Thomas L. Isenhour, until recently Old Dominion’s dean of the College of Sciences, stepped into the role of university provost and vice president for academic affairs Jan. 2 following his appointment to the position last month. The Board of Visitors approved the change on Dec. 13.

Isenhour said he considers increased collegiality within the sciences college and with other colleges on campus, improved student retention and the growth in interdisciplinary research among his most significant accomplishments at the university, and he hopes to continue that record in his new role.

“Old Dominion University is becoming a finer institution almost daily,” he noted. “It will be a thrill to work with all the academic programs through the Office of Academic Affairs. I am excited and honored to join President Runte’s fine administrative team.”

President Runte, who announced the appointment, said, “He has the degrees, the experience at the level of dean and provost at a number of universities, experience with a granting council, international experience, a record of diversity and, as a playwright, is sensitive to the arts. Dr. Isenhour has been an excellent dean while at Old Dominion and has worked tirelessly for the university.”

As dean here since fall 2000, Isenhour oversaw the implementation of tutorial programs in biology, chemistry, computer science and math for undergraduates; the implementation of five-year B.S./M.B.A. programs for majors in those fields and psychology; and the creation of the Center for Computational Science, which tackles cross-disciplinary, high-powered computing research in the sciences. The center has conducted research funded by the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation.

Isenhour succeeds David R. Hager, who had served as acting provost since the departure of former provost Jo Ann Gora in summer 2001. Hager will continue his work in academic affairs as vice provost.

Before joining Old Dominion, Isenhour served as professor and chair of the chemistry and biochemistry department at Duquesne University from 1994-2000. He was dean of arts and sciences (1987-90) and professor of chemistry (1987-94) at Kansas State University, and served as provost and professor of science at the American University in Bulgaria in 1992-93. He also has held academic and administrative positions at Utah State University, the University of North Carolina and the National Science Foundation.
He has published more than 180 professional papers, books and editorials, and has served as plenary lecturer at three international meetings.

In a statement to the campus community during the search process, Isenhour said, “We are in difficult times. A very limited budget has been dramatically reduced. We would have a right to be discouraged. But, Booker T. Washington said you can’t do anything if you are discouraged. So I refuse to be discouraged.

“If I become your new provost, I will do everything possible to improve our finances. It will be some time before Virginia can solve its budgetary woes, so I will work with President Runte to improve our situation through the capital campaign. Instead of being discouraged, now is the time to build, to innovate.”

Isenhour, who went on to say that the university needs to build its graduate programs and provide research support in all disciplines, offered the following list of specific goals that would be on his agenda as provost:

For the second year in a row, a novelist from Old Dominion’s English department has been selected to receive a prestigious SCHEV Outstanding Faculty Award.

Sheri Reynolds, associate professor of English, is among 10 statewide winners who were honored yesterday in Richmond. Old Dominion’s winner last year was Janet Peery.

Since the program’s inception in 1987, 14 ODU faculty have been chosen as winners of the award.

Reynolds and the other 2003 winners were recognized Jan. 16 in a ceremony at the State Capitol Building. Each received a check for $2,200 and a plaque from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. In all, 76 faculty members from 31 colleges and universities statewide were nominated for this year’s awards.

Reynolds was further recognized as the “Rising Star” among the 2003 winners. According to Alan F. Edwards Jr., associate for academic affairs with SCHEV, “This designation indicates that, while she is still in the early stages of her career, she has already made outstanding contributions to her students, her institution, her community and her field.”

A favorite among creative writing students for her energetic and inspirational teaching style, Reynolds has also made a name for herself in the literary world. She appeared on “Oprah” in 1997 when her second novel, “The Rapture of Canaan,” became the sixth book chosen for the show’s monthly book club.

The novel, which explores the spiritual struggles of a 14-year-old girl as he looks for answers about sin and faith within her Southern religious community, held the No. 1 spot on the New York Times Bestseller List for several weeks. The San Francisco Chronicle has called Reynolds the “newest and most exciting voice to emerge in contemporary Southern fiction.”

She is also the author of “Bitterroot Landing” (1995) and “A Gracious Plenty” (1997). She sent her fourth novel to her editor last fall.

While she may be well-known in literary circles, it is inside the classroom where students benefit most from Reynolds’ talent, and she regularly receives outstanding evaluations from underclassmen and graduate students alike. Students have described her as a spark plug.

