IUSB SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY NEWSLETTER

SPRING 2004

FACULTY PRESENTATION

Gail McGuire will deliver a talk, ““Gender, Sex and Babies: A Sociologist’’s Reflections on Motherhood,”” as part of the Sociology Club’’s Presentation Series on Wednesday, March 10^th at 7:30 in Wiekamp Hall 2260.

MIDWEST STUDENT SOCIOLOGY CONFERENCE

The Annual Midwest Student Sociology Conference will be held April 16-17^th at the University of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio. If you are interested in presenting a paper at the conference or just attending the conference to observe, please contact Gail McGuire at gmcguire@iusb.edu or (574) 237-4572.

SABBATICAL NEWS

Gail McGuire will be on sabbatical during the Fall 2004 semester. If you are one of her advisees, please contact Kathi Piekarski at 237-6509 to find out who will be your temporary advisor. Betsy Lucal will be on sabbatical during the Fall & Spring 2004 semester.

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

To all seniors or recent graduates planning on attending graduate school: The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation has opened its Graduate Scholarship Program to graduating seniors and recent alumni (those who have graduated since May 1999) from any accredited college or university in the United States. Scholarships can total up to $50,000 per year for up to six years. The Foundation is looking for exceptional students, which includes those having a high GPA (above 3.5) and academic honors and awards (or publications and presentations). The Foundation also seeks applicants who are academic and community leaders and have a strong record of community involvement. Applicants will also need to demonstrate economic need. Those interested in applying for the scholarship should look at the Foundation's website, http://www.jackkentcookefoundation.org, and contact IUSB's faculty representative, Gail McGuire at GMcGuire@iusb.edu or (574)237-4572.

CONGRATULATIONS BECKY

Rebecca Torstrick, associate professor of anthropology at Indiana University South Bend, has received two awards this year for teaching excellence. In the Fall, she was selected to receive the IUSB Distinguished Teaching Award. In the Spring, she received a President’s Award at the Founders Day ceremonies at IU Bloomington on Saturday, Feb. 28. The President’s Award was established in 1974 to recognize outstanding teaching, research or service on all the IU campuses. Nineteen faculty members and two doctoral students were recognized in Bloomington. The other award recipients teach at IU Bloomington, Indianapolis and IU East at Richmond. Currently, Dr. Torstrick is on an unpaid leave in order to serve as a Fulbright Scholar in Israel, where she taught one semester at Ben Gurion University of the Negev and is continuing her research in Acre. To follow her experiences in Israel, go to her IU home page at http://mypage.iusb.edu/~rtorstri and click on the “News from Beersheva” link. Dr. Torstrick will be back in South Bend July 1, in time to teach in the second summer session.

STUDY ABROAD OPTIONS EXPAND

Scott Sernau was in Toulon, France in May helping to establish an exchange program between IUSB and the University of Toulon on the coast of southern France. In December, he was in Costa Rica working on an overseas study program in sustainable development that is planning to take students for the first time over winter break 2004-05. In January, he was in Chiang Mai, Thailand for a conference on overseas service learning opportunities in Asia and around the world. This July, Johnnie Griffin will be leading the IUSB Summer in Mexico Program, which offers credit in both Spanish and Sociology. If you have an interest in any of these exciting opportunities, see Dr. Sernau or Dr. Griffin, or talk with Gabrielle Robinson in International Programs.

FACULTY NEWS

Dan Olson will be returning to teaching this fall after a year of sabbatical researching whether and how the religious composition of a geographic area (e.g., counties) affects the commitment levels of churchgoers in these same areas. He was recently elected president of the Religious Research Association. He has been invited to present some of his research this summer at a conference in England on quantitative methods of researching religion.

SOCIOLOGY CLUB

In the Fall 2004, the members of the Sociology/Anthropology Clubs, were involved in a successful fund raising project that resulted in the donation of a "gift of a dairy goat" or "gift of a sheep" through HEIFER INTERNATIONAL. That gift will help feed or cloth a family in some remote place around the world, and help struggling children have hope for the future. We are very proud of our students! A beautiful certificate acknowledging that gift is displayed under glass across the sociology department office. Please come and see it!

GERONTOLOGY NEWS

The sociology/Anthropology dept. is offering a new minor in Gerontology. The objectives of this interdisciplinary program are to promote a better understanding of the aging process, a greater awareness of major issues regarding aging, and an increased insight into the problems of older adults. Since the "baby boom" generation will begin turning 65 in 2011, this minor is very timely and is designed to prepare students to enter some of the fastest-growing occupations in direct service provision, program planning and evaluation, administration, marketing and product development, advocacy, education and training, and to conduct basic research on aging processes or applied research on how well various programs meet the needs of the elderly.

For more information about this minor, contact the Gerontology Advisor and Coordinator Dr. Ariela Royer, Ph.D., at (574) 237-4501 or e-mail: aroyer@iusb.edu.