Press Releases

APPLETON, WIS. — A Lawrence University astrophysicist specializing in the formation of solar systems has been awarded a $105,000 research grant by the NASA Planetary Geology and Geophysics Program.

Associate Professor of Physics Megan Pickett will use the three-year grant to support her on-going research on the origin of Jupiter and other giant planets as well as the more than 200 known extrasolar planets orbiting other stars.

Pickett, who has been investigating this topic for the past 10 years, utilizes high-speed computers to simulate the evolution of our solar system shortly after it formed some 5 billion years ago. The computer-generated simulations attempt to determine exactly how Jupiter came into existence.

“Astronomers to date have detected more than 200 extrasolar planets that orbit other stars, all of them presumably like Jupiter,” said Pickett. “According to current estimates, at least 10 percent of all stars like our sun have planets around them.  Despite their prevalence and Jupiter’s importance in our own solar system, the issue of giant planet formation remains one of the outstanding and hotly debated problems in planetary science today.”

 In addition to funding her primary research, the NASA grant will support a summer student research assistant as well as publication costs and travel to scientific conferences. This is the fourth NASA PG&G program research grant Pickett has been awarded since 1997, with her funding support totaling more than $500,000.

NASA’s PG&G program supports scientific investigations that will improve the understanding of the extent and influence of planetary geological and geophysical processes on the bodies of the solar system, the origin and evolution of the solar system and the nature of Earth and its history in comparison to other planets.

Pickett, who began her career as a postdoctoral research associate in 1995 at the NASA-Ames Research Center, spent seven years teaching in the physics and astronomy department at Purdue University Calumet before joining the Lawrence faculty last fall.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from Cornell University, a master’s degree in astronomy from Indiana University and a Ph.D. in astrophysics from Indiana.

APPLETON, WIS. – The words of some of America’s most uncommon, and unsung, heroes come to life as Lawrence University stages Working, a musical based on real life interviews of working Americans. This student-produced musical takes place at 8:00 p.m. Thursday, April 12 and Friday, April 13 and at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, April 14 in Cloak Theatre, located in the Music-Drama Center. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for senior citizens and students. Tickets are available beginning April 3 at the Lawrence University Box Office or by phone at 920-832-6749. If available, tickets will be on sale beginning one hour before each performance at the box office.

Adapted from the book of the same title by Studs Terkel, Working explores the American workday from the Monday morning blues to the second shift blahs using the original words of some uncommon men and women. Twenty-six workers, including a parking lot attendant, corporate executive, newsboy, schoolteacher, housewife, fireman, waitress, and more sing about their jobs and their hopes and dreams.

“Working is a piece that weaves together the plights of nearly 30 different and completely unrelated American workers, but does so to show how they all work together to keep America’s proverbial heartbeat pulsing. Lawrence’s production accomplishes this by having a cast of nine split the many roles amongst them, with each person playing at least three of the characters, sometimes more. Thus, the audience is more cognizant of the fact that there’s a unifying life force, of sorts, passing through all of these blue-collar characters,” explains Matthew Murphy ’07, stage and musical director for the show.

Adapted by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso, this show features music by Schwartz, James Taylor, Micki Grant, Craig Carnelia, and Mary Rodgers, and lyrics by Schwartz, Grant, Carnelia, Taylor, and Susan Birkenhead.

The cast includes Jessie Arlen ’10, Michael Axtell ’09, Zachary Becker ’10, Nicholas Benson ’11, Lacey Jo Benter ’10, George Evan Bravos ’10, Megan Flod ’07, Kaitlin Hawkinson ’09, and Jesse Weinberg ’07.

APPLETON, WIS. – “The International Difference” is the theme for the 31st Annual Lawrence International Cabaret. Cabaret, an occasion to celebrate life through music, dance, and cuisine from around the world, takes place at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, April 15 in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel.

The 2007 Cabaret is set to be one of the biggest Cabarets with over 80 performers and 17 performances from every continent. Popular dances such as the Sub-Continental dance, the belly dance from the Middle East, the Tango, and Japanese Taiko Drumming are back, while new dances such as the Daizu dance from China and the Ganh Lua (Vietnamese Harvest Dance) will make their Cabaret debut.

