Grandma's Tattoos

On December 7, 2011 the Armenian Research Center at the University of Michigan-Dearborn hosted the third North American Screening of a newly released documentary film Grandma's Tattoos.  The film used the relationship between filmmaker Suzanne Khardalian and her grandmother, who was a survivor of the Armenian genocide, to tell the story of thousands of Armenian women and girls that were sold into slavery and concubinage to Turks, Kurds, and Arabs in the early 1900's.

The film was a powerful experience that took a capacity audience in 1030 of the CASL Building through a range of emotions that evoked both laughter and tears.  Ms. Khardalian fielded questions candidly for nearly an hour after the screening.   

The first two screenings occurred in Los Angeles.  Ms. Khardalian has made three films focusing on the Armenian genocide.  In addition to Grandma's Tattoos she made Return to Ararat (1988) and I Hate Dogs (2005).  The film will soon be released in a DVD format that is compatible with U.S. technology.

The following trailer for the film is from the Detroit Free Press website.o see a trailer for the film  

http://www.dearbornfreepress.com/2011/11/24/grandmas-tattoos/

The screening of Grandma's Tattoos is the latest in excellent programming for the Armenian Research Center planned and executed by Director Dr. Ara Sanjian.

Congratulations to Toni Bunton

Toni Bunton, a student in the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) program is the recipient of a National Writing Award!  The award is part of a National writing competition for students enrolled in Liberal Studies programs.  Students are nominated by professors for awards in categories including academic essays and creative writing.  Toni won first place for her creative nonfiction essays.  The essays are excerpted from her M.A. thesis being completed under the supervision of Literature, Culture, and Communication Professor Carolyn Kraus.   As a winner of this National award Toni will receive a monetary prize, a trip to New York for the presentation of the award, and publication in Confluence, the National Liberal Studies Program's Journal.

Congratulations to Toni and to Professor Kraus!

Post from material forwarded from Professor Jacqueline Vansant, Professor Carolyn Kraus, and  Professor Marilee Benore.

UM-Dearborn and CASL Are Venue For 9/11 Commemorative Program

The Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) is hosting a four day conference entitled U.S. Rising:  Emerging Voices in Post-9/11 America.  This morning the University of Michigan-Dearborn and CASL hosted one of the programs for the conference.  The program was entitled How 9/11 Changed Our Lives.  http://www.usrising.org/

The program was moderated by WDET talk show host Craig Fahle.  It featured preliminary remarks by Hassan Jabar, Executive Director of Access, UM-Dearborn Chancellor Daniel Little, Michigan State Representative Rashida Tlaib, and William Clay Ford, Jr., Chairman of the Ford Motor Company.

The panelists for the program included:

Linda Sarsour, the Advocacy and Civic Engagement Coordinator for the National Network for Arab American Communities.  Ms Sarsour was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and brought a unique and proximal perspective to the discussion.

David Knezek, the President of the University of Michigan-Dearborn Student Government.  Mr. Knezek was born and raised in Dearborn Heights, Michigan.  He was in his early teens in 2001, subsequently enlisted in the United States Marine Corp, and served in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Will Youmans, is a writer, community and human rights activist, and hip hop artist who performs under the name Iron Sheik.  He is a founder of the student group Students for Justice in Palestine.  His music serves as a vehicle to address issues of human rights.  He was living in California on September 11, 2001.

Asif Kahn is a University of Michigan-Dearborn student.  He was 10 years old on September 11, 2001 and living locally. 

The panelists discussed the myriad of ways 9/11 influenced and shaped their lives.The discussion was thoughtful, thought provoking, and lively.  It included a question and answer period with the overflow audience. 

While there were many thought provoking moments from the discussion I was especially struck by an experience related by Linda Sasour.  She recalled being told that Arab Americans and Muslim Americans were not entitled to commemorate 9/11. 