“Sheri Reynolds is a warm, caring individual and communicates this to her students,” said President Roseann Runte. “She is a brilliant and talented writer who brings her creativity to the classroom. Her knowledge of literature and her enthusiasm for her subject makes her conversation so delightful that I think it would be a great privilege and a pleasure to enroll in her class myself!”

Old Dominion’s Ruth and Perry Morgan Chair of Southern Literature, Reynolds encourages her students even as she critiques their writing. Jennifer Woodworth, an M.F.A. candidate in poetry, recalled, “At the end of my first story, Professor Reynolds wrote some constructive criticism, followed by, “But – it’s a great start here! You do have a fiction writer in you! We’ll urge it out.’”

According to Reynolds, however, it’s not only the students who benefit from the classroom give and take.

“Teaching is the truest kind of adventure for me,” she said. “No matter what class I teach, I can always count on my students to challenge me, to make me think in a whole new way. My students have opened my mind and my heart, so every class is its own kind of award.”

Reynolds, who joined the ODU faculty in 1997, said of her latest honor, “I’m excited. There are so many incredible, dedicated teachers in this state and in this university, so I’m just amazed and pleased to be recognized by SCHEV. I didn’t expect it, but I’m thrilled.”

In addition to her teaching and research (writing), Reynolds was cited in her nomination materials for her service. She coordinated the 24th annual Literary Festival, and she often visits public schools to speak to students, read from her works, consult on their literary magazines and answer their questions about writing.

A popular speaker, she gave the keynote address at the Eudora Welty Symposium in Mississippi in 2001. Back to top

Chandra R. de Silva, chair of the Old Dominion history department, has been named dean of the College of Arts, Provost Thomas L. Isenhour announced last week.

The appointment will be effective June 25, pending Board of Visitors approval. De Silva will succeed Janet Katz, who has served as interim dean since August 2001.

“I look forward to working with Chandra as he provides leadership to the College of Arts and Letters and its faculty during the years ahead,” Isenhour said in a letter announcing the appointment to the campus community.

De Silva joined Old Dominion in 1998 as professor and chair of the Department of History. During his tenure, he strengthened the research productivity of the department and enhanced collaboration with the Darden College of Education. He has served on the university’s advisory councils for Asian Studies, Institute for Minority Issues and Filipino American Student Cultural Center.

Prior to joining Old Dominion, de Silva served as professor and chair of history at Indiana State University. He was a member of the University Council and dean of the Faculty of the Arts at the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka. He served as president of the American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies and is currently a member of its executive committee.

A prolific writer, de Silva has published two monographs, dozens of articles and book chapters, and numerous reports and short works. He is an expert in Sri Lankan history and politics, Portuguese exploration and colonies, and Buddhism.

He received a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Ceylon, a doctorate in history from the University of London and a Diplome de Langue Francaise from the Alliance Francaise de Paris. Back to top

Great Decisions Series to feature 3 ODU faculty
Three Old Dominion faculty will be among the speakers over the next two months when the World Affairs Council of Greater Hampton Roads begins this year’s Great Decisions Series of presentations on current global issues. The talks will be given at Virginia Wesleyan College’s Boyd Center, and all start at 10 a.m.

This year, Steve Yetiv, associate professor of political science, opens the series of eight Saturday morning programs Jan. 18 on the topic “Multilateralism or Unilateralism: Is the U.S. Alone or Together in the World?”

Jie Chen, also an associate professor of political science, will speak Feb. 15 on “China in Transition: Is Real Change Imminent?” Regina Karp, associate professor of international studies, will discuss “Europe: The State of the Union” on Feb. 22.

Other topics include: Afghanistan, U.S.-Saudi Relations, World Food Trade, International Women’s Rights and Nigeria.

Faculty and staff may register for the program ($35 for the series; $10 for individual sessions; the Great Decisions briefing book is $15) by sending a check to: World Affairs Council, P.O. Box 55463, Virginia Beach, Va. 23471. Full-time students may attend free of charge.

For more information contact John Heyl, ODU’s executive director of international programs, at 683-5195 or jheyl@odu.edu. Back to top

Old Dominion’s results on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) compared with a state average of 89.5 percent. Richardean Benjamin-Coleman, chair of the School of Nursing, said it marked the eighth consecutive year ODU graduates had achieved a 92 percent or higher pass rate.