A dinner at Lucinda’s, located in Colman Hall, follows the performance. The dinner menu presents a variety of delicious dishes from around the world including delicacies from the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and Africa.

Tickets to the Cabaret performance are $6 for adults and children under 6 are free. Dinner and Cabaret tickets are $13 for adults, and children under 6 are free. Tickets are available beginning April 6 at the Lawrence University Box Office, located in the Music-Drama Center, or by phone at 920-832-6749.

APPLETON, WIS. – The Lawrence Academy of Music is accepting registrations now for its three annual summer camps that are scheduled for July.

The first camp of the summer is the Academy’s Jazz Odyssey, scheduled for July 15-20 in the Music-Drama Center on the Lawrence University campus. This camp is open to middle and high school students who are actively playing any instrument or singing. The camp provides a hands-on experience with jazz improvisation in small group settings. Sessions focus on developing aural, theory, and compositional skills, in addition to, participating in master classes in jazz history and jazz performance. Special topics to be covered during this camp include world percussion, playing with a rhythm section, transcribing solos, and a session highlighting instruments not typically associated with jazz. Students will be grouped according to age, instrument, and experience for the camp. Jazz Odyssey will be held 2:30-5:30 p.m. Sunday, July 15, 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, July 16-19, and 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. Friday, July 20. A concert on Friday, which is open to families, takes place at 6:30 p.m. Daily lunch and dinner on Sunday and Friday are included in the fees. The fee for attending Jazz Odyssey is $250 or $225, if paid by May 15.

The second summer camp is a Music Camp for middle and high school wind and percussion instrumentalists, which is scheduled for July 22-28 on the Lawrence University campus. This camp gives instrumentalists a chance to perform in a band, study with faculty from the Lawrence Conservatory of Music and Academy of Music, attend concerts and recitals, and enjoy a week of recreational activities. The camp includes band and sectional rehearsals, music theory, an elective arts-related class, a rehearsal with the camp choir, and a recreation period. Elective classes may include sessions on instrumental arranging, percussion for non-percussionists, voice, piano, conducting, humor in music, a performance master class, and musical theatre. An auditioned jazz ensemble with an emphasis on big band jazz will meet during one of the class hours. Each evening brings a concert in Harper Hall and a finale concert in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel will feature all bands plus the camp choir. During the week, students are housed in campus residence halls and meals are provided at Downer Commons. The fee for this weeklong camp is $450 or $425, if paid by May 15.

Piano Odyssey ends the summer camp series for the Academy of Music. Piano Odyssey is scheduled for 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. July 30-August 3 at the Music-Drama Center. This day camp for motivated piano students, ages 8-15 who have studied piano for at least two years, looks to explore the piano in greater depth. A special feature for this year of the camp is a focus on composing. Students will have the opportunity to meet a composer, and duets composed especially for the camp will be premiered by campers and coached by the composer. All classes are taught by skilled, enthusiastic, and widely-respected teachers in a setting designed to foster self-confidence, creativity, and understanding of the piano. Daily sessions include improvisation, music history from a piano perspective, music fundamentals, the physics of sound production, piano accompanying, and the evolution of the keyboard. Students are age-grouped for specialized work in the electronic keyboard lab, piano master classes, and supervised practice. Snacks and lunch are included each day. The fee for Piano Odyssey is $225 or $200, if paid by May 15.

For more information or to register for any of these summer camps, please call 920-832-6632 or visit www.lawrence.edu/dept/acad_music/camps.shtml.

APPLETON, WIS. – The Lawrence Academy of Music is getting ready to hold auditions for the 2007-08 school year programs. The Academy is holding auditions for its Girl Choir program, the Symphonic Band, the Wind Ensemble, and the Academy String Orchestra.

The Girl Choir holds auditions for girls currently in second through 11th grade as follows:

Auditions for Bel Canto, for girls currently in grades eight through 11, are on May 15 and 17.

Auditions for Cantabile, for girls currently in grades six through eight, are on May 15 and 17.

Auditions for Intermezzo, for girls currently in grades four through six, are on May 2 and 3.

Auditions for Allegretto, for girls currently in grades three and four, are on April 25 and 26.

Auditions for Primo, for girls currently in grades two and three, are on April 25 and 26.

Ragazze for girls currently in grades two through four is a new training choir this year. It is open to any girl who wishes to sing. No audition is required but space is limited. Registration for this new program will be accepted until May 25.

