Rick Peterson

Author: Rick Peterson

Forbes.com Report Ranks Lawrence University 50th in 2010 “America’s Best Colleges” Report

Using the quality of the education a college provides, the experiences of its students and how much those students achieve as its measuring stick, Forbes.com has named Lawrence University the best undergraduate institution in Wisconsin and 50th nationally among more than 600 undergraduate institutions in its third annual “America’s Best Colleges” report.

Lawrence was the only state institutions to crack the business publication’s top 100. Beloit College was ranked 125th, St. Norbert College 152nd, Carroll University 184th, and Ripon College 195th.

In addition to finishing top-ranked among 11 Wisconsin institutions included in Forbes.com’s list, Lawrence also was ranked higher than such traditional educational heavyweights as Georgetown University (52), the University of California-Berkeley (65) and Ivy League member Cornell University (70).

Liberal arts colleges like Lawrence accounted for six of the top 15 ranked institutions nationally while many of the large state universities landed well down Forbes’ list, including Penn. State University (192), UW-Madison (212), and the University of Minnesota (418).

Launched in 2008 as an alternative to the annual rankings done by U.S. News & World Report, Forbes’ rankings focus largely on student-related concerns: Do the students enjoy their classes and overall academic experience? Will courses be interesting and rewarding? How likely is the student to graduate in four years? Will the student get a good job after graduation? How much debt will the student incur in pursuit of a degree?

“We’re happy that Forbes takes a student-centered approach to its assessments,” said Ken Anselment, Lawrence’s director of admissions. “And we continue to be gratified that Forbes recognizes the high-quality experience we provide our students, as well as the lifetime of rewards they reap from that experience as alumni.”

Compiled with the assistance of researchers at the Washington, D.C.-based non-profit think tank Center for College Affordability and Productivity, the magazine’s 2010 “America’s Best Colleges” report ranks 610 undergraduate institutions from among the 6,600 accredited post-secondary institutions in the United States.

More than 10 factors are used in objectively determining the rankings, with no single factor accounting as much as 20 percent. The only subjective judgments are those of Forbes and the Center for College Affordability and Productivity as to which factors to include and the weights to be used in evaluating each factor.

Data in the rankings were drawn from numerous sources, including the opinions of student evaluations of courses and instructors recorded on the Web site RateMyProfessors.com and post-graduate success determined by enrollment-adjusted entries in “Who’s Who in America” and average salaries of graduates reported by Payscale.com.

Other ranking factors included an estimated average student debt after four years, four-year college graduation rates, and the number of students and faculty, adjusted for enrollment, who have won nationally competitive awards such as Rhodes Scholarships and Nobel Prizes.

Williams College earned Forbes.com’s no. 1 ranking, supplanting last year’s top-ranked institution, the U. S. Military Academy at West Point, which was ranked fourth this year. Princeton University (2), Amherst College (3) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (5) completed the top five.

The Princeton Review Cites Lawrence University Among Nation’s Best Colleges

An exceptional education experience along with a great theatre program and an easily navigable campus earned Lawrence University inclusion in the just-released 2011 edition of The Princeton Review’s annual book “The Best 373 Colleges.”

The Princeton Review’s 19th edition profiles of 373 colleges — less than 15% of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges — it considers the nation’s top schools along with school rating scores in eight categories. The book also includes “Top 20” lists in 62 categories based on surveys of students attending the colleges.

Lawrence made two of the top 20 lists, ranking 11th in best college theatre program and easiest campus to get around. The lists are based on a high consensus among its surveyed students about a topic compared with that of students at other schools answering the same survey question(s) on that topic.

Using a scale of 60-99, with 99 the highest, Lawrence earned rating scores of 92 in campus life, which measures students’ satisfaction with their lives outside the classroom, 90 in academics, including a 99 rating in professor’s accessibility, a 91 in financial aid and an 81 “green” rating based on a schools’ environmental commitments. Earlier this year, Lawrence was among 286 colleges and universities included in The Princeton Review’s first-ever guide to green colleges.

“Each year, the Princeton Review offers an eclectic mix of college ratings,” said Ken Anselment, Lawrence’s director of admissions. “We’re happy to see our theatre program continue to be recognized year after year among the nation’s best. And this year’s addition of having an easily navigable campus likely reflects the great campus improvements we’ve made over the past year, such as the opening of the Warch Campus Center, Hurvis Crossing and the College Avenue median beautification project. We trust that our friends and neighbors in northeast Wisconsin — not to mention the students that come to us from around the country and around the world — will discover that when they arrive on this jewel of a campus.”

