News
2013-2014
Anthropology, Sociology and Languages Newsletter May 2013
Jessica Saigh, Adjunct Instructor of English for Academic Purposes, received the Chancellor's Award for Excellence for Part-Time Faculty Members.
2012-2013
Anthropology, Sociology and Languages Newsletter May 2012
Marité Balogh, Assistant Teaching Professor of Spanish, has signed a contract to publish in July, 2012, a collection of her poetry in Spanish called Bailar Caribeño (“Caribbean Dancing”). It will be published by Ediciones Torremosas of Madrid, Spain, in their series called "Jacarandá" - they considered Marité’s poetry appropriate for this series due to "the colorfulness of her poetry,” and the possibilities for including art work or photography, at least for the cover. The poems deal with Marité’s usual themes of cross-culturalism, femininity, and social issues. Many of them, such as the title poem, are odes to folkloric dancing and music. The publisher, Torremosas Edition, is well known in Spain and Latin America for their collections of poetry, so the fact that they wanted to publish Marité’s work represents a big advance in her career. They specialize in women poets, including the classic works in Latin American poetry by Alfonsina Storni, and also more modern poets like Laura Basan and Liliana Castelbondo. Readers can either subscribe to the collections, or buy the books in bookstores and through their website.
Peter Marina, Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology, has just received the copy of his first book, Getting the Holy Ghost: Urban Ethnography in a Brooklyn Pentecostal Tongue-Speaking Church. It is rare for faculty to publish a book only two years after their dissertation. To mark this event Peter has given Dean Ron Yasbin, College of Arts and Sciences, a signed copy of his book.
Chikako Usui, Associate Professor of Sociology, was featured in the Friday, February 15, UMSL Daily for the exchange program she has created between St. Louis and tsunami-devastated Ishinomaki, Japan (http://blogs.umsl.edu/news/2013/02/13/japan-stl/). Her initial $30,000 grant from the National Association of Japan-America Societies and Tomodachi was just extended with a second grant of $30,000 for 2014. As President of the Japan America Society, Chikako Usui oversaw the initial application for a $30,000 grant to support the St. Louis/Ishinomaki Friendship Program in 2013.
This program is funded by TOMODACHI, a public-private partnership led by the United States Government and the U.S.-Japan Council (a tax-exempt non-profit organization), supported by the Government of Japan, corporations, organizations and individuals from the United States and Japan. It supports Japan's recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake. The proposed St. Louis/Ishinomaki Friendship Program 2013 is a one-week program that will bring five youths (middle school and high school students) and four adults from August 28 to September 4, 2013.
Patti Wright, Associate Professor of Anthropology, was nominated to receive the Excellence in Teaching Award by student members of The National Society of Leadership and Success, Sigma Alpha Pi, UMSL Chapter. Jessica Thornton, Leadership & Training Coordinator of the Office of Student Life, explained to Patti, “Students were asked to nominate a professor who teaches with heart and passion and who has motivated them in their pursuit of education. You were heartily commended to me as meeting this distinction.” The award will be presented at the Society induction and awards ceremony on Monday, May 6th, 4-6pm in the Millennium Student Center Century Rooms. If you would like to attend to support Patti, please RSVP to Jessica at thorntonje@umsl.edu, 314.516.5217. Patti has always been an outstanding teacher in the anthropology program, with the rare ability to teach the full range of courses - from large lecture courses of over 200 students, to small hands-on archaeology labs, to online courses (she was among the first faculty on campus to develop online courses).