“Our success on the NCLEX-RN is due to our excellent students and the program’s small clinicals, where students get the hands-on experience needed to learn nursing skills,” she said. Back to top

Carlton, Tiant to speak at Baseball Clinic, Jan. 24-25
Hall of Fame pitcher Steve Carlton and three-time All-Star righthander Luis Tiant will be the keynote speakers and clinicians for the 26th annual Greenwich Kitchens Old Dominion University Baseball Scholarship Clinic and ACS Systems Banquet, Jan. 24 and 25.

Tickets for the clinic, which begins at 9 a.m. in the Field House, are $5 for one session.

The weekend kicks off Friday, Jan. 24, with the ACS Systems “Meet the Stars” Banquet at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott, beginning with a social at 6:30 p.m. and dinner at 7:30. Tickets are $50 per person. Proceeds from the dinner and clinic support baseball scholarships.

Carlton won 329 games, second only to Warren Spahn among lefthanders, and his 4,136 strikeouts are exceeded only by Nolan Ryan. He once notched 19 strikeouts in a game, compiled six 20-win seasons and was the first pitcher to win four Cy Young Awards. He retired in 1988.

Tiant, born in Marianao, Cuba is one of only four pitchers in the 40-year expansion era to have pitched four straight shutouts. He accomplished this in 1972. That year, Tiant was 15-6 with a 1.91 earned run average. He also compiled a 1.60 ERA in 1968.

A three-time All -Star, Tiant helped the Boston Red Sox reach the 1975 World Series. He led the American League in shutouts three times, 1966, 1968 and 1972. Tiant retired after the 1982 season.

For tickets or more information call 683-5484. Back to top

Vorster will discuss cycads, highly adaptive plants that have survived for millions of years. He will also point out gaps that exist in our knowledge about them. The audience will be taken on a photographic journey to see cycad plants in different habitats and on different continents to demonstrate how they adapt.

For more information call Lytton Musselman, biology chair, at 683-3595. Back to top

Study Abroad Fair scheduled for Feb. 4
The Office of Study Abroad will sponsor its biannual Study Abroad Fair from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, in the North Mall of Webb Center. A drawing will be held for a $1,000 study abroad scholarship.

Information on new scholarships for study abroad students will be available , and participants will have an opportunity to talk with faculty who are leading summer programs, ODU students who studied abroad last year and exchange students who are on campus this semester. Back to top

“Everything Is Broken” features recent images made with a Holga camera and transposed into large, digital photographic prints. The title reflects the nature of the cheap plastic Holga camera, used by Bousquet to create significant images touched with her strong sense of irony.

A well-known local artist, Bousquet has exhibited widely in Virginia and the western part of the country. Her work has evolved through nearly 20 years’ experience in teaching and making art that ranges from printmaking to mixed media to installation to performance to digital print.

The University Gallery, located at 350 W. 21st St., Norfolk, 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 www.metonym.org/studio/odu. Back to top

It is designed for any investigator who is new to the National Science Foundation FastLane submission process or who wishes to better understand the process.

For more information or to register call 683-3460. Back to top

The fellowships, administered by the ODU Research Foundation, provide the faculty with funds and a small expense account while they conduct research or scholarly activities for an eight-week period during the summer. The funds that support his program come from indirect costs recovered from sponsored program awards to the university for faculty activities.

Fourteen applications were submitted.

“Although the total number of proposals was down this year, the quality was outstanding, and the Faculty Senate Scholarly Activity and Research Committee has done an outstanding job of reviewing and evaluating them. We have a number of new research initiatives that will produce compelling scholarship and become very competitive for external support,” said Robert L. Ash, interim vice president for research.

Recipients of this year’s fellowships are:

ECE prof’s fellowship leads to DOD grant and selection to prestigious research team
The rationale for the ODU Research Foundation to provide seed money via the Summer Faculty Fellowship Program is to help, in most cases, junior faculty get new research and writing projects off the ground in hopes that these projects will ultimately result in publications and attract future funding.

Such was the case, on both counts, for Vijayan K. Asari, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, a recipient of one of last summer’s awards.

Asari, who came to ODU in fall 2000 as a visiting associate professor, received $6,000 to pursue research in statistical pattern recognition, particularly the development of a new technique for the automatic extraction of object region and boundary from images with complex background environments.