There were 2,996 fatalities from the 9/11 attacks.  The U.S. Department of State indicates that 9/11 victims came from 90 countries of origin and included followers of every major world religion.  I was reminded of the words of political commentator Andy Ostroy who wrote "No American owns this tragedy more than any other American, and no one gets to speak for the rest of us." 

The 10th anniversary of September 11, 2001 is a time to remember those who gave their lives.  It is a time to remember their families.  This morning's panel discussion helped the audience reflect on the ways 9/11 has affected all of us. 

In the coming weeks CASL will host a series of programs reflecting broadly on how 9/11 has shaped the United States and the world.  I hope you will join us for this thought provoking series that includes programs from each of the College's six departments and several of its college wide programs. 

Recognizing Extraordinary CASL Staff Members

Six outstanding CASL staff members were recently nominated for Chancellor's Staff Recognition Awards. 

Some of the award winners have yet to be announced but as of this writing we know that Rachel Buzzeo of the Department of Behavioral Sciences was the 2011 recipient of the Outstanding Service to the Metropolitan Community and University Award.  The Outstanding Service to the Metropolitan Community and University Award is presented annually to a regular staff member who meets at least three of the following criteria: 

1) Extends the University's mission to the metropolitan community, 2) Forges partnerships with business,  industry, educational institutions and governmental agencies, 3) Makes a significant impact on the quality of the University's community life, 4) demonstrates the best interest of the University and the people who work within it, 5) Contributes to the solutions that promote significant University communal agenda, 6) Promotes the University of Michigan-Dearborn as an institution actively engaged with the metropolitan community that it serves; and/or 7) has a recognized contribution to our metrpolitan community that has promoted the University.

Congratulations to Rachel for being recognized for her outstanding service to UM-D and to Metro Detroit!

A description of other Chancellor's Staff Recognition Awards for which CASL staff were nominated and the list CASL nominees follows.
The Exceptional Service Award is given annually to a regular staff member who has consistently demonstrated a focus on outstanding service to his/her customers and colleagues and has made exceptional contributions toward the effectiveness of his/her unit or department.  CASL nominees for the Exceptional Service Award were:

Sharie Beard, CASL Administration
Rachel Buzzeo, Department of Behavioral Sciences
Linda Grimm, Department of Natural SciencesChristine Kelly-Williams, Department of Social Sciences
Lori Petrick, Department of Language, Culture, and Communication

The Exceptional Long-Term Achievement Award is presented annually to a regular staff member who has worked for the University of Michigan-Dearborn at least ten (10) years and whose acts or achievements have extended beyond expectations or contributed in a significant way towards the achievement of the University's mission for several years.  The CASL nominee for the Exceptional Long-Term Achievement Award is:

Michelle Rushman, Department of language, Culture, and Communication--Writing program

The Exceptional Performance Award is presented annually to a regular staff member who has demonstrated an exceptional commitment to help achieve the University's mission by contributing in a significant way to the success of a project with institutional importance, developing innovative ideas and solutions that contribute to improved efficiency and effectiveness, and/or performing his/her assigned duties with extraordinary effort, deduction, and special pride. CASL Nominees for the Exceptional Performance Award were:

Sharie Beard, CASL Administration
Rachel Buzzeo, Department of Behavioral SciencesChristine Kelly-Williams, Department of Social Sciences

Congratulations to these outstanding CASL staff members for their nominations.  Thank you for the extraordinary contributions you make to the College, University, and Community.  Additional announcements will follow as award recipients are revealed.

 

10th Annual Worldviews Seminar Kicks Off

This past Sunday CASL's Center for the Study of Religion and Society hosted the kickoff dinner for the 10th annual Worldviews Seminar.  The Worldviews Seminar is a six day course designed to acquaint students with the foundations and cultural identities of the world's religions. 

The Worldviews Seminar was created in the aftermath of the events of September 11, 2001 and in response to a growing cultural and religious divide that followed those tragic events.  The idea was spawned by the leadership of the Episcopal Church in Metropolitan Detroit.  They contacted UM-Dearborn Anthropology Professor Claude Jacobs who also directs the Center for the Study of Religion and Society and the seminar was collaboratively developed.  

