobson Philanthropic Foundation. It honors the memory of one of the legendary figures of World War II. Back to top Conflict with Iraq is focus of Feb. 26 forum The Department of Political Science and Geography will sponsor a forum on “The Conflict Between the U.S. and Iraq” from 1-2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, in room 1005 of Constant Hall. Glen Sussman, department chair, will moderate a panel of three Old Dominion faculty members: Steve Yetiv, associate professor of political science and a specialist on the Middle East and national security; Regina Karp, director of the Center for Regional and Global Studies and a specialist on Western European affairs; and Kurt Gaubatz, director of the graduate program in international relations and a specialist on international security and foreign policy. The format will include a question-and-answer session. For more information call 683-3841. Back to top Phyllis Brown heads slate of 2003-04 HACE officers The Hourly and Classified Employees Association elected the following slate of officers for 2003-04 at its Feb. 11 general membership meting:
The magazines are passed on to Sherrill Hurwitz, guidance counselor at Tanners Creek Elementary School in Norfolk, who in turn hands them out to students who are not able to get this type of reading material at home. According to Hurwitz, the magazines are a big hit with the children and their parents, and more and more children are asking for them. Magazines may be sent via campus mail to the president’s office. Back to top English honor society wins chapter award Old Dominion’s chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the international English honor society, recently won a prestigious Outstanding Chapter award for 2002-03. ODU’s chapter, Nu Upsilon, has a history of innovative work and this award recognizes its excellence. Through the work of its local chapters, Sigma Tau Delta confers distinction upon undergraduates, graduates and faculty for high achievement in the various fields of English. As a member of the Association of College Honor Societies, Sigma Tau Delta is aligned with 67 other honor societies whose primary purpose is to recognize and encourage academic excellence. Joanne Scheibman, assistant professor of linguistics, is the faculty sponsor of Nu Upsilon. Back to top NEA president to speak on campus Feb. 15 Reg Weaver, president of the National Education Association (NEA), will be the guest speaker at a meeting of Old Dominion’s Student Virginia Education Association (SVEA) chapter at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, in room 102 of the Mills Godwin Jr. Life Sciences Building. It is fee and open to the public. Weaver is an outspoken advocate for public education and one of the country's foremost African American labor leaders. He was elected NEA president last year. A middle school science teacher and 35-year classroom veteran, Weaver is a native of Danville, Ill., where he attended a segregated school for part of his elementary school years. The NEA is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers. The SVEA is a professional organization for preservice teachers offering leadership and community involvement for students entering the field of education. Back to top New University Gallery exhibit debuts Feb. 15 The University Gallery will open “In the Center Ring: Works of Paper,” a one-person show by Robert Sites focusing on the unique character of the circus life, with a reception from 7-9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public. The gallery, located at 350 W. 21st St., Norfolk, will host the exhibition through March 16. Sites constructs his cast of performers by layering images drawn on a variety of papers to create a fragile world of paper collage. The resulting images echo the glittering, transitory world of the circus and its performers. Through these characters Sites explores what is most human and universal in the extraordinary, exotic and sometimes freakish. An associate professor of fine arts at Norfolk State University, Sites received a 2001 Virginia Commission for the Arts Fellowship for works on paper, his second individual grant from the organization. The gallery is open noon to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; noon to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 1-4 p.m. Sunday. For more information call 683-2355 or go to http://www.metonym.org/studio/odu. Back to top ODU, Constant Center cited in magazine polls
Old Dominion University and the Ted Constant Convocation Center were given kudos recently by two local magazines.
