Two from Old Dominion win SCHEV faculty awards An assistant professor of English who has pursued research on dialects since growing up in the mountains of western North Carolina, and a professor of business management who as a youth had to teach himself as a result of living in Mao’s China, are Old Dominion’s latest winners of the Outstanding Faculty Award sponsored by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. Bridget Anderson and Shaomin Li were among 12 college and university faculty from across the commonwealth who were honored Feb. 20 in Richmond. They each received $5,000. This marks the 10th consecutive year that ODU has had a winner in the highly competitive program, which is funded by the Dominion Foundation. Twenty-two university faculty have been selected for the prestigious award since the program was established in 1991. Anderson, a sociolinguist who won in the “Rising Star” category, earned her doctorate in 2003 and is in her third year of teaching at ODU. She pushes the boundaries of knowledge through the incorporation of research and scholarship in her classes and encourages her students to think for themselves. “I want my classroom to be characterized by creative excitement and creative thinking,” said Anderson, who teaches undergraduate English language and linguistics, as well as courses on Phonology and Sociolinguistics at the graduate level. She makes the following promise to her students: “You will never again view language as a passive observer.” Anderson encourages students to participate in her Tidewater Voices Community Language Study, whose goal is to allow the people of the region to tell their own stories, in their own words and language, thus providing a living cultural and linguistic history that captures what makes this area distinctive. A recorder of oral histories and personal narratives of residents from the Great Smoky Mountains, Anderson has also conducted linguistic analyses of Cherokee English, Detroit African American English, and Southern English in Roswell, Ga. She is the author of two books. Her first, “Migration, Accommodation, and Language Change: Language at the Intersection of Regional and Ethnic Identity” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2008), examines the linguistic consequences of the “Great Southern Migration,” the largest internal migration in U.S. history. Her second book, “Smoky Mountain English: Appalachian English in the Great Smoky Mountains of the American South” (Dialects of English Series, Edinburgh University Press), is also scheduled to be released this year. Like Anderson, who resisted advice that she abandon her rural Appalachian accent, Shaomin Li didn’t let others’ opinions and actions get in the way of his educational pursuits. After Mao Tse Tung came to power, Li’s family was one of many driven to the countryside. “I was sent to a farm when I was 13 and taught myself,” he said. Against all odds, Li completed his pre-college education through self-learning and ultimately passed a nationwide college entrance exam with the highest score in his region. Li teaches international business, a subject that not only integrates a wide range of social and administrative theories, but also requires extensive practical experience. His rich business background enables him to shed light on how international trade and investment are actually conducted. He served as a director at AT&T in charge of developing the East Asian market and founding CEO of an Internet firm in Hong Kong with two subsidiaries in China. His students are familiar with his “look forward, reason back” advice, which asks them to look forward to figure out what they want to do with their life, and reason back to prepare themselves step by step. Li is a leading scholar in international business studies and has published several articles in the Journal of International Business Studies, the most prestigious publication in the field. His main contribution to international business research came when he and his co-authors first introduced a framework of governance environment, which can classify all the countries in the world based on the political, economic and social institutions that facilitate or constrain how investors govern their business activities in a country. Based on this framework, he and his co-authors coined the terms “rule-based” and “relation-based” to describe the two major types of societies in the world. Back to top
The search committee, which was announced last month, ultimately will select a short list of candidates for the Board of Visitors to review. The committee includes current and former BOV members and representatives from faculty, staff and alumni. Rector Marc Jacobson said the final decision on a new president will be the responsibility of the board, and that he hopes to have a successor named or in place soon after Runte steps down on July 1. Committee members include:
ODU recognized by Elizabeth River Project Old Dominion has been elevated to “model” level in the Elizabeth River Project’s River Stars Program. Three-star model-level honors are reached when a River Star has made exemplary strides in pollution prevention or wildlife habitat enhancement. ODU’s recent environmentally conscious efforts include recycling more than 510,000 pounds of materials during a 12-month period; using a chemical recycler instead of having chemicals sent to a landfill; reducing storm-water contamination; and conserving water and energy usage on campus. In addition, ODU established community outreach initiatives including its annual Community Care Day, Earth Day 2007 and an environmental awareness educational campaign for local elementary school students. The university was formally recognized during a luncheon last month. Back to top
Smigiel, who graduated in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in education and served as student body president, was named the 2008 Virginia Teacher of the Year last fall. The National Teacher of the Year contest is sponsored by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the ING Foundation. The winner will be announced in April. Back to top
