Dr. Rahill has entry in Encyclopedia of Immigrant Health
Dr. Guitele Jeudy Rahill, Social Work, was invited to prepare a medium-length entry on Haiti in the Encyclopedia of Immigrant Health. The Encyclopedia of Immigrant Health is an encyclopedic compilation of 8 full-length chapters and more than 750 encyclopedia entries that address almost every aspect of immigrant health.  As such, it will be the major reference work for professionals and lay persons interested in immigrant health. Because of its comprehensiveness, the publishers anticipate that it will require several volumes. The completed work, which is to be published by Springer Science+Business media, will represent the joint efforts of a panel of editors and authors from all over the globe. Dr. Rahill's entry has been accepted for publication and is a very relevant and timely piece, because it addresses the historical trauma of Haiti as a nation and of its people since its naissance as the first Black republic in the western hemisphere in 1804; it addresses the dearth of literature, assessment and diagnostic tools and intervention strategies on how to provide culturally embedded mental health services to Haitian immigrants, in spite of the large presence of Haitians in the US and in other geographical enclaves around the world; and it contextualizes the impact of the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake on the grieving process of Port-au-Prince residents and of Haitians in the diaspora.
 
Dr. Medina-Bolivar presents research at conferences
Dr. Fabricio Medina-Bolivar, Plant Metabolic Engineering, ABI/Department of Biological Sciences, was selected to present  at the 25^th International Conference on Polyphenols held in Montpellier, France, In late August. His talk, “Biosynthesis of monomeric and oligomeric stilbenoids in hairy root cultures of peanut and muscadine grape” was part of the conference session on biosynthesis, genetics, and metabolic engineering. Scientists from approximately 40 countries participated at this meeting. In September, Dr. Medina-Bolivar also presented aspects of his research at the 1^st International Conference of Resveratrol and Health in Helsingør, Denmark, where he was able to establish relationships with other scientists with compatible research interests, including the bioproduction of a group of polyphenols (stilbenoids) using “immortalized” root cultures. Resveratrol, a polyphenolic compound found in grapes and peanuts, is of interest because of its potential human health benefits. Dr. Medina-Bolivar’s system produces polyphenols that include resveratrol and several analogs that are not commercially available. They show promise in the development of pharmaceutical drugs for disease prevention and treatment. Dr. Medina-Bolivar’s research on stilbenoids has received funding from the Arkansas NSF-EPSCoR P3 Center for Plant Powered Production and the Arkansas Biosciences Institute.

Dr. Ralph Young to offer Honors Lecture of Year Oct. 12
Professor and author Dr. Ralph Young will present the third annual Honors Lecture of the Year, and the fifth event of Arkansas State University’s 2010-2011 Lecture-Concert Series, on Tuesday, Oct. 12, at 7 p.m. in ASU’s Student Union Auditorium. Dr. Ralph Young is associate professor of History at Temple University in Philadelphia, Penn. He is the author of “Dissent in America: The Voices That Shaped a Nation” and the founder of weekly campus-wide Dissent in America teach-ins at Temple. Dr. Young’s teach-ins are designed to stimulate debate on different points of view. According to Young, the ultimate goal of the teach-ins is to deepen students' understanding of the historical background of recent events. This creativity earned Young a 2009 Provost’s Award for Innovative Teaching in General Education at Temple, and Young developed the “Dissent in America” course, which examines dissent as a central theme of American history. He compiled songs, speeches, articles, testimonies, letters, and more from dissenters to create “Dissent in America” as the textbook for his course. Dissent and protest have been at the heart of the American story from the first days of settlement to the present day. “Dissent in America” traces the theme of dissent as it weaves its way through the fabric of American history. Dr. Young’s collection of primary historical documents (songs, speeches, articles, testimonies, letters, and more) interspersed with his own explanatory essays, is arranged chronologically in ten parts, from Pre-Revolutionary Roots (1607-1760) through Contemporary Dissent (1975-present). Noteworthy dissenters like Samuel Adams, Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, and Bob Dylan keep company with lesser-known dissenters like Cherokee Chief John Ross and Sarah Grimké. Each document is introduced by placing it in its historical context, and thought-provoking questions are provided to help students focus as they read the text. View the Lecture-Concert Series Schedule online. All Lecture-Concert Series events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Dr. Tim Crist, chair, Lecture-Concert committee and professor of music, ext. 2094.