The university was chosen as Hampton Roads’ best higher education institution by the readers of Tidewater Women magazine. The publication’s “2003 Ladies Choice Winners” section, in which readers voted for their favorites in categories ranging from grocery stores to radio stations, appears in the February issue. Tidewater Women is available in Webb Center and the Batten Arts and Letters Building, as well as area Eckerd drug stores. The Ted Constant Convocation Center was named one of the “Best Things to Happen to Hampton Roads in 2002” in the January issue of Hampton Roads Monthly magazine. In that category, the convocation center was listed No. 2 behind the defeat of the road tax referendum and ahead of post-9/11 unity in the magazine’s annual “Best and Worst” issue. The magazine is available on newsstands or online at www.hrmonthly.com. Back to top
The film is a tale of the fanciful adventures of a 10-year-old girl who discovers a secret world when she and her family get lost and venture through a hillside tunnel. In “Three Seasons,” a Vietnamese film to be screened Feb. 28, three stories merge to give a picture of a country making an uneasy transition from East to West, from communism to capitalism, from past to future. Both films, with English subtitles, will be shown at 7 p.m. in room 1002 of Constant Hall. There is no admission charge. The series continues March 21 and 28 with films from Korea and China. For more information contact Jie Chen at jchen@odu.edu. Back to top
The program begins at noon Friday, Feb. 21, in the River Rooms of Webb Center. It is free and open to the campus community. Several administrators have signed up to share their talents with their colleagues, but others are encouraged to join the program. “More artists and performers are welcome. If you are interested in being part of the fun, let me know what your hidden talent is and we’ll be sure to make space for you to ‘do your thing,’” said Sandy Waters, AUA president. “I’m hoping to have other administrators share their needlepoint, quilting, photography, flower arranging, model ships and planes, and maybe even cooking and baking.” To register or for more information contact Waters at 683-6485 or smwaters@odu.edu. The following administrators are already on board:
Calling the current policy “vague and ineffective,” the senate’s Executive Committee recommended the revisions. Proposed additions include a statement that the “university must operate with a policy of zero tolerance for any disruptive behavior,” as well as the following: “Each faculty member should publish in the course syllabus the course attendance policy, behavior policies and other expectations for appropriate conduct in the classroom. Examples should address such issues as cell phone and pager usage, the use of any noise-making activity or device that disturbs others, conversing in class during lectures, the prohibition of food and beverages, and the fact that respect must be shown for diverse opinions.” Other proposed revisions to the policy include giving the faculty member the authority to ask students who do not stop their disruptive or annoying behavior to leave the classroom “to prevent further disruption to the class” and mandating that such students be reported to the vice president for student services, in addition to the university hearing officer, for disciplinary action. In other action, the senate voted unanimously to recommend the following addition to the University Catalog’s Upper-Division General Education Requirements: “Study Abroad: Any study abroad course at the 300-400 level that offers three credits can fulfill one course requirement for World Cultures: Values and Visions. In cases where a study abroad course fits the themes of another cluster, students may request approval from the university cluster coordinator to use that study abroad course.” Provost Thomas Isenhour has been invited to be a guest speaker at the next Faculty Senate meeting, which is scheduled for 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 18, in the Portsmouth/Chesapeake Room of Webb Center. Back to top
Rodriguez and Wilson were among 70 RAs nominated for three different awards. More than 150 RAs from 11 schools across the state attended the conference. The ODU delegation of 10 RAs also won the Most Spirited Delegation Award. Eric Hoffman, assistant area coordinator in the Office of Residence Life at Old Dominion, praised the pair for their ability to develop and facilitate educational and social programs that build community among their students. Back to top
The students will simulate the work of several U.N. bodies, including the General Assembly First Committee on Disarmament and International Security, as well as act as the General Assembly Ad-Hoc Committee on Terrorism to discuss new immigration policies after 9/11, democratization and good governance. The conference, which is being held at the Sheraton Waterside Hotel in Norfolk, concludes Feb. 15. Back to top
Directed by internationally acclaimed guest director Leon Ingulsrud, the production will feature ODU graduate Susan Hightower, a member of New York’s SITI Company. Performances will be held in University Theatre. Chronicling the amazing struggles and conviction of Joan of Arc, Shaw’s play provides the philosophical insight, rich characters and epic sweep of a stage masterpiece. Ingulsrud’s past productions at Old Dominion (“Macbeth,” “Medea,” “Moby Dick” and “The Tempest”) have used the heightened theatrical styles of Japanese master Tadeus Suzuki and American innovator Anne Bogart to great theatrical effect. Bringing stunning images and performance energy to Shaw’s text, Ingulsrud will provide a timely opportunity to examine the complexities of spiritual belief and militant religious fervor. Hightower has performed in leading theatres across America, including New York Theatre Workshop, Actor’s Theatre of Louisville and Stage West. She has performed in “Orestes” at Suzuki’s Toga-Mura Center in Japan. Norfolk audiences will remember Hightower for her portrayal of Hedda Gabler, as part of the 1999 Virginia International Festival, and for her numerous celebrated performances while a student in Old Dominion’s theatre program. “Saint Joan” will be performed at 8 p.m. Feb. 21-22 and 27-28, as well as March 1 and 6-8. Sunday matinees will be at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 23 and March 1. For tickets and more information call the Arts and Letters box office at 683-5305. Back to top