Over the six day course students will carry on discussions with religious experts and one another, and will embark aon a series of site visits to major places of worship throughout Metro Detroit. The seminar helps students understand the foundations of diverse religions that are found in the metropolitan area, to engage in intelligent dialogue with members of those religions, to understand the role of religion in American life, and to develop skills that will help students function in a multi-religion country and region.

The Worldviews Seminar kickoff dinner featured musical entertainment and short presentation from four former Worldviews students.  The students' accounts of their seminar experiences highlighted four discoveries resulting from seminar participation.  First, many students experience a self discovery as they reconnect with the religious traditions of their childhoods or consider a new religious tradition.  Second, students also experience an other discovery in that they gain a greater understanding of world religions and shared and different experiences of the practitioners of those religious.  Third, seminar students experience a world discovery as they explore the interdependence of world religions and their followers.  Fourth, students experience a dialogic discovery and are able to discuss the underpinnings, similarities, and differences of world religions in an atmosphere of mutual respect without contentious rhetoric or debate. 

The kickoff event included a chance to meet seminar students from each of the ten Worldviews Seminars UM-Dearborn has held.  The event underscored the importance of Worldviews and of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society to the University of Michigan-Dearborn's Metropolitan Vision and our outreach to Metropolitan Detroit. 

Inside Out Video

In 2007 under the direction of Sociology Professor Dr. Lora Lempert the University of Michigan-Dearborn began participating in the national Inside Out program.  The Inside Out program has incarcerated men and women and UM-Dearborn students together in classes taught at two Michigan correctional facilities.  Inmates (Inside students) and UM-D students (Outside students) agree that the non-traditional learning environment is transformative.  Inside students learn that they can succeed at college classes upon their release.  Outside students have a more informed and complete understanding of crime and punishment as a result of their experiences.

In December 2010 I was a guest at the Inside Out Completion Ceremony held at the Ryan Correctional Facility in Detroit.  University Director of Communications Ken Kettenbeil and a video crew were there videotaping the event.  Links to the edited videos from the evening are posted below.  Check out the videos from the groundbreaking CASL program.

http://www.casl.umd.umich.edu/index.php?id=693346

CASL Students Excel in Cooperative Learning Experiences

Cooperative education is a nationally recognized educational plan that integrates academic study with applied, real world work experience for which students are paid.  More than 1,000 educational institutions have cooperated with business, industry, government, and other private and public agencies to offer work assignments related to students' educational programs and career objectives.

The CASLCo-op program was established in 1973.  Co-op students are degree seeking and generally work at the co-op experience for a minimum of two terms.  Cooperative education is not work study or merely work experience.  Many students hold jobs while going to school, but only students in officially recognized, college-monitored programs are cooperative education students.  Cooperative education allows the student to apply what he or she has learned in the classroom to a vibrant and successful work environment.  

To participate in CASL Co-op experiences students must be admitted to a CASL degree program, have sophomore or higher standing, have completed at least 12 credit hours at UM-Dearborn, and meet program grade point average requirements.  

CASL is proud of the great work of its co-op students.  CASL Co-op students earn upper level credit in Liberal Studies (LIBS 395) and they earned an average of $11.85 an hour last term.  Of the CASL co-op placements, 87% were part-time, and so the placements did not interfere with students’ progress toward graduation.

Some of the companies that hosted co-op students this past Winter term were Ameriprise Financial Services, Bodman Law Firm,City of Dearborn, DTE Energy, Eagle Eye Brands, Economic Alliance for Michigan, Fox Sports Network Detroit, Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research, Red Level Networks, State of Michigan, TechBA, and University Laboratories. 