Co-sponsored by the College of Business and Public Administration, the luncheon will begin at noon at the Norfolk Marriott Waterside Hotel. The cost is $30 for nonmembers. Reservations are required and may be made by calling 683-4058. Callahan lectures frequently about issues of ethics and integrity to universities, associations and businesses. In 1999, he co-founded the think tank Demos, a public policy center based in New York City. Demos combines research and advocacy with the goal of strengthening democracy and expanding economic opportunity within the United States. Back to top Football tickets on sale The athletic department is now accepting football season ticket applications. Faculty and staff can purchase a discounted season pass to home games for $100, which is $20 off the regular price. Family plan passes are $290. For tickets, call the Constant Center box office at 683-4444 or order online at www.odusports.com. Back to top
Well into its second decade, the open house brings teachers, counselors, prospective students and parents to campus to learn more about ODU’s engineering programs and facilities. Highlights on Friday are geared toward introducing secondary school students to the field of engineering. Laboratory tours will provide examples of the exciting research at the college. Representatives from professional and student engineering clubs and societies will be on hand for mentoring opportunities, as well as to showcase student projects, including the Mini Baja Buggy and Formula SAE Racer. Several engineering and technology design competitions are scheduled for high school and middle school students on Saturday. Also on Saturday, ODU will continue its tradition of promoting the engineering industry to young girls and women through the Womengineering consortium. Participants can attend a panel discussion featuring current women students, faculty and industry partners. Back to top
The meeting, which is open to all classified and hourly employees, will run from noon to 1 p.m. in the Newport News Room of Webb Center. Back to top
The lecture, sponsored by Old Dominion’s Institute for Jewish Studies and Interfaith Understanding in conjunction with the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater (UJFT) and with the generous support of Art and Annie Sandler and the Tidewater Jewish Foundation, is free and open to the public. To register for the lecture and for more information, call the UJFT at 321-2338. Antler is the author of the recent book “You Never Call, You Never Write: A History of the Jewish Mother” and co-author of the historical drama “Year One of the Empire: A Play of American Politics, War, and Protest,” which will be produced off-Broadway in 2008. She is a founding member and chair of the Academic Advisory Committee of Jewish Women’s Archive and recently appeared in the PBS series “The Jewish Americans.” Back to top
Wolf’s talk is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19, at St. Patrick’s Catholic School, 1000 Bolling Ave., Norfolk. It is free and open to the public. Wolf, who serves as director of the Center for Reading and Language Research and professor of child development at Tufts University, has created a sensational stir both among teachers of reading at all levels and among the general public. Her book examines in layman’s terms the history and biology of how our reading brain works. It also confronts the possibility that reading as we have always known it may, with modern technology (from television to the Internet), change to soon make traditional books a thing of the past. Copies of the book will be sold at the lecture, and Wolf will be available to sign them after her talk. Seating is limited; for reservations contact Fern McDougal at 683-4146 or fmcdouga@odu.edu.
Panelists will include Glen Sussman, Michael Clemons, Jesse Richman and Corliss Tacosa. For more information call 683-3841. Back to top
The Office of Research has awarded more than $1 million for instrument and equipment purchases in fiscal 2008 to promote research by faculty members. Mohammad Karim, vice president for research, said this spending package will cap a two-year, $4.6 million push by his office to better equip the university’s laboratories and other faculty work spaces. Karim announced the 2008 awards, which fund 20 projects involving more than 40 different faculty members, on Jan. 17. “Additionally, during the same two years, our colleges will spend $3.2 million for procuring research equipment, and all told for this period, the university will spend $10.6 million to bolster its research agenda,” Karim said. Old Dominion has declared a goal to increase its research expenditures in order to become one of the country’s top 100 public research universities. “This investment shows that we intend to meet that goal,” he added. Karim said the funding reflects economic-development goals of the commonwealth. He is a member of the Virginia Research & Technology Advisory Commission (VRTAC), which drew up a blueprint last year for research investment by the state. The plan identifies three primary areas for investment, (1) energy, conservation and the environment; (2) future microelectronics; and (3) lifespan biology and medicine. Additionally, the areas of nanotechnology and modeling, simulation and visualization (MS&V) were endorsed by VRTAC because these two specialties are utilized in a large number of research fields. The Office of Research’s latest announcement of funding for instruments and equipment points out that $240,000 is awarded in the category of energy and environment; $493,745 in lifespan biology; $232,245 in microelectronics and materials science; as well as $31,110 in robotics and $18,550 in transportation studies. The largest single award was $200,000 for a high-performance digital nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer that will be used for work of the Virginia Coastal Energy Research Consortium, which is headquartered at ODU and directed by Patrick Hatcher, the Batten Endowed Chair in Physical Sciences. Other awards were:
The remaining $500,000 of their latest gift will be divided equally to create the Haislip-Rorrer Presidential Scholars Endowment and the Haislip-Rorrer Endowed Basketball Scholarship. The Haislips, who live in Duluth, Ga., presented the $1 million gift during a break in the men’s basketball game at the Ted Constant Convocation Center. Wallace (Wally) Haislip, who earned his ODU bachelor’s degree in mathematics education and accounting, recently retired as senior vice president - operations for Scientific Atlanta. In this position, he had direct responsibility for business services, worldwide manufacturing and chaired Scientific Atlanta’s Corporate Operating Committee. The COC comprises many of the company’s top executives and addresses all of the firm’s operational and procedural issues. Linda Rorrer Haislip graduated from ODU with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. She is a former Spanish teacher for Fulton County (Ga.) Public Schools. “Both Wally and Linda come from meager beginnings and they’ve never forgotten the many influences that helped them become successful,” said Alonzo Brandon, executive director of foundations. “Their education at Old Dominion placed them on a path to success, and now they would like to help others develop their own paths through education.” Back to top
Modeling, simulation and visualization (MS&V) enterprises provided almost 4,500 high-wage jobs and an economic output worth $365 million to Hampton Roads in 2007, according to a new study that shows MS&V to be one of Virginia’s fastest-growing high-technology fields. The regional economic output of MS&V grew by 41 percent and regional MS&V employment rose 25 percent over the past three years, the study shows. It forecasts a regional MS&V employment increase averaging 14.5 percent a year through 2012. Workers in MS&V in Hampton Roads now earn an average annual salary of about $83,000, up by 37 percent since 2004 and more than double the average for all Hampton Roads workers. Angle Technology, a research and consulting firm with offices in Charlottesville and Portsmouth, performed the study at the request of the Old Dominion University Research Foundation, the Hampton Roads Partnership, the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. The Hampton Roads Planning District Commission also was involved in the effort, conducting economic-impact analysis. Gov. Timothy Kaine gave credit to ODU’s Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center (VMASC) for helping to make MS&V a growth industry in Hampton Roads. “We are using the technology developed and used at VMASC to save lives in the medical field and to model evacuation procedures,” Kaine said, offering two examples of the research and development focuses of VMASC. VMASC, which ODU founded in 1997, trains graduate students in MS&V and also serves as a research and development center that supports government/military entities and private industry. It acts as an incubator for entrepreneurial activities in MS&V, often assisting in business startups. MS&V comprises numerous planning, analysis and training tools made possible by sophisticated computing. These tools can suggest and test concepts, minimizing reliance upon trial and error, and they can present information in ways that enhance comprehension. For example, the tools might teach a medical student how to perform a surgical procedure without putting an actual patient in harm’s way. Other applications are seen in simulations to test aircraft designs, in vehicular traffic models to simulate – and improve – flow at highway interchanges, in video games to teach algebra and in models to predict the performance of a soldier or an athlete. Artificial intelligence, robotics and virtual environments also are part of MS&V. MS&V growth reflects the support of leaders in government, education and industry who believe Virginia, and especially Hampton Roads, can become an international leader in this high-technology field. “These are high-skill, high-wage jobs that any region in the country would be proud to have,” said former Gov. Mark Warner, whose administration generated critical seed money for MS&V research and development in Hampton Roads. Added President Roseann Runte, under whose administration VMASC has made its most significant strides, “This shows that the commonwealth’s initiative in modeling and simulation has proven to have been a wise investment by governors Warner and Kaine, and by members of the House of Delegates and Senate, including John Cosgrove [a delegate from Chesapeake] who now chairs a statewide Modeling and Simulation Commission.” For the 2007 study, and for another similar study that Angle Technology performed in 2004, private-industry and public-sector employers involved in MS&V activities in Hampton Roads were asked a series of questions to generate basic data. Some highlights of the MS&V progress in Hampton Roads between 2004 and 2007 include the following: Annual gross regional product of MS&V work is $238 million, up 42 percent. Job growth is on a path to rise at about 7.3 percent over 2008-09, which is slightly below what the original study predicted for the same time period. But the new analysis forecasts average annual job growth to pick up at the end of the decade so that the average growth for the next five years will be 14.5 percent annually. Survey respondents foresee emerging MS&V opportunities in games for education, medical modeling, emergency management and homeland security, port operations, transportation network models and unmanned autonomous vehicle simulations. “VMASC is pleased with the role it plays as a catalyst for growth in the modeling, simulation and visualization sector in the region,” said Michael McGinnis, VMASC executive director. “With the opening of our new facility, we gain the ability to train more students and to step up our efforts in research and development.” The 2007 survey, which is based on the responses of 53 organizations, shows that 43 percent of the private-sector respondents have opened their operations in Hampton Roads since VMASC was founded. Also according to the survey, more than 90 percent of the private-sector respondents have fewer than 100 MS&V-related employees and less than $50 million in annual sales. Even more indicative of the startup nature of the MS&V industry in the region, more than half of the private-sector respondents reported having 10 or fewer employees as well as less than $10 million in annual sales. Warner and Runte noted that the latest findings indicate the MS&V initiative in Hampton Roads faces new challenges. Most survey respondents reported concern about their ability to find employees adequately trained in MS&V and about the lack of an MS&V infrastructure in the region. “Government has to be the spark for MS&V, but the private sector has to take the ball and run with it,” the former governor said. Mohammad Karim, vice president for research, said most of the university’s MS&V activities in the past have involved military projects. “But we now have two additional clusters, medical and social science MS&V, and will be adding soon an MS&V cluster in transportation.” Back to top