The research, which involves the development of novel algorithms (predetermined sets of computational instructions for solving a specific problem in a limited number of steps), is “specifically useful for real-time recognition of tumors and polyps in gastrointestinal images in an endoscopy procedure,” said Asari, who previously was a member of a research team in Singapore that developed a microrobotic colonoscope.

He presented a paper based on his research at the IASTED International Conference on Applied Modelling and Simulation, Nov. 4-6 at MIT, which was well-received and published in the conference proceedings. He even credited the Research Foundation in his paper.

As an outgrowth of the research, Asari also applied for and recently received a $68,000 grant from the Department of Defense to join a select team of researchers in a project whose ultimate goal is to combat terrorism through facial image detection. The initial call for proposals resulted in 12,500 applications from around the world. Following the review, Asari was one of only nine faculty from seven universities chosen to take part in the collaborative study, which holds the promise of continued funding. The prestigious group also includes researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Asari’s unique approach will concentrate on developing a new algorithm which will, in essence, enhance facial images taken by still and video cameras under poor lighting conditions.

“The long-term goal is to develop a face-locating and tracking system which will be able to locate all the detectable human faces in an image under varying background lighting environments, camera positions, pose of the faces, size of the face regions and skin color,” he explained.

For more information about Asari’s research visit www.odu.edu/vlsi. Back to top

Three students representing university in USA Today academic competition
Linda K. Wolfe of Camp Verde, Ariz., a senior interdisciplinary studies major; Justin Crocker of Yorktown, a junior biology major; and Katrina R. Blandford of Chesapeake, a senior nursing major, have been selected to represent Old Dominion in USA Today’s 2002-03 All-USA College Academic Team competition. Winners will be notified late this month.

USA Today honors outstanding students annually with its All-USA College Academic Team. The 10 students selected to the All-USA First Team will be pictured in the newspaper and receive a $2,500 cash award. Forty runners-up will be named to the Second and Third Teams.

Wolfe takes classes at Yavapai College via TELETECHNET and has a 3.95 GPA. She hopes to find a job in public service or community development after graduation. She is a founding member of Hispanic Outreach, a service organization in the diverse community of Yavapai County, and has served as a mentor for student support services at the college.

Her research on Navajo culture and Latino work force development has been adopted by college officials as the basis for developing policies and programs to serve the needs of those communities.

Crocker hopes to pursue a career as a physician; he has a 3.8 GPA. He spent his last five summers with the Appalachia Service Project through St. Luke’s Methodist Church in his hometown, most recently as the leader of a group repairing homes in the region’s poorest towns.

His research dealt with factors affecting the Appalachian counties of Russell and Dickenson, where the ASP worked in 2001 and 2002, including the history of the poverty and hardships their residents face.

Blandford, who is studying to become a nurse practitioner, has a 3.88 GPA. She has donated more than 600 hours of her time since 2000 to the Blue Horse Mukwa Equine Retirement and Rescue Center, a sanctuary for abused and neglected horses.

Kristine Gonzalez, a 1999 ODU graduate from Suffolk, and Rosemarie Liu ’02, from Burke, Va., were named to the competition’s third team in the last three years. Back to top

Courier moving to monthly publication schedule
Due to budget cuts, The Courier will move to a monthly publication schedule for the foreseeable future. Remaining publication dates for calendar year 2003 are: Feb. 14, March 14, April 11, May 16, June 13, July 11, Aug. 22, Sept. 19, Oct. 17, Nov. 14 and Dec. 5. For more information contact Steve Daniel at 683-3093 or sdaniel@odu.edu. Back to top

Developing a world view: Center for Regional and Global Study helping ODU gain reputation as state’s “International University”
As the College of Arts and Letters’ umbrella organization for international activities, the Center for Regional and Global Study encourages faculty and students to think beyond American borders.

“It’s very important that this country, with all the power it has, not look inward but look outward,” said Regina Karp, center director and associate professor of international studies. “It’s an absolute must that we get involved. We want people to think of the world as more than their country.”

Thinking outside U.S. borders has become more crucial in the past year, as Americans have realized that not everyone supports the country and its policies. Calling the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks a wake-up call for Americans, Karp stressed that transnational communication must be developed among scholars in order to educate people about prejudice. “The more we educate people to develop sensitivities with regard to other cultures and history, the more successful this country will be and the better understood it will be.”