Some of the job titles held by CASL co-op students included Litigation Clerk, Research Assistant, Marketing Assistant, Environmental Program Coordinator, Research and Analysis Assistant, Financial Assistant, Public Policy Office Assistant, Production Assistant, Public Relations Assistant, Media Technology Assistant, Project Management, Chemistry Lab Technician, and Financial Planner's Assistant.

CASL co-op is a great way to connect or reconnect with CASL and UM-Dearborn.  If you are a CASL friend or alum think about a partnership with CASL Co-op for your workplace or business.  The members of your outstanding workforce of tomorrow are CASL students today.

Thank you to Patricia Jones, Coordinator of CASL Experiential Learning.

CASL Students Participate in Meeting of Minds

You couldn't ask for a better day in the month of May in Michigan than Friday, May 13th. The sky was blue, the temperature was in the 80s with a perfect breeze to cool you down.  On the beautiful campus of Oakland University (OU), the 19th  annual Meeting of the Minds (MoM) attracted 184 students to making research presentations either orally or using posters.  The students were from Oakland University, the University of Michigan-Flint, and the University of Michigan-Dearborn.  The student presenters were joined by several family members, friends, and members of the faculty and staff from the three participating universities.  

The event started at about 8:30 AM and went past 3:00 PM. It was well organized with a good breakfast and lunch.  A  photo session was held right before lunch on the stairs of the Oakland Center which is similar to our University Center. I counted about 30 students, faculty and staff members that crammed into the UM-Dearborn photos which I am eager to see.  A band from OU entertained the lunch crowds.

Close to 50 students from the University of Michigan-Dearborn made either oral or poster presentations on a variety of topics. The students represented several CASL disciplines including Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Psychology, Literature, History and
 Philosophy.  The first presentation I attended was made by Ms. Soyeon Roh from UM-Dearborn.  Ms. Roh was sponsored by Professor Yangjin Kim in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.  She presented her work on "A Mathematical Model of Brain Tumor: miR451 Regulation."   In 15 minutes, she did an excellent job presenting her work with a good introduction, a mathematical model used to do the work, some data, an interpretation of those data and a brief summary.  Not only did I learn something new about her work on  brain tumors, I was thrilled to see that the main mathematical tool she used in her work was Ordinary Differential Equations, a course I have often  taught and enjoyed.  

From the Mathematics session, I moved to a few other sessions which focused on Literature, Archeology and Psychology. Most  student presenters did excellent jobs presenting their work in 15 minutes to an audience with almost no prior knowledge about the work.  I also took some time to browse the posters during the lunch break and right before I left OU in the afternoon.

The 20th annual Meeting of the Minds will be held at the University of Michigan-Dearborn next year.  We will have to plan big to reflect this major milestone.  If you have some ideas about the 20th anniversary of MoM, please contact me at xich@umd.umich.edu or Sue Gedert at sgedert@umd.umich.edu.

Post by CASL Associate Dean Jennifer Zhao, Professor of Mathematics and Statistics

CASL Student Nominated For Student Academy Award

A short subject film made by CASL Journalism and Screen Studies senior Bryan Bykowicz has been selected to represent Region II in the "alternative" category at the 38th Annual Student Academy Awards.  The Student Academy Awards are hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.  The film Unreal City  is an experimental short film.  It was shot entirely in the City of Detroit and was produced as a class project for Advanced Media Production taught by Dr. Jim Gilmore.

Unreal City is described as "a striking visual poem of Detroit that mixes images with words-on-screen."  It is set to music composed by Mr. Bykowicz.  The film uses elements of idea-associative montage to prompt the audience to look at Detroit in a new way.

The film was screened in late April in the Gene Siskel Film Center at the Art Institute of Chicago along with other regional winners.  The national phase of judging is currently under way and award winners will be announced later this month.  Past winners of Student Academy Awards read like a Who's Who of television and film production and direction and include filmmakers Spike Lee, Trey Parker, John Lasseter, and Robert Zemeckis. 

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYK28VxUWZI

Congratulations Bryan!


Content for this post was provided by Dr. Rashmi Luthra and Dr. Jim Gilmore.