KASU's Bluesday Tuesday presents Fred Sanders Oct. 12
Radio station KASU presents veteran bluesman Fred Sanders at the next Bluesday Tuesday, Oct. 12, from 7-9 p.m., at Newport Country Club, 703 Walker Drive, Newport. Admission is free, and the public is welcome. Fred Sanders was born in 1939 to a musical family in Memphis. After moving to Texas in the late 1950s, he explored blues guitar beyond the simple chords he learned early from his older brother. Soon he was a part of the Texas blues scene and remained there until 1968, when he moved home to Memphis. Sanders began a seven-year tenure at  the Bluff City’s Club Paradise, playing with professional blues artists such as B. B. King, Bobby Blue Bland, Albert King, and many others. He also jammed at the Blues Alley on #1 Beale. Fred Sanders then became a member of the Memphis Blues Caravan and toured worldwide. He has played with Duke Ellington’s Orchestra, Count Basie’s Band, Buddy Rich, and Johnny Taylor. Sanders has become a staple on Beale Street with his slick and playful style and, on nice days, he can be seen playing in W. C. Handy Park. For details, contact KASU station manager Mike Doyle at ext. 3486, or see the NewsPage release.

ASU choirs, guests will present fall choral concert Oct. 12
The Arkansas State University Concert Choir and Chamber Singers will present their Fall Choral Concert on Tuesday, Oct.12, at 7:30 p.m. in Fowler Center’s Riceland Hall. Joining the ASU Choirs for a portion of the evening will be the Mixed Choir of Overton High School, the magnet School of the Creative and Performing Arts of the Memphis City Schools. The ASU Concert Choir is under the direction of Dr. Dale Miller, director of choral activities.  Kyle Chandler, who currently serves in his second year on the ASU music faculty, directs the Chamber Singers. Brian Henkelmann will accompany both the ASU Concert Choir and Chamber Singers on both piano and organ throughout the evening. The Overton High School Choir is under the direction of Wendy V. Baker and accompanied by Letitia Glenn. The performance is free of charge and open to the public. The 46-voice Overton Mixed Choir is an auditioned group of 9-12 grade students. Overton Choirs include a Chamber and Show Choir and have traveled abroad, as well as having received numerous awards throughout the United States. The Mixed Choir will follow the ASU Chamber Singers, and will perform selections that the choir is preparing for the West Tennessee Vocal Music Educators Association auditions later this fall. Their repertoire will include “O Holy Lord” by Nathaniel Dett, “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” arranged by Roland Carter, “Skip to My Lou” arranged by Busselberg, and “Earth Song” by Frank Ticheli. For details about the concert, contact the music office at ext. 2094, or see the NewsPage release.

Torchbearer campaign is underway; reception planned
Torchbearer Campaign is underway, with 489 members to date, more joining every week!Torchbearers are current and retired faculty and staff who support ASU academics with financial gifts of $50 or more annually. Most give by payroll deduction (for a full-year employee, a $50 gift is achieved with a $2.08 deduction, and $100 is achieved with a $4.16 deduction), but you can give by check or credit card also. Gifts are made to the ASU Foundation and you choose the fund to support. Benefits of membership are an appreciation gift (an insulated tumbler for gifts of $50 to $99, or a polo shirt for $100 or more), and an invitation to the Red Carpet reception on Wednesday, Nov. 3. For details, or to be sent a pledge card, contact Elaine Poynter, Alumni Office, ext. 2718.

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