The Girl Choir program seeks to provide quality choral opportunities for girls in the Fox Valley region. Through the study and performance of the highest quality music, the girls develop vocal technique, music reading skills, creativity, expressive artistry, and an awareness of various cultures. The program strives to create an atmosphere that encourages girls to respect the uniqueness of others, to take risks that foster individual growth, and to continue their development into self-assured young women. Currently there are over 270 girls singing in the Girl Choir program representing over 50 schools from throughout Northeastern Wisconsin.

For more information on the Girl Choir program, call 920-832-7038 or visit www.lawrence.edu/dept/acad_music/girl_choir.shtml.

The Symphonic Band, formerly the Honors Band, is open to talented band students currently in grades six through eight. The band holds auditions on April 29. The Honors Band provides experience with advanced music for middle school band students. Two 10-week semesters, two concerts, and a local tour are all part of the program. The deadline to apply for an audition is April 20.

The Wind Ensemble, open to talented wind, brass, and percussion band students currently in grades eight through 11, holds auditions on April 29. The Wind Ensemble provides advanced high school band students with opportunities to become acquainted with music specifically composed and arranged for the soloistic possibilities of wind ensembles. The program includes two 10-week semesters, two concerts, and tour opportunities. The deadline to apply for an audition is April 20.

The Academy String Orchestra (ASTRO) holds auditions for students in grades five through eight on May 6. This program is open to string players interested in preparing and performing music at a high level. The program emphasizes the development of reading music and beginning ensemble skills. The program includes two 10-week sessions, two performances, and a local tour. The deadline to apply for an audition is April 27.

Details and application forms for these ensembles are available from local school music teachers, by contacting the Academy of Music at 920-832-6632, by visiting the Academy’s website at www.lawrence.edu/dept/acad_music, or by visiting the Academy at 100 Water St., Appleton.

APPLETON, WIS. — Micha Jackson is convinced she was born a conservationist.

Among her earliest memories are moments of complete fascination with anything that crawled, wiggled, ran, floated or swam. As a 10-year old, she heard frogs all over the world were dying, so she set out to catch tadpoles, protect them through their growth period and then release them back into ponds as frogs to help the situation.

That early sense of wonder for creatures great and small has since developed into a passion for the natural world and a desire to help preserve its beauty and diversity in the face of increasing human encroachment

Jackson will soon have an opportunity to practice her passion when she begins a year-long investigation of coastal marine resources thanks to the Providence, R.I.-based Thomas J. Watson Foundation. Jackson was named one of 50 national recipients of a $25,000 fellowship, which support a year of independent travel and exploration outside the United States on a topic of the student’s choosing.

Beginning in August, Jackson, 20, will embark on an examination of culturally different approaches to conservationism that will take her to Oman, Australia and the island country of Palau in the western Pacific Ocean.

“Coastal countries have always had a unique relationship with the seas and its inhabitants,” said Jackson, an economics, environmental studies and government major from Brighton, Ontario. “Australia, Oman and Palau are all home to a marine ecosystem teeming with life. These countries have vastly different histories and cultures and each is at a very different stage of its development and integration with the modern global economy.”

During her travels, Jackson hopes to explore the governmental interactions with local coastal cultures as well as the role social and religious traditions play in how these three distinct countries developed their approaches to conservationism.

“I want to find out the extent to which the various governments are willing or able to enforce its policies and what role local coastal residents play in conservation decisions and enforcement,” Jackson said. “I also want to learn about the ancient myths and legends that pertain to marine resources and mammals, particularly the dugong, and see what role those play in modern culture and conservation.”

Jackson will open her trip with three months in Oman, where she plans to collaborate with Dr. Aaron Henderson, a professor of ecology at Sultan Qaboos University. The following six months will be spent in northeast Australia, home of the Great Barrier Reef as well as a large population of Aborigines. She’ll conclude her investigation in Palau, where traditional approaches to fisheries management practiced by village chiefs are still prevalent.

“I tried to pick three countries that were all very different,” said Jackson, who mentially started formulating this project in 2005 after spending part of that summer on the islands of Turks and Caicos in the British West Indies participating in a fieldwork and marine management course. “I’m particularly interested in Palua because I wanted to examine a place that is very isolated and investigate how its conservation efforts developed.”