Hurricane Hazel was not the only storm to blow through Virginia in 1954. Earlier that year the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in the Brown v. Board of Education case, ruling that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional. A similar case in Virginia, Dorothy E. Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, was incorporated as part of the Brown case. Although the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, implementing the decision proved to be difficult. “Race, Reason, and Massive Resistance: The Diary of David J. Mays, 1954-1959” (University of Georgia Press), a new book edited by associate professor of history James R. Sweeney, offers an insider’s view of the roles played by many prominent Virginians in the battle against desegregation in public schools. Mays, a highly regarded attorney from Richmond, was a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, a member of his city’s political and social elite, and a diarist for most of his adult life. Sweeney’s volume contains excerpts from his diary during the period when Mays was counselor to the Gray Commission, a legislative panel charged with formulating Virginia’s response to federal mandates concerning the integration of public schools. Later, Mays was involved in litigation triggered by that response. Virginia State Sen. Garland Gray was considered a dependable cog in the political machine of U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd Sr., who controlled Virginia politics in 1954. Byrd promoted the “Southern Manifesto” opposing integrated schools, which was signed in 1956 by more than 100 Southern officeholders. On Feb. 25, 1956, he called for what became known as Massive Resistance, a group of laws, passed in 1958, intended to prevent integration of the schools. “I would like readers to see the mind of an elite, conservative white Virginian at work when confronted with the greatest social change of his generation,” Sweeney said, commenting on his decision to edit the book. “I would like them to see that a self-proclaimed moderate was not really a moderate. He was seeking the same goals as the massive resisters to desegregation by different means. I also want them to witness the inner workings of the political organization that dominated Virginia politics in that era.” Sweeney, who specializes in Virginia history and recent American political history, recently participated as a jury member for the Richmond Times-Dispatch’s survey to create a list of the greatest and most influential Virginians. The survey results, which ran each Sunday in the editorial section of the paper during the month of December, can be read online at www.inrich.com. In the survey, Harry Flood Byrd (1887-1966) received the most votes as the most influential Virginian of the 20th century. Sweeney’s commentary on Byrd was included in the published results. “In tax policy, transportation funding and government reform, Gov. Harry Byrd laid the foundation for modern Virginia. Subsequently, he served 32 years in the U.S. Senate, gaining a reputation as a fiscal watchdog, defender of state’s rights and opponent of big government,” Sweeney said. “At times his stance was overly rigid, and he opposed needed programs. However, he also counseled against excessive U.S. commitments in the world during the early Cold War years, advice that went unheeded, but which proved to be sound.” “Unfortunately,” Sweeney concluded, “much of the good that Harry Byrd accomplished during his long political career is obscured by his support for the misguided policy of Massive Resistance to public school desegregation. There is no way to defend or minimize his tragic failure of leadership in this regard.” Back to top
HBO, one of cable television’s most innovative and popular networks, is examined in a new book by two faculty from the communication and theatre arts department. Gary Edgerton, professor and department chair, and Jeffrey P. Jones, associate professor, are the co-editors of “The Essential HBO Reader,” published by the University Press of Kentucky. It takes a comprehensive look at HBO’s development as a corporation, a creative voice and a brand. The editors assembled a veritable dream team of television scholars to contribute analysis and detail HBO’s nearly 40-year history and its profound influence on the entertainment industry. Whereas Edgerton’s other recently published book, “The Columbia History of American Television,” takes a historical look at television, “The Essential HBO Reader” strives to spotlight what many consider to be the gold standard of television programming today. “HBO actually jump-started the Cable Era. It was the first network to go up on the satellite. They gambled everything. In 1972, when HBO was first formed, there were about 45-50 services that were trying to break through in pay cable. They [HBO] threw a Hail Mary pass and literally bet the bank on going up on the satellite,” Edgerton said. “They innovated to such a degree that they broke away from the pack, and then, as is the case in any popular art, all of the other major competitors started to imitate them.” Jones agrees. “It’s an extraordinary network, but since there are few other academic works analyzing it, there was obviously a dearth of scholarly criticism and commentary on it.” For this very reason, Edgerton and Jones succeeded in bringing together both established and up-and-coming scholars in television studies to contribute essays for the book. “It was a wonderful time to do it,” Jones adds, “in particular, because there was this commentary that since ‘Sex in the City’ had left and with the ‘Sopranos’’ imminent demise, HBO had lost its footing and somehow HBO was like the other networks. I think from Gary’s and my perspectives, we recognized that most people don’t understand how different of a network it is, including its profitability, but also what an innovator it is beyond what everybody is so familiar with. “[Innovative programming] is just one component of what they do, and they do it well, but just as cutting-edge are the documentaries and other dramatic programming, including shows like ‘Band of Brothers’ and ‘Angels in America.’ To call attention also to the sports programming and comic programming that it has revolutionized – that’s what we wanted to do,” Jones added. The original concept for HBO was to feature subscription television service that primarily would offer first-run movies and sporting events. It was based on a different economic model than the one followed by CBS, NBC and ABC, their affiliates, and the country’s independent stations, which all sold specific audiences – most recently targeting young, urban, professional viewers above all others – to sponsors. Both Edgerton and Jones agree that HBO’s lack of dependence on advertisers promotes the creative energy that exists at the network, and gives it a competitive advantage. Because HBO programs do not have commercial interruptions, the creators of these shows have the flexibility and freedom to develop dense and complex narratives that have pushed higher the art of television, according to Edgerton. “People watch these shows differently than they watch most television,” he explained. “Whereas [most] television is on as background noise – you’re talking, you’re doing housework, you’re cooking, you’re eating, you’re checking your e-mail – with these shows ... you do have to pay attention for the hour or so that it is on.” As Jones and Edgerton point out, HBO typically walks away from the Emmys and Oscars with numerous awards, not only for its dramatic programming, but also for its social documentaries. The network has even become known as the home of stand-up comedy, replacing the late-night television talk shows as a comedian’s primary television venue of choice. Back to top
Ted Remley, the Batten Endowed Chair in Counseling, has been named an ACA Fellow for his extensive service and scholarship contributions to the counseling profession. Fellows are ACA members of professional distinction who have been recognized for significant and unique contributions in professional practice, scientific achievement and governance, or teaching and training, and have made important contributions to the counseling profession. This is one of the highest awards the American Counseling Association grants, according to William Graves, dean of the Darden College of Education. “While this recognition for his scholarship is important, I believe Dr. Remley’s most important contribution is through his work with doctoral students, helping them to assume leadership positions in universities around the nation,” Graves added. “Perhaps the greatest compliment a faculty member can receive is the one Dr. Remley got from his former students – they were among the strongest advocates that he receive the Fellow designation from the association.” Remley, who joined the ODU faculty in 2006, recently was appointed graduate program director for counseling. He served as executive director of the ACA from 1990-94, and member at large for publication for the American Association of Counselor Educators. He served on the ACA’s Governing Council for three years and its Executive Committee for one year. Danica Hays, assistant professor of educational leadership and counseling, will receive the prestigious American Counseling Association Research Award at the ACA Conference. The award recognizes the outstanding research project in counseling published in the United States last year. Hays published an article titled “Development and Psychometric Data for the Privilege and Oppression Inventory,” based on her doctoral dissertation, in the July 2007 issue of the refereed journal, Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development. “Dr. Hays is the first assistant professor to receive this award, and with this award she brings great prestige to the university,” Graves said. “She is a respected faculty member and an important researcher in counseling.” – Lane Dare Back to top
Directed by Konrad Winters and presented by the theatre department, “Rashomon” explores the nature of truth. After the gruesome murder of a man and brutal rape of his wife, four witnesses are called to recount the facts. Based on the award-winning Kurosaswa film, “Rashomon” is performed in a historically accurate but magically realistic style. Audiences will be transported in time on a journey that ends when the mystery is solved and the shocking truth revealed. “Rashomon” can be enjoyed by audiences age 13 and older. Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for general admission. They may be purchased in advance in the lobby of the University Theatre, or by calling 683-5305. Tickets will also available at the door one hour before each performance. Tallis Scholars concert is March 3 at Diehn Center In existence for more than 30 years, the Tallis Scholars are without rival in the glorious sound world of Renaissance polyphony, according to critics. It has been noted that their beautifully blended choral sound calls to mind the magnificent stained glass windows of the mighty cathedrals of Europe. The Tallis Scholars are among the busiest ensembles in the world, with more than 50 award-winning recordings on the Gimmel label, and regular tours throughout Europe, North America, South America and the Far East. They have performed for members of the English Royal Family and for the pope at a special concert at the Vatican. Their recent DVD release, “Playing Elizabeth’s Tune: The Tallis Scholars Sing William Byrd,” has received critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic.