AY 2010-2011 Chancellor's Medalion Recepients from CASL

Prior to every commencement ceremony the University hosts a luncheon to recognize and honor the Chancellor's Medallion recipients.  The Chancellor's Medallion is awarded to five seniors each term.  The recipients must have demonstrated excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service.  The Chancellor's Medallion is UM-Dearborn's most prestigious academic honor bestowed on students.

For AY 2010-2011 the Chancellor's Medallion was awarded to four impressive CASL students   The Fall 2010 recipients were Ms. Joelle Ann Primeau and Ms. Emily Shafer. 

Joelle Ann Primeau

Ms. Joelle Primeau earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in both Psychology and Women's and Gender Studies, graduating with High Distinction.  She earned University Honors three times.  She was named one of 50 Difference Makers, selected during the UM-Dearborn 50th anniversary celebration.

Ms. Primeau worked on several diverse independent research projects and the results from two of those projects were presented to annual Meeting of Minds conferences.  She worked with Dr. Diane Graves Oliver studying eating disorders among African American Adolescents and presented that research at the 2010 meeting of the American Psychological Association conference.

Ms. Primeau was a member of the Women in Learning and Leadership (WILL).  She organized self-defense workshops, the UM-D Take Back the Night event, and served as a liaison between WILL and a nonprofit organization serving girls, women, and their families.  She served as a teaching assistant for a psychology class taught by Dr. Susana Peciña at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility (WHV).  She was a site leader for the MLK Day of Service, and worked at the Metro Detroit Youth Day.  She interned and and continues to work at SafeHouse Center in Ann Arbor to help survivors of domestic violence, and ran a 12-week workshop at WHV on domestic violence.   She is pursuing a graduate degree to prepare her to assist survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, and to advocate for prisoners’ rights.

Ms. Emily Shafer

Ms. Emily Shafer graduated with High Distinction earning Bachelor of Arts degrees in both History and American Studies.  She earned 12 A+ grades and a perfect 4.0 grade point average.  Ms. Shafer was a graduate of UM-D’s Honors Program and the recipient of several academic awards and scholarships.  She was a consistent member of the CASL Dean’s List and earned University Honors six times.   

Her senior seminar paper analyzing the historical and cultural significance of Frank Capra’s Academy Award winning film, It Happened One Night, was hailed by her faculty adviser as, “a model of historical craft” and as “the best piece of undergraduate research” he has seen in over ten years at the university. 

Ms. Shafer also participated in internships at the Brick Store Museum in Kennebunk, Maine, and at the Henry Ford Estate.  She worked throughout her undergraduate years as an Historical Interpreter at The Henry Ford where she interacted with guests in period dress and teaching them about the history and American culture of the period.  She was a member of the UM-D choir for three years, and was the founder of the UM-D Pep Band.  

Ms. Shafer is currently enrolled in the Graduate Program in History and Museum Studies at Tufts University where she is pursuing an MA. 

The CASL Winter term recipients of the Chancellors Medallion were Ms. Nour Al-Hadidi and Mr. Jospeh Noles.

Ms. Nour Al-Hadidi

Ms. Nour Al-Hadidi graduated with High Distinction and a perfect 4.0 grade point average, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, a minor in Hispanic Studies, and 10 grades of A+.  She was named to the CASL Dean's List in 2008 and 2009, and earned University Honors in 2008 and 2009.   

Ms. Al-Hadidi was the recipient of the Merck Index Award and the award as outstanding Supplemental Instruction (SI) Leader by the Department of Natural Sciences.  As an SI leader she volunteered to conduct extra tutoring sessions around midterm and final examinations.  She contributed original problems to the SI program and was consistently praised by students for the clarity or her explanations, her patience with students, and for her consistently positive approach and feedback.  She also served as a tutor for the Academic Success Center tutoring students in Biology and Organic Chemistry. 