Tim Spurgin, who serves as Lawrence’s campus liaison to the Watson program, says the Watson fellowship allows students “to chase their own dreams.”

“Micha’s project is the culmination of her studies at Lawrence, combining her interests in ecology and public policy, but it’s also the result of her lifelong love of the water,” said Spurgin, associate professor and Bonnie Glidden Buchanan Professor of English. “Her project is deeply personal, not narrowly academic, and that’s one of the reasons why she’s such a perfect choice for this fellowship.”

As she looks forward to her adventure, the logistics of globetrotting to three destinations she has never visited before doesn’t faze Jackson in the least. Any anxieties she has have more to do with meeting the spirit of a project she’s been thinking about for two years.

“What I’m most concerned about is staying true to my proposal. How well will I be able to adapt if things aren’t quite the way I expected them to be” said Jackson.

“And…finding a place to live in Palua,” she adds with a laugh.

Jackson was selected for the fellowship from among 179 finalists who came from an original pool of nearly 1,000 applicants representing 50 of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges and universities. She is the 65th Lawrence student awarded a Watson Fellowship since the program’s inception in 1969.

The Watson Fellowship Program was started by the children of Thomas J. Watson, Sr., the founder of International Business Machines Corp., and his wife, Jeannette, to honor their parents’ long-standing interest in education and world affairs.

Watson Fellows are selected on the basis of the nominee’s character, academic record, leadership potential, willingness to delve into another culture and the personal significance of the project proposal. Since its founding, more than 2,400 fellowships have been awarded.

APPLETON, WIS. – Lawrence University hosts a visit from pianist Claude Frank Saturday, March 31 through Sunday, April 1. While at Lawrence, Frank will hold a variety of events that are free and open to the public including a guest recital at 8:00 p.m. Saturday in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel, a lecture at 2:00 p.m. Sunday in Harper Hall, and a master class at 6:00 p.m. Sunday in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel.

Frank, an internationally acclaimed interpreter of the piano literature of Beethoven, has lead one of the most distinguished careers of any pianist. He frequently performs with the world’s foremost orchestras, at major festivals, and at prestigious universities since his debut with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic in 1959. Appearing with such groups as the Guarneri Quartet, Juilliard Quartet, Cleveland Quartet, Emerson Quartet, and American Quartet, he is also a repeat soloist with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, and the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, among others. A frequent performer in New York City’s Mostly Mozart Festival during its formative years and a festival participant in virtually every season thereafter, Frank appeared in its 25th anniversary celebration at Lincoln Center in 1991.

A renowned teacher as well as performer, Frank is on the faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and is a professor at the Yale School of Music. He gives master classes at Yale University, Duke University, University of Kansas, and North Carolina School of the Arts, among others.

Frank’s recordings include RCA’s release of 32 Beethoven sonatas and his worldwide performance of cycles; the direct-to-disc recording of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 in D-minor, K.466; his performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24 in C-minor, K.491; and more. Frank has also recorded the cycle of Beethoven violin and piano sonatas with his daughter for Music Masters.

APPLETON, WIS. — Objectivist author Craig Biddle discusses the principles of “rational egoism” and why those principles provide the cornerstone to personal happiness and social harmony in an address at Lawrence University.

Biddle presents “Ayn Rand’s Morality of Selfishness: An Introduction to Objectivist Ethics” Friday, March 9 at 7 p.m. in Riverview Lounge of the Lawrence Memorial Union. The event is free and open to the public.

A Russian-born novelist and philosopher, Rand, in the 1960s, began outlining a life doctrine she called Objectivism. According to Rand, morality of selfishness — rational egoism — is the only moral code that provides a system of principles to guide an individual’s choices and actions in pursuit of life-serving goals and values. It also provides a foundation for the protection of individual rights and ultimately the establishment and maintenance of a free and civilized society.

Biddle’s address will examine the tenets of rational egoism, provide real-life examples of it and explain why it should be embraced by anyone who wants to live happily and freely.

He is the author of the 2002 book “Loving Life: The Morality of Self-Interest and the Facts that Support It.” Biddle also serves as the editor and publisher of The Objective Standard, a quarterly journal of culture and politics. In addition to lecturing on ethical and epistemological issues from an Objectivist perspective, he is working on a second book that examines the principles of rational thinking and the fallacies that are violations of those principles.