The Philadelphia Brass will be in concert at 8 p.m. Feb. 17, while Anthony will join the Virginia Chamber Players for an 8 p.m. performance on March 3. Both concerts will be in Chandler Recital Hall of the Diehn Fine and Performing Arts Center. Tickets may be purchased in advance or at the door. Tickets for each performance are $15 for general admission; $10 for Old Dominion faculty and staff, senior citizens and non-ODU students; and $5 for ODU students with valid ID. Tickets may be purchased at the Arts and Letters Box Office in the atrium of the Diehn Center, or by calling 683-5305. The Philadelphia brass will also appear with the Virginia Wind Symphony in a free concert at 2 p.m. Feb.16 at Cape Henry Collegiate. Critics and public alike have enthusiastically praised the appealing diversity of repertoire, humorous and informative educational programs, technical virtuosity and superb musicality of the Philadelphia Brass. The press and public radio have said of the group’s recitals: “remarkable music and musicianship,” “scintillating virtuosity” and they perform “with a cohesiveness seldom heard in live chamber music.” American composer Daniel Pinkham has written that Philadelphia Brass is “the most artistic brass quintet before the public today.” First-prize winner of Denmark’s 1996 Carl Nielsen International Violin Competition, Adele Anthony enjoys a heralded and rapidly expanding international career. She began playing the violin at the age of 2 1/2 in Tasmania, and in 1984, at 13, was the youngest winner of the Australian Broadcasting Commission Instrumental and Vocal Competition, performing “Sibelius Violin Concerto” with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. She studied as an Elder Conservatorium Scholar at the University of Adelaide until 1987. At the Juilliard School, Anthony worked with Dorothy DeLay, Felix Galimir and Hyo Kang. Among her many awards is a first place at the 1992 Aspen Music Festival Walton competition. In 2000, Naxos released her recording of the Philip Glass Violin Concerto with Takero Yuasa and the Ulster Orchestra. Anthony performs on a violin crafted by Antonio Stradivarius in 1728. Back to top
Sponsored by the College of Business and Public Administration, the series brings accomplished business leaders to campus to share firsthand experiences with students. Fields will speak at 12:30 p.m. in room 1005 of Constant Hall. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis and the talk is open to the public. In 1977 at the age of 20, Fields opened Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chippery in Palo Alto, Calif. Since then, Mrs. Fields Cookies has grown to more than 600 company-owned and franchise stores around the United States and in 10 other countries. The $450 million company is the market leader among fresh-baked cookie stores and was among the first companies to utilize computer technology in operations and production schedules. The program is used as a model for business efficiency at Harvard Business School. Having sold the business, Fields currently serves on the board of Outback Steakhouse, among other public and private organization boards. She is the author of three cookbooks, one of which sold more than 1.8 million copies and was the first cookbook to top The New York Times bestseller list. For more information call 683-3520. Back to top
At a time when many other 18-year-olds are preparing for college and struggling over what they want to do with their lives, D’Lorah Small is already making her way in the real world – and even thinking about what degrees she wants to pursue next. The December 2002 graduate of Old Dominion University is currently putting her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering to use as a bridge inspector for the Virginia Department of Transportation. Small hopes eventually to be considered for an engineering position with VDOT. One of the university’s youngest graduates ever, the Virginia Beach native received her diploma from Princess Anne High School at the tender age of 14 and an associate’s degree from Tidewater Community College at 16. “I am the first in my family to graduate from college; that was a big inspiration for them,” Small told Jet magazine for a story in its Jan. 13 edition. “And now I have inspired the people I work with to go back to school. They felt they were too old to go back. And I said, ‘You are never too old to learn.’” Or too young, she might have added. Despite the age differences between Small and her ODU classmates, she said she never felt uncomfortable or out of place at the university. “Old Dominion is challenging and has a wonderful engineering program,” she noted. “The professors were the best. I took as many courses as possible from them. They were like encyclopedias full of information.” Small thanks her mother and stepfather, Dafney Rose Kennedy and Albert Kennedy Jr., for their support and encouragement. She is also grateful to actors Tim and Daphne Maxwell-Reid, longtime supporters of historically black colleges and universities, for her scholarship to attend Old Dominion. Looking ahead, the gifted teen says she plans to earn not only a master’s in engineering, but also a law degree and medical degree. She told Jet, “I am not sure what order I will do it, but I will earn all three degrees one day.” Back to top
