Spring 2001
Awards and accolades
faculty & staff | alumni | students
Photo by Jamason Chen
Professors John Mowitt (cultural studies and comparative literature), Eric Sheppard (geography), and Paul Sackett (psychology) have been named Scholars of the College for 2001-2004. Scholars of the College awards are funded by a gift from an anonymous donor to support pathbreaking creative and intellectual work representing the best in liberal arts research.
Professor Mark Snyder has been appointed to the McKnight Presidential Endowed Chair in Psychology. Dean Steven Rosenstone said Snyder is "one of the world's eminent academic psychologists of the past quarter century."
Daniel Kelliher, political science, and Gary Thomas, cultural studies and comparative literature, have received the University's Morse-Alumni Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education.
Kathryn Sikkink, professor of political science and one of the world's leading experts on the international human rights movement, has been appointed to the Arleen Carlson Chair in Political Science.
David Lykken, professor emeritus of psychology, received a distinguished scientific award from the American Psychological Association.
Lawrence Jacobs, associate professor of political science, won the 2001 Goldsmith Book Prize from Harvard University for his book Politicians Don't Pander: Political Manipulation and the Loss of Democratic Responsiveness.
New McKnight Land-Grant Professors include assistant professors Bruce Braun, geography, Patrica Crain, English, Monica Luciana, psychology, and Barbara Welke, history.
Ed Schiappa, speech-communication professor and associate dean of the Graduate School, received the National Communication Association's Ehninger Distinguished Rhetorical Scholar Award for 2000.
The Journal of Advertising, edited by journalism professor Ron Faber, received the Emerald Golden Page Award for Readability and Research Implications. The award recognizes management periodicals that "consistently deliver excellent articles."
Lisa Norling, associate professor of history, received the Frederick Jackson Turner Award for her book Captain Ahab Had a Wife: New England the Whale Fishery, 1720-1870, recently published by the University of North Carolina Press. The prestigious prize is awarded annually for an author's first book on a significant phase of American history.
Rudy Vecoli, professor of history and director of the Immigration History and Research Center, received the Abraham Lincoln Award from the American Hungarian Foundation.
Roderick Ferguson, American studies, earned the 21st annual Crompton-Noll Award for "best essay in lesbian, gay, and queer studies in the modern languages."
Professor Hazel Dicken-Garcia, journalism, received the Distinguished Service Award of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communications.
Regents' Professor of Political Science John L. Sullivan was appointed to the Arleen Carlson Chair in American Government and Politics. The three-year appointment honors Sullivan's internationally acclaimed scholarship and his dedication as a teacher, adviser, and mentor.
Colette Gaiter, professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, was named a McKnight Summer Fellow for summer 2001 and received the President's Faculty Multicultural Research Award for "Design for Liberation: Twentieth Century African American Graphic Design." A folio of 17 digital prints by Gaiter was purchased by Tweed Museum of Art (U of M Duluth).
Sociology assistant professor Christopher Uggen is a 2000-2001 Soros Foundation Open Society Institute Fellow. The foundation supports scholars, writers, artists, and activists "who have new ideas and innovative ways of approaching the myriad problems of an open society."
Lydia Artymiw, professor of piano in the School of Music and last year's recipient of the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) Dean's Medal, was named a McKnight Distinguished University Professor. Hailed by the New York Times as "a pianist with a beautiful touch, a creative imagination, and a feeling for color," Lydia Artymiw has emerged as one of the most compelling pianists of her generation. She has appeared with over 100 orchestras worldwide.
alumni
Annette Van Dyke (Ph.D. '87, American studies) was elected president of the National Women's Studies Association.
Mildred Jeffrey (B.A. '32)--a founder of the National Political Women's Caucus and participant in the 1965 civil rights voting march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala.--received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award.
Gene B. Sperling, (B.A. '82, political science) joined the Brookings Institution as a guest scholar in the economic, foreign policy, and governmental studies programs. Sperling was President Clinton's national economic adviser and director of the National Economic Council.
John Finnegan Sr. (B.A. '48 journalism, M.A. '65 mass communication), former executive of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, was one of ten people inducted in March into the Freedom of Information Act Hall of Fame in Arlington, Va.
Mark Tasker (M.A. '95, Scandinavian studies) wrote the guide for the Smithsonian Institution's exhibit "Vikings--The North Atlantic Saga." Tasker is a founding member of the Maine School of Science and Math.
Erin Soderberg (B.A. '99 summa cum laude English/theatre) published a children's book, Dinosaur Dig.
Scott Magnuson-Martinson (B.A., sociology) is president-elect of Sociologists of Minnesota.
students
CLA student named Rhodes Scholar
Molly Zahn says she still can't believe she was named one of thirty-two American Rhodes Scholars for 2001.