Creo collaboration This unique program will be held at 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, March 17 and 18, at the University Theatre. For tickets call 683-5305.
Distance learning specialists at Old Dominion together with faculty members from the College of Arts and Letters have undertaken a project worth nearly $900,000 to help Navy personnel have smoother interactions with people they encounter in other countries. ODU’s project team will develop training modules in cultural competency and regional orientation that can be delivered electronically on the Navy’s worldwide learning management system. The Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) will be the main user of the distance learning programs. Similar instruction in cultural competency and regional orientation has been available for more than a year to military personnel who can attend seminars at ODU’s Virginia Beach Higher Education Center. Two ODU administrators, Nancy Cooley, vice provost for distance learning, and Chandra de Silva, dean of the College of Arts and Letters, are leading the new project, which will extend through September. ODU was awarded the project by ITA International, a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business that contracts with military and security organizations to provide technical support and consulting. “Distance learning is collaborating with the College of Arts and Letters on an interdisciplinary project that capitalizes on the strengths of our respective units to provide a very high-quality training program,” said Cooley. “ODU faculty members are sharing their expertise to prepare the Navy to work effectively and sensitively with citizens from diverse cultures.” De Silva called the collaboration “exciting” and said it will allow ODU to help the nation’s armed forces “prepare better to face the challenges they might encounter overseas.” Topics to be addressed will cover cultural, religious, ethnic, socioeconomic, governmental, historical and geographical characteristics of a particular region. There will also be training in United Nations charter provisions and operations of American Embassies. According to ITA International, the goal of the training is to provide an appreciation for the relevance of cultural awareness and sensitivity, as well as skills for successful communicating and negotiating by U.S. military personnel deployed in other countries. “This grant is going to make use of ODU’s strength in instructional design techniques, world-class content creation and technological resources to create and deliver high-impact learning material to ITA and, in turn, benefit its many customers and learners,” said Mohammad Karim, vice president for research. At present, the ODU training mission covers countries and regions in Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America. Other areas of the world may be added later. The College of Arts and Letters faculty members involved are:
Mike Melo, president of ITA International, said his firm has partnered with ODU to develop “a comprehensive cultural language and regional orientation training program” for the Navy. He said future courses in a distance-learning format will be developed “to reach a wider Navy audience” beyond Africa, Southeast Asia and Latin America. The overall initiative, Melo said, is in keeping with the Chief of Naval Operations’ 2008 Guidance to “continue to develop relevant regional, language and cultural expertise across the Navy.” David Chase, ODU director of military distance learning and a key member of the project team, said he knows of one recent case in which a Navy Seal team deployed abroad sent back an urgent request for guidance in dealing with interpreters. “I understand the reply from NECC was something along the lines of, ‘Those very items are in the training syllabus that we are developing with ODU.’” Back to top
A reopening ceremony for the newly renovated Batten Arts and Letters Building, including a reception and dedication of the Charles N. Cooper Room, which houses the Institute for Jewish Studies and Interfaith Understanding (IJSIU), was held the afternoon of Feb. 6. Earlier in the day, the university unveiled a new portrait of Frank Batten Sr., the building’s namesake. The Landmark Communications founder, who was Old Dominion’s first rector, has been a major financial supporter of the university over the years. He made a $32 million gift to ODU in 2003, the largest contribution the university has received. Charles N. Cooper and his family are long-time supporters of education and the arts in the Hampton Roads community and at ODU. Thanks to a $300,000 challenge grant from the Dudley Cooper Trust in 2002, ODU established both the IJSIU and a minor in Jewish studies. The institute sponsors programs and activities about religious and ethnic diversity worldwide, offers two endowed lectureships each year (the Evelyn Kanter Endowed Lectureship in Interfaith Understanding and the Helen and Daniel Sonenshine Endowed Lectureship in Jewish Studies) and hosts a visiting professorship. This year’s visiting professor is Ilan Avisar, an associate professor in the Department of Film and Television at Tel Aviv University. ODU recently allocated $1.5 million from a multimillion-dollar Batten family grant to establish a permanent endowed chair for the institute and the Jewish studies program. The institute seeks to raise an additional $1.2 million to fully fund the endowment. Renovations to the Batten Arts and Letters Building began in 2005 and include new glass additions at the east and west sides, which improve the look and identity of the main entrances. One office per floor of the BAL tower was transformed into a student lounge, featuring natural light. All of the classrooms were renovated and mediated with state-of-the-art teaching equipment. A new fire alarm and suppression system was installed, along with a new chiller and boilers. Another addition is the Meier Garden, bordering 45th Street, that was moved from the former Dragas International Center site. Perhaps the most interesting addition to the building is ODU’s first “green roof,” which was installed atop the west-side addition. According to Mollie McCune, project manager for the BAL renovations, this “best-management practice” offers a way to treat rainwater before it runs off the building and into the city’s water system, eventually making its way into the Chesapeake Bay. Located on the roof are a number of containers filled with a type of plant called sedum, which helps to trap and filter the water before it passes through the drainage system. Green roofs, common in Europe, are becoming an increasingly popular solution to make urban structures both aesthetically pleasing and more environmentally friendly. – Michelle M. Falck