Ms. Al-Hadidi also worked in the Chemistry lab of Dr. Simona Maricean.  Her lab work focused on the green chemistry project, studying the selective functionalization of diols. 

Ms. Al-Hadidi is fluent in English, Arabic, and Spanish and spent her spring break in Costa Rica providing health care to Nicaraguan refugees.  This fall she will begin medical school at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

Mr. Joseph Noles

Joseph Noles graduated earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics, a minor in Chemistry, with High Distinction, a perfect 4.0 grade point average, and six grades of A+.  He earned placement on the CASL Dean's List every semester and University Honors three times.  Mr. Noles was named the Department of Mathematics and Statistics Honor Scholar in 2010 and received the Rasmussen Award for his achievement in applied mathematics from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics in 2009.  He is also the recipient of a National SMART Grant.

Mr. Noles has produced independent research in mathematics resulting in papers that have been submitted to the top undergraduate mathematics journal, Pi Mu Epsilon.  He gave presentations on his work at the Michigan Undergraduate Mathematics Conference at Grand Valley State University and at a Math Club meeting here at UM-Dearborn.  Mr. Noles has undertaken readings courses in Complex Analysis, Dynamical Systems, and Real Analysis, all three dealing with advanced material traditionally covered as part of doctoral curricula.  

Mr. Noles was an instructor for Supplemental Instruction (SI) in both Mathematics and Chemistry.  He is well known to other students as the person to seek out for assistance with difficulties in mathematics classes.  He was a mentor for two calculus courses, a tutor for Academic Support and Outreach Services, and participated in the Gear Up for Summer High School Outreach Program.

Mr. Noles plans to continue his studies in the doctoral program in mathematics at  Texas A&M University. 

Congratulations to these four exceptional CASL graduates.  Best wishes for your future endeavors!

Thanks to Vice Chancellor Stanley Henderson for information contained in student bios.

CASL and Commencement Activities

On Sunday, May 1, 2011 approximately 350 CASL students had degrees conferred at the joint CASL and School of Education Commencement ceremony held at the Fieldhouse on the University of Michigan-Dearborn campus.  Speakers at included 2011 CASL graduate Jason Davis representing the graduates, Professor Deborah Smith-Pollard from the Department of Literature, Philosophy, and the Arts representing the faculty, and CASL alumnus David Stevens representing the alumni.  The featured speaker for the ceremony was award winning Detroit Free Press columnist Rochelle Riley.   Ms. Riley was invited to give the featured commencement address because her columns reflect commitments to educational excellence, integrity, inclusion, and the revitalization of Southeast Michigan that reflect UM-Dearborn's metropolitan vision.

Several members of the CASL faculty also participated in the Commencement ceremony as representatives of their respective departments.  The faculty representatives included Paul Draus, Larry Radine and Diane Graves Oliver (Behavioral Sciences),  Jim Gilmore, Rashmi Luthra, Carlos Rodriguez-McGill and Tom Cobb (Language, Culture, and Communication), Deborah Smith-Pollard, Caitlin Finlayson, and Michelle Jarenski (Literature, Philosophy, and the Arts), Tom Snabb and Alan Wiggins (Mathematics and Statistics), Sonia Tiquia and Richard Adler (Natural Sciences), and Ilir Miteza, Georgina Hickey, Joe Lunn, Sid Bolkosky, and Andrea Olive (Social Sciences).

A luncheon was held prior to Commencement to honor five recipients of the Chancellor's Medallion.  The Medallion is the most prestigious recognition bestowed upon students.  The Chancellor's Medallion was conferred upon Ms. Nour Al-Hadidi (Department of Natural Sciences) and Mr. Joseph Noles (Department of Mathematics and Statistics).  A future post will be devoted in greater detail to the 2010-2011 Academic Year Chancellor's Medallion recipients.

Thank you to everyone that helped to make the Winter Commencement a success.  Congratulations to the CASL members of the University of Michigan-Dearborn Class of 2011!  Go Blue!