“I am proud of ODU for its aggressive movement to employ electronic business tools,” Warner said. “ODU sets an example for other public colleges and universities to take all the necessary steps to use eVA for all of their purchasing and to make it possible for the commonwealth to leverage its combined buying power to save money.” The university has successfully accomplished an “interface” between its financial management system and the commonwealth’s e-procurement system (called eVA), allowing all purchasing to be done electronically through a centralized network. The Portal Report: Some differences between a portal and university Web site The university’s Portal Project kicked off Feb. 11, and the planning for our campuswide portal begins with considering how it will work within our Web environment. What is the difference between a portal and a university Web site? A portal and a Web site complement each other; however, they exist as two distinct entities with separate reasons for being. A portal will not replace a home page, but the two can be effectively linked together. Each has a function and purpose all its own. In some respects, portals grew in reaction to the explosion of information available on the Web. As information flooded onto university Web sites, the sites became complex and chaotic, to the point the users found some sites useless and frustrating. A portal offers an organized and personalized Web environment. Let’s look at a few key differences. A university Web site presents an image to the outside world and, to some extent, operates as an online brochure. It promotes the institution’s education, research and service activities to all existing and potential customers. It functions as a stand-alone system without integration with other information technology systems. Content is developed for general consumption and it seldom changes. The university organizes the information and the design takes advantage of the available technology and graphic opportunities to entice visitors to take a closer look. Through inviting, eye-catching designs, the Web site is intended to promote and publicize the university. While still intended to be visually appealing, a portal is not a fancy Web page. University portals are designed to function as follows: Organizations supply content and services, and users organize the content and services around their individual needs and interests. Portals are designed to optimize the user’s experience by providing tools and data necessary for the user to be productive (it knows your university role), but not overload the user with all potential data. It interacts with the institution’s databases, provides security for systems and privacy for the individual. Portals offer much more than just static information – they contain Web services for interactions and transactions, and continue to roll out new service options. For portal users, the result is a more effective Web environment for working and learning. Portals will significantly lessen the time wasted trying to find the relevant information from a ton of cluttered data. Portals will contain the essential and specific data, tools and information for successful functioning in our community. Therefore, a portal needs to cover a much wider range of topics than a university Web site. By identifying the information requirements particular to a given community (i.e., students, faculty, budget unit directors, administrators, advisers, etc.), information solutions are designed into the portal. These solutions make use of existing applications and infrastructure to create value and improve business results. With a portal, Old Dominion can deliver key information in a way that is logical to its various audiences by using language, topics and information groupings that make sense to them. A quick scan enables users to determine whether or not the portal page contains the information they desire. Clear headings, logical organization of information and real-world terminology help make this possible. By providing users with the ability to customize the environment and offering clear navigation bars, menus of options, and links, users do not get lost; they always know how they got to a certain point and how to get out of it. Portal content is updated continuously, and provides a wide range of interactive services and forums where campus community members can discuss and express their views. Content is clearly dated, and users get the sense that the portal is responsive to the important issues and concerns of the day. Back to top
– “San Francisco or New York” “In this economy, working 70 hours a week no longer makes a difference in how much you get compensated or how fast you advance.” (Debra Major, associate professor of psychology) – “More Americans Put Families Ahead of Work” Preliminary results show that as people “get into more challenging driving situations, they don’t have any extra mental energy to respond to something else in the environment.” (Carryl Baldwin, assistant professor of psychology, in an AP story on in-vehicle guidance system research using ODU’s computerized driving simulator) – “Simulator Helps Auto Guidance Research” “This is certainly a great Navy day, and a great day for our faculty.” (Roseann Runte, president, in a story about ODU’s virtual graduation) – “Navy Officers Earn Degrees in New Program” ... employees could enter data only in the mornings, before institutions on the West Coast had logged on. In the afternoons, the system slowed to a crawl. (Indirect quote from Scott King, director of international student and scholar services) – “Immigration Service Extends Electronic Tracking System for Foreign Students” The blame goes in good part to the “growing conflict between end-users and the IT department.” (Joan Mann, assistant professor of MIS/decision sciences, in a column by Marc Fisher bout the rapid pace of technology growth) – “Royal Standard Has Given Way to a Royal Pain” “They expect someone like her, with her national sort of fame, to come with an ego, and they don’t find her like that. She’s very down-to-earth, very modest, very ingratiating .... She’s always willing to assist them and take time with them.” (Charles Wilson Jr., chair of English, on recent SCHEV Award winner Sheri Reynolds) – “Novelist at ODU Wins State’s Top Teaching Award” “What you have done is open a hole in the vehicle where the aerodynamic forces and the high temperatures are going to peel back the tiles behind the weakened tile. Once you open this up, the lightweight material of the shuttle itself is exposed to a thermal environment that it can’t survive.” (Robert Ash, interim vice president for research and professor of aerospace engineering, on the space shuttle Columbia explosion) – “Damage to Protective Tiles Suspected as Possible Cause” “The students were just not prepared for this course. If 75 percent earned an F, they had to get an F. It would have been dishonest to give them anything else.” (Robert Holden, associate professor of history, in one of several stories comprising a series on grade inflation) – “Professor’s Stand Was Put to the Test”
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