Broderick said ODU recorded its largest freshman class last fall of more than 2,500 students. The record-size class submitted more than 9,000 applications for admission. Through January 2008, ODU has already received 7,000 applications for admission from prospective freshmen, an increase of more than 10 percent from this time last year. “It is important to note as we discuss growth in numbers, we are concurrently raising the entrance requirements,” Broderick said. The popularity of Old Dominion also holds true among transfer, graduate, off-campus and international students. Total applications for admission to ODU in the fall of 2007 exceeded 18,000. Broderick said the overall application rate has climbed 9 percent over the past year. “There are so many factors that contribute to the positive growth we have experienced here,” Broderick noted. “Clearly, the starting point is with our faculty. Parents and students notice the fact that Old Dominion University faculty are being honored in record numbers by the Virginia State Council of Higher Education for their teaching excellence.” Alice McAdory, executive director of admissions and assistant vice president, said that many exciting changes to the physical campus have also helped in recruiting more qualified students. “The campus has been greatly enhanced by new academic and research facilities, modern student housing, the University Village and, of course, the Ted Constant Convocation Center,” McAdory said. “Students also recognize the importance of attending a university where they will be in classes with individuals from all 50 states and more than 100 nations.”
Sponsor: Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority Wednesday, Feb. 20, 7 p.m. Sponsors: ODU NAACP chapter, Omega Psi Phi and Student Health Services Thursday, Feb. 21, 7 p.m. Sponsors: African Caribbean Association, 3-Dimensional, ODU NAACP chapter and Black Data Processing Associates Friday, Feb. 22, 6 p.m. Sponsor: NSBE Friday, Feb. 22 – Saturday, Feb. 23
Sponsor: Ebony Impact Gospel Choir
The extension of accreditation was achieved following recommendations by the AACSB Peer Review Team, Maintenance of Accreditation Committee and board. Currently, 554 U.S. institutions with both undergraduate and graduate programs are accredited in business. ODU has the distinction of being among the 168 institutions that have additional specialized accreditation for their accounting programs. Earning accreditation is a three-to-seven-year process in which a business school undergoes meticulous internal review, evaluation and adjustment. During this period, the school develops and implements a plan to help it meet the 21 rigorous AACSB standards, which require a high-quality teaching environment, a commitment to continuous improvement and curricula responsive to the needs of business. Nancy Bagranoff, dean of the business college, said maintaining accreditation validates the hard work of both faculty and students. “It’s like a seal of approval that your school is at a certain quality level.”
A Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) minority undergraduate mentoring program that Old Dominion ecologist Frank Day has directed for the past four years has won a second round of funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Day was the principal investigator for a grant titled “Undergraduate Mentoring in Wetland Science With a Focus on Under-represented Groups” that served 21 students from 2003-07. The latest grant, which he also leads, is worth almost $60,000 and will continue the program through 2011. The program provides travel and other expenses enabling undergraduates to attend the SWS annual meeting and be exposed to graduate degree programs and career possibilities in wetland science. Eligible students are African American, Hispanic, Latino, Native American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander or persons with disabilities. In 2002, during Day’s term as president of the SWS, he delivered an address calling for action to increase racial and cultural diversity within the organization. “We are composed of a dynamic mix of academics and government and private-sector scientists and practitioners,” he told the membership. “However, a quick look around at SWS meetings and other professional ecology activities reveals very low racial and cultural diversity in our memberships. I do not believe this is a result of willful omission, but I do think more can be done to be more inclusive with regard to underrepresented groups.” The call to action led to the launch of a SWS Human Diversity Committee and the successful bid for the initial NSF grant. Day works directly with students served by the program and arranges for SWS professionals to be mentors. He said the immediate goal of the program is to encourage more people from underrepresented groups to enter graduate degree programs in fields that would prepare them for a wetland ecology profession. The students served so far, he added, “have been exceptionally mature and focused, and were exciting to interact with.” At least five have gone on to graduate programs in ecological disciplines. At SWS meetings, the undergraduates are invited to orientation, networking and poster sessions, as well as a field trip and special luncheons. Day said student response has been positive. Evaluation comments often praise the students’ opportunities to talk with professionals. “Hearing about your circuitous paths to careers in wetland science was really encouraging,” one student wrote. SWS has close to 4,000 members, including about 7 percent from outside the United States. Day is an eminent scholar and professor of biological sciences.