The terrorist attacks brought a mixed response from the university community. “People are still trying to interpret what it means to them,” Karp noted. The center sponsored a faculty panel to discuss the attacks on Sept. 14, 2001. Another panel also tackled the situation on the first anniversary of Sept. 11. “It hasn’t brought more people per se to do international studies, but it raised a lot of people’s awareness that international things matter.”

Formed in 1998 to help ODU reach its goal of becoming Virginia’s international university, the center is a product of a two-year discussion between Karp and former dean Karen Gould, Karp said. They wanted to help faculty and students come together to discuss global issues and promote the internationalization of the university.

“The center stimulates international conversation among faculty and helps faculty create a community of scholars who get together and discuss the internationalization of the university,” Karp said.

One way the center helps students develop a world view is through its annual spring break trip to Berlin for the Konrad Adenauer Foundation seminar. Supported by Germany’s Christian Democratic Party, the foundation funds the trip for 20 to 25 ODU students who are recommended by professors and deans from across the university. The students meet with political, academic and business leaders, as well as Russian and German students. In the past, the trip has included jaunts to Poland, the Czech Republic, Belgium and Holland. The center has also hosted German students, arranging for them to tour Williamsburg and Washington, D.C.

“No other university has this kind of relationship with a foreign foundation,” Karp said. “It familiarizes young Americans and international students with European, and particularly, German politics. Particularly after 9/11, this is very important.”

The center also hosts graduate and undergraduate students from more than a dozen universities throughout the East Coast for its annual Graduate Research Conference. This year’s conference, “Global Dimensions of Cooperation and Conflict,” will be held Feb. 13-14, and will feature an international career workshop, as well as sessions and panel discussions led by Old Dominion faculty. Simon Serfaty, eminent scholar of international studies, funds the conference from his Eminent Scholar fund. “Without his support, we could not run the conference this year,” Karp said.

An essay contest open to all undergraduate students is scheduled to be launched this spring and will celebrate the university’s new motto, “Portal to New Worlds.” “We want to encourage people to think outside their own discipline,” Karp explained. “Whatever it is you study, there is an international angle to it.”

The center also sponsors the Global Issues Series, held several times each semester, which focuses on matters affecting the global community. Topics range from public health to nuclear energy.

In addition, faculty and graduate students meet each month for the Faculty-Student Research Seminar Series in which they present ongoing research for feedback. Participants are welcome from each of the university’s six colleges.

ODU faculty, as well as from other local colleges and universities, are invited to participate in the center’s Regional Round Tables, which began in November.

Karp and her graduate assistants, Tanya Banerji, a doctoral candidate studying South Asian security, Wyman E. Shuler III, a doctoral candidate studying conflict and cooperation in U.S. foreign policy, and Andrew Vincent, a master’s student studying religion in politics, are also helping the center reach out to the local community. As the university’s global persona, the center is developing The New Atlantic Community, a speaker series designed to enhance Old Dominion’s relations with international armed services members at SACLANT, the Joint Forces Staff College and Fort Monroe.

Currently, about 50 doctoral students and 50 master’s students are pursuing degrees in international studies. The College of Arts and Letters also offers minors in European studies, Middle Eastern studies, Latin American studies, Asian studies and Japanese studies.

“Our goal is to bring more and more of these students into developing international perspectives in their work,” Karp said.

Although the number of students taking courses in international studies is growing, Karp noted that many people still hesitate to immerse themselves in the culture, ideas and language of another country. “Sometimes people are intimidated by the world out there. We have to think of ways to get them interested.” Back to top

British scholar to discuss Blair, international relations
Jeremy Black of the University of Exeter, one of Britain’s most noted diplomatic historians, will give a talk on “Blair, Britain, Europe and International Relations” at noon Wednesday, Jan. 22, in the Burgess Room of the Batten Arts and Letters Building.

His appearance is sponsored by the Center for Regional and Global Study and the history department.

Black’s presentation will focus on the choices Britain faces in its relationship with Europe and the U.S. at a time when uncertainties about the British role in the world abound. He will offer insights into how British foreign policy goals are determined as well as the constraints and opportunities guiding Blair, America’s staunchest ally in the campaign against terrorism.

Black is among the most prolific European historians. He has published well over 40 single-authored books, taught at Cambridge and Oxford, and extensively lectured internationally. His scholarship spans five centuries of British and European history. Back to top