Assistant Professor of History Ian Binnington has been elected vice president for research and publications for H-Net Humanities & Social Sciences Online (http://www.h-net.org/). His term will begin on January 1, 2007 and continue for two years. He will be responsible for formulating policies and projects for H-Net publications, including reviews, and will serve on H-Net Council. H-Net is an international consortium of scholars and teachers that creates and coordinates Internet networks with the common objective of advancing teaching and research in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. H-Net lists reach over 100,000 subscribers in more than 90 countries.
Professor of Environmental Science Richard Bowden was a presenter and workshop convener at the Third Annual Conference of the Northeast Campus Sustainability Consortium, held at Yale University, in November. Bowden's presentation, “College-Community Environmental Sustainability Initiatives: Local and State Partnerships in Pennsylvania,” discussed the efforts of the Allegheny College Center for Economic and Environmental Development and the Pennsylvania Consortium for Interdisciplinary Environmental Policy (PCIEP). PCIEP is an organization of Pennsylvania universities and colleges and the Pennsylvania departments of Environmental Protection and Conservation and Natural Resources that work together to improve environmental policy. Bowden presided over the Annual Meeting of PCIEP (October 2006). Commonwealth Community Energy Project Director Kathy Greely and Assistant Professor of Environmental Science Caryl Waggett also attended the annual PCIEP conference.
Director of Financial Aid Sherry Proper was recently awarded the 2006 PASFAA Leadership Award in recognition of outstanding leadership to Pennsylvania Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators activities in 2005–2006. She served as an Executive Council member of PASFAA for the past four years and is a member of the Advisory Committee for the education services group of AES/PHEAA.
Associate Professor of Psychology Joshua Searle-White's children's book, “Magic Wanda's Travel Emporium,” has been published by Skinner House. Magic Wanda's is a collection of 15 stories that range from fairy tales to science fiction. In 2003 Searle-White won the “Storyteller of the Year” competition hosted by the Creative Arts Institute in Ohio. He performs as a storyteller, leads workshops, and has recorded three storytelling CDs: “Dad School,” “Letter Poker,” and “Magic Wanda's Travel Emporium.”
Director of Dance and Movement Studies Eleanor Weisman presented at the Congress on Research in Dance (CORD) in Tempe, Arizona in November. Her presentation, “The Emic/Etic Experience of Movement: Collaborative Dance Making as Research,” built on her choreography concerning the theme of the international Women in Black network.
Professor of Biology and Environmental Science Scott Wissinger recently published several journal articles and a book chapter. “Impacts of introduced brown and rainbow trout on benthic invertebrate communities in shallow New Zealand lakes,” which appeared in the October issue of “Freshwater Biology,” describes research conducted in New Zealand as a Fulbright Senior Scholar. A pdf of the article is available from the author. Two articles — “Accuracy assessment of skeletochronology in the Arizona tiger salamander,” published in the journal “Copeia,” and “Temporal shift of diet in alternative cannibalistic morphs in tiger salamanders,” published in the “Biological Journal of the Linnean Society” — are coauthored with collaborators from the Rocky Mountain Biological Lab, where they have been conducting long-term research on salamander population biology. Finally, “Ecological roles of animals in wetlands” is a chapter in the book “Ecology of Freshwater and Estuarine Wetlands,” published in October by the University of California Press.
People & Places, published monthly during the academic year by the Office of Public Affairs, reports on the professional activities of members of the College community and highlights student achievements. Please submit items to people@allegheny.edu. We reserve the right to edit copy for length.