“Since coming to Old Dominion University as an assistant professor in 1999, [Ruth] has passionately and relentlessly pursued fair and equitable policies and practices – be it hiring, child care, campus safety, quality of life or salary equity,” said Michele Darby, Women’s Caucus president and University Professor of dental hygiene, who presented the award during a luncheon in Webb Center. Triplett has served on the Women’s Caucus board for seven years, including one year as president. She spearheaded the caucus’s Quality of Campus Life survey in 2005, and over the past seven years has worked on the Gender Equity Committee to identify positions needing further analysis for possible salary adjustment. Darby also noted that Triplett organized the “Thriving in the First Year Workshop,” attended by both male and female faculty. “This event raised the profile of the Women’s Caucus and highlighted our organization’s unique role on campus,” she said. A member of the Faculty Senate, Triplett chairs the Faculty Status and Remuneration Committee. During the spring 2007 semester, Triplett served as acting chair of women’s studies, which allowed the chair to take a research leave, and oversaw the Friends of Women’s Studies annual dinner. Mona Danner, professor of sociology and criminal justice, nominated Triplett for the award. “All of the tasks that Ruth has undertaken she has completed quickly and efficiently as well as effectively,” she said. “Ruth practices graciousness in her tenacity, kindness in her confrontations and joy in per personal interactions.” Anita Clair Fellman, chair of women’s studies, also wrote in support of the nomination, saying, “Ruth consistently serves as a kind and helpful mentor to junior faculty in her own department and elsewhere in the university. She is one of the reasons why junior women flourish here and decide to stay.” Added Janet Katz, associate dean in the College of Arts and Letters: “One of the stated purposes of the caucus is to actively advance the welfare of women throughout the university. Ruth Triplett does that every day.”
– “A year of good intentions for Monarchs’ recruits” “Public art has ability to reach an audience that might never walk inside a museum or collect art on a personal level.” (Robert Wojtowicz, professor of art history) – “Cloudy skies a good forecast for Norfolk’s art scene” “It’s so tight, if oil goes to $100 a barrel, it may be the thing to throw us over the edge into a recession.” (Gil Yochum, professor of economics) – “Region healthy but” “The Coral Triangle in particular has a fairly high percentage of reefs that have been destroyed over the past 20 or so years.” (Kent Carpenter, professor of biological sciences) – “Can the crown jewel of the world’s coral reefs be saved?” “The market has an abundant supply of unsold homes” – more than four times the inventory it had at year-end 2004. (Vinod Agarwal, professor of economics) – “Slowing growth in the median price of existing homes sold” “We know we can do it; we’re making biodiesel now. The real question is how far this technology can go.” (Patrick Hatcher, professor of chemistry and biochemistry) – “ODU experiment on turning sewage into algae-based biodiesel is flourishing” “The sky is not falling. And precisely because of our president, we are in position to move forward.” (Marc Jacobson, rector, Board of Visitors) – “ODU sets up committee to help find replacement for president” “Finally, we should remember that the price of gasoline in Europe varies between $7 and $8 per gallon. Europeans don’t like those prices, but they understand the optimal way to reduce their consumption of oil is to increase its price. We should do the same.” (James Koch, Board of Visitors professor of economics, in an op-ed) – “Fuel-efficient vehicles sport hidden costs” “It is still not certain that the U.S. can avoid a 1970s-style recession. We shouldn’t become complacent. High oil prices do hurt, and that pain should remind us all of the crucial need for greater oil independence.” (Steve Yetiv, professor of political science, and Lowell Feld, in an op-ed) – “The recession question” “I had a long list of things I wanted to accomplish while I was [at ODU]. And I think most things have been accomplished. I think Old Dominion University is in a forward-moving trajectory that won’t be stopped.” (Roseann Runte, president) – “Runte says she’s ready for new challenges” “It has been a good seven years. It’s going to be a hard seven years to duplicate.” – “Runte leaving ODU for top post at Canadian university”
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