Photo by Diana Watters
Now a senior in religious studies and one of the most promising young scholars in her field, Zahn started out as a viola performance major. She joined the University's Catholic Student Center and was captivated by the Center's scholarly conversations about the Bible. Discovering the connections between her faith community and some of the stories she was learning from a Greek Mythology class, Zahn soon enrolled in more classes in Classical and Near Eastern studies.
Says Zahn, "Once I started taking classes in the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament, I was hooked." Zahn began working on independent research projects with Professor Bernard Levinson, the Berman Family Chair in Jewish Studies and Hebrew Bible.
"He's been incredible. Professor Levinson is always encouraging and willing to challenge me. He pushed me farther than I thought I could go, which shows a special willingness to follow through as a teacher. His level of commitment to all students is very impressive," says Zahn.
She says her secular academic research complements and informs her Catholic faith well: "It's helpful to see what the academics in biblical studies have to say about the Bible, and I try to bring that back to my faith community."
Currently on a semester abroad in Germany, where she is brushing up on her German and whetting her taste for European culture, Zahn will fly to England in August. She will pursue a master's in philosophy degree in Old Testament during her two years at the University of Oxford.
above: Rhodes scholar Molly Zahn serving at St. Stephen's soup kitchen with her parish from St. Francis Cabrini Catholic Church, Minneapolis.
Jessica Kimpell and Kjersten Nelson, both honors seniors in political science, have been named Truman Scholars for 2001. This coveted national award has gone to CLA students 15 times since 1977.
Wonny Song, (graduate student, music) won first prize and grand prize at the WAMSO--Minnesota Orchestra Volunteer Association's Young Artists competition. Song, a piano student of professor Lydia Artymiw, received the fourth grand prize awarded in 45 years. He will perform with the Minnesota Orchestra next season.
Dean Harvey (political science, philosophy) will be a panelist this spring at the annual conference of the Midwest Political Science Association, at the University of Illinois. Harvey (who was featured in the fall 1999 CLA Today) will present a paper titled "Strategic Social Construction: Moral Entrepreneurs and the Creation of International Norms."
David Simon (political science/global studies/Russian) helped found the University Parliamentary Debate Society. He recently competed at Harvard University, taking second place in the novice team debates and in individual speaker competition.
Aaron Street (political science) was awarded President Clinton's Student Service Award and the U of M President's Service and Leadership Award.
Jason Weidemann (English) won second place in Lavender magazine's first-ever poetry contest. His poem was published in the November 17, 2000, issue.
Journalism senior Nicole Gary is one of 25 finalists for the American Advertising Federation's Most Promising Minority Student Award; she was nominated for the competitive award by journalism professor Shelly Rodgers.
Alexandra Zuber (international relations/Spanish-Portuguese/economics) received the National Security Education Program award to study grassroots development and organizational management in Western Zimbabwe.
Jamason Chen, graduate student in journalism and photographer for CLA Today, was an informal adviser to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts for the exhibit "China: Fifty Years Inside the People's Republic."
Deborah Bang (B.M., piano) won last year's School of Music concerto competition, the Marvin O. Mechelke Piano Competition for Undergraduates, and first prize in the college piano division in the Schubert Club competition. Jennifer Pace (music) was also a winner of the Mechelke Piano Competition.
Cedar Imboden (history/Norwegian) was a guest curator for a holiday exhibition at the Hennepin History Museum. Imboden's first article, "Shopping, Shoplifting & Santa Claus: the Christmas Season in Minneapolis 1900-1915," was published in Hennepin History magazine.
Mary C. Hendrickson, classical civilization; Jay Pludeman, Spanish; and Marianna Quenemoen, individually designed interdepartmental major--all seniors in the Honors Program--were awarded the Katherine E. Sullivan Scholarship for Study Abroad. The Sullivan Scholarship allows seniors to spend a fifth year of study experiencing the language and culture of another country.
Six students have been awarded $1,200 CLA Undergraduate Internship Grants for spring 2001:
Jerimiah Moerke, an honors senior majoring in journalism and history, is a television news intern at KCCO-TV in his hometown of Alexandria, Minn.
Kirstin Hibbard, political science junior, is interning at the East African Wild Life Society in Nairobi, Kenya, conducting research aimed at helping the community to manage and profit from the area's natural resources.
Mafo Kamanda-Kosseh, women's studies senior, is working as a legislative intern with Representative Neva Walker in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Margaret Ostrader, women's studies senior with a minor in Chicano studies, is a domestic abuse advocate and court liaison at the Hennepin County Domestic Abuse Service Center.
Kate Petersen, an honors sophomore, is interning as a research coordinator/author at Shamla Law Firm in Minneapolis--interviewing past defendants, researching criminal justice procedures, and coauthoring a manual to aid people defending themselves in court.
Katie Shaw, music therapy senior, is an intern at University Good Samaritan Center in Minneapolis, where she observes and facilitates music therapy sessions.