Leadership changes for College of Communications Following 60 combined years of service to Arkansas State University, Dr. Russell Shain, dean of the College of Communications, and Dr. Joel Gambill, chair of the Department of Journalism, have announced that each will retire from their respective positions. Dr. Shain leaves on June 30, 2010, after 20 years at ASU, while Dr. Gambill retires on July 30, 2010, after completing 40 years. Dr. Osa Amienyi, chair of the Department of Radio-Television, will become the interim dean for the College of Communications, while Dr. Gil Fowler, associate dean of the Honors College, will become chair of journalism. Professor of radio-television Dr. Mary Jackson-Pitts will serve as the interim chair of RTV, and Rebecca Oliver, current director of student services for the Honors College, will become director of the Honors College, reporting to Dr. Andy Sustich, dean of the Graduate School and Honors College. For details, see the NewsPage release later today. Special research presentation will be offered Feb. 23 A special research presentation, “The Battelle Report – Opportunities for Advancing Job-Creating Research in Arkansas” will be presented by Jerry Adams, president and CEO of the Arkansas Research Alliance. The presentation is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. in Laboratory Sciences Building, East Wing, Room 219. Released in April of 2009, the Battelle Report was commissioned by the Governor’s office to identify core research competencies statewide, develop areas of foci, and create a roadmap for future investment. The document that Adams will present identifies nine strategic focus areas for investment which should be of great interest to the ASU community. All interested faculty, students, and staff are welcome to attend. For details, contact Dr. Michael Dockter, associate vice chancellor for Research and Technology Transfer, ext. 2694. Dr. Hansen to present seminar in CoHSS series Feb. 23 Dr. Gregory Hansen, English and Folklore, will give the second of a series of research presentations by faculty members in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences in the college's spring seminar series. Hansen will present "Pranks, Tall Tales, and Old-Time Fiddle Tunes," Tuesday, Feb. 23, 4-5 p.m., Wilson 217C (the Konold Room). Old-time fiddling consists of a wide variety of traditional tunes passed along for more than 200 years in America and is an important form of dance music. Dances featuring this music have long been recognized in creating and affirming social connections within communities. One little studied aspect of these events is the popularity of playing practical jokes on unsuspecting dancers. This presentation looks at this pranking tradition by connecting it to a related cultural tradition also present at these social events, namely, the telling of tall tales. An examination of connections between dancing, playing practical jokes, and storytelling yields a richer understanding of the complexity of the fiddler's role within the little communities that supported the old-time dance tradition.For details, contact the series coordinator, Dr. Veena Kulkarni, ext. 3331, or see the NewsPage release. Final Faculty Recital Series concert slated for Feb. 25 The Department of Music at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro will present the fourth and final concert of the 2009-2010 Faculty Recital Series on Thursday, Feb. 25, at 7:30 p.m. in Riceland Hall, Fowler Center. The concert will feature ASU music faculty members Prof. Matthew Carey, Dr. Dale Clark, Prof. Ken Hatch, Dr. Marika Kyriakos, Dr. Ed Owen, Dr. Dan Ross, and Dr. Lauren Schack Clark. The concert is free of charge and open to the public. The concert will include performances of “Lighthouse on the Coast of Nowhere” by David Herring, performed by Dr. Ed Owen; “First Dance” from Allen Feinstein’s “Three Dances for Oboe, Bassoon, and Piano,” performed by Dr. Dan Ross, Dr. Dale Clark, and Dr. Lauren Schack Clark; “A Faustian Sonata” by Randall Standridge, performed by Prof. Ken Hatch and Dr. Lauren Schack Clark; “Pierrot’s Tanzlied” from Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s “Die Tote Stadt” and “Largo al factotum” from Gioaccomo Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville,” both performed by Prof. Matthew Carey and Dr. Lauren Schack Clark; and “Lucy’s aria” from “The Telephone” by Gian Carlo Menotti, performed by Dr. Marika Kyriakos and Dr. Lauren Schack Clark. For details, contact the music office at ext. 2094, or see the NewsPage release.    Arkansas Anthology 2010 now accepting submissions Young writers can become published authors when they submit their works to this year’s Arkansas Anthology. The Arkansas Anthology is a collection of stories, poems, essays, and jokes created by students and their teachers. The writings are judged, selected, and published annually in print and online by the Arkansas Council of Teachers of English and Language Arts (ACTELA), a non-profit professional organization. Deadline: Entries must be e-mailed by or postmarked by March 19, 2010. E-mail submissions as an attachment to Dr. Lamm or mail to Arkansas Anthology, c/o Dr. Robert Lamm, P.O. Box 1890, State University, AR  72467. For additional information, contact Dr. Lamm at ext. 2176. ACTELA is an affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of English. See the NewsPage release for a complete list of categories of acceptable work.  Back to the top