His appearance is sponsored by the Lawrence University Objectivist Club.

APPLETON, WIS. — Three new exhibitions are coming to Lawrence University’s Wriston Art Center in March. The exhibits open on Saturday, March 24 in the Leech, Hoffmaster, and Kohler galleries. An opening lecture and reception by Julie Anand is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Thursday, April 5 in the Wriston Auditorium. The exhibits will be on display through May 6.

Fin, Fur, and Feathers in the Permanent Collection, an exhibition selected by Lawrence junior Katherine Elchert, will be featured in the Leech Gallery. All the works exhibited in this show are from the permanent collection and feature a variety of images of plants and animals spanning a number of decades.

The Kohler Gallery features photography by Julie Anand and Damon Sauer. Much photography depends on the idea of discrete things in nature, objects and individuals defined by shapes and fixed contour. Photographers Anand and Sauer investigate the edges of individuals and relationships. The artists cut aluminum sheets into shapes derived from tracings of couples embracing and interacting. Hung on the wall, the pieces at first appear to be abstract but further study reveals hands, hair, and arms interlocking. Challenging not only the boundaries between photography and sculpture but also the boundaries of individuals and personal space the artists critique the notion of fixity of self and of objects and make subtle reference to scientific photography, phrenology, and other familiar forms of documentation.

School Days Cafeteria Plan is scheduled for exhibition in the Hoffmaster Gallery. For this exhibit, 24 artists and educators were invited to create a print depicting one of his or her most vivid experiences as a student or teacher. The resulting works range from humorous to poignant. Organized by Benjamin Rinehart, assistant professor of art at Lawrence, School Days offers a wide variety of printmaking technique styles.

Gallery hours are 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and noon-4:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The galleries are closed on Monday.

Contact: Andrea Ebeling, Public Relations Assistant, 920-832-6585 or andrea.ebeling@lawrence.edu

APPLETON, WIS. — The Lawrence Academy of Music Honors Band and Wind Ensemble premier Academy Festival March, a work composed by Lawrence Academy of Music instructor Jon Meyer, at their spring concert. The concert takes place at 7:00 p.m. Sunday, March 18 in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. Tickets are $6, and go on sale Monday, March 5 at the Lawrence University Box Office or by phone at 920-832-6749.

The Honors Band, conducted by Meyer, performs Suite from Bohemia by Vaclav Nelhybel, a lovely folk tune suite by the Czech composer who was very popular in the 1960-70s, but is rarely heard today; The Little Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin and arranged by Frank Campbell-Watson, who did the standard symphonic arrangements of Gershwin; and one of the standard band transcriptions of Bach that is rarely heard today, Prelude and Fugue in G Minor, arranged by R. Moehlmann.

The Wind Ensemble’s portion of the program includes the seafaring theme Of Sailors and Whales by W. Francis-McBeth, a five-movement work based on five scenes from Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick.” Songs to be performed include “The Rakes of Mallow,” a fun Irish jig that begins fast and gets faster throughout; “Danza Final,” from the ballet suite Estancia, a very bright, lively, and energetic work that features the dance, Malambo; and Samuel Ward’s “America the Beautiful,” arranged by Carman Dragon.

The Honors Band and Wind Ensemble come together for the final piece, Academy Festival March, composed by Meyer, for the Honors Band and Wind Ensemble to perform together.

The Honors Band provides experience with advanced music for middle school band students. It is open by audition to seventh, eighth, and ninth grade band students from the Fox Valley area. The band is conducted by Meyer, who also conducts the New Horizons Band and coordinates the Academy’s residential summer Music Camp.

The Wind Ensemble is conducted by Michael J. Ross, who is also director of bands at Appleton West High School, and was recently appointed conductor of the Green Bay Symphony Youth Orchestra. The ensemble provides advanced high school band students with opportunities to become acquainted with music specifically composed and arranged for the soloistic possibilities of wind ensembles. It is open by audition to talented wind, brass, and percussion players in grades 9-12 from throughout Northeastern Wisconsin.

The Honors Band and Wind Ensemble will hold auditions for the 2007-08 season on April 29. For more information, call the Academy at 920-993-6278.