In its profile of the college, The Princeton Review defined the Lawrence experience as “a cooperative, rather than a competitive, learning environment” with “intense academics, extreme involvement in extracurricular activities, and a near-obsession with music.”

Students who were surveyed described Lawrence as a place that “doesn’t have just one strength, it has many unique and diverse strengths” with a student body that is “interested in learning for the sake of learning, not studying for the sake of receiving the highest grade.”

According to Robert Franek, senior vice president of publishing at The Princeton Review and the book’s author, outstanding academics is the primary criteria for inclusion in the book.

“Our choices are based on institutional data we collect about schools, our visits to schools over the years, feedback we gather from students attending the schools and the opinions of our staff and our 28-member National College Counselor Advisory Board,” said Franek.

Lawrence Ranked 36th by High School Counselors; 67th Among National Liberal Arts Colleges in Annual U.S. News Guide

Lawrence University was thought of more highly by high school guidance counselors than the editors at U.S. News & World Report in the magazine’s 2011 “America’s Best Colleges” report released today (8/17).

In addition to its overall rankings in national universities and national liberal arts colleges categories in its annual guide, U.S. News also includes lists and rankings of a wide variety of other niche categories, without regard for size or type of institution. Lawrence was ranked 36th nationally in a survey of guidance counselors from America’s best high schools who were asked which liberal arts colleges they think offer the best education to their students. Among 250 national liberal arts colleges, Lawrence was ranked 67th.

One of numerous college guides released each August, U.S. News’ version uses a combination of subjective information, such as peer assessment as well as statistical analysis of a variety of factors it considers indicative of academic excellence — graduation rates, student retention and acceptance rates, among others — in determining its rankings.

Lawrence had strong showings in the areas of incoming students ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school class (38 percent), graduation rate (76 percent), full-time faculty (94 percent) and alumni giving rate (43 percent) while also showing increases in freshman retention rate (90 percent) and classes with less than 20 students (75 percent) from the previous year.

“We’re happy to see U.S. News report on things like our alumni giving rate, which, even in a challenging economy, continues to be among the nation’s highest as well as freshman retention rate, which in our case, was an increase over the previous year’s already high rate,” said Ken Anselment, director of admissions at Lawrence. “High student retention and alumni giving rates tell us that people’s satisfaction with their Lawrence experience is both consistent and lasting.

“Even more than the rankings,” Anselment added, “we’re thrilled to know that high school counselors — who best understand the nuances of quality and fit between students and colleges — continue to think very highly of the Lawrence experience and recommend it to some of their best students.”

Williams College of Massachusetts earned the magazine’s top spot in the national liberal arts college category for the seventh consecutive year. Harvard University was the top-ranked institution in U.S. News’ national universities category after sharing the no. 1 ranking last year with Princeton University, which was ranked second this year.

In compiling its annual “America’ s Best Colleges” guide, U.S. News & World Report evaluates nearly 1,500 of the nation’s public and private four-year schools, using data from up to 16 separate factors, each of which is assigned a “weight” that reflects the magazine editor’s judgment as to how much that measure matters. Each school’s composite weighted score is then compared to peer institutions to determine final rankings.

Institutions are divided into several distinct categories. In addition to the best liberal arts college category that measures national institutions like Lawrence, other rankings are based on universities that grant master and doctorate degrees and colleges that are considered “regional” institutions.

Lawrence University Economist Named to National Academy of Sciences Committee Investigating Unintended Automobile Acceleration

David Gerard, associate professor of economics at Lawrence University, is participating in a National Academy of Sciences committee study reviewing evidence to identify possible causes of unintended acceleration in motor vehicles in the aftermath of Toyota’s large recalls.

The independent, 17-member Committee on Electronic Vehicle Controls and Unintended Acceleration was formed at the request of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to review electronic throttles and other systems used throughout the auto industry. The study is part of the federal government’s efforts to learn what led to two massive recalls in late 2009 and in January of this year.

While much of the unintended acceleration problem has been focused on Toyota, according to Administrator David Strickland, the NHTSA has received complaints related to this problem for every major vehicle manufacturer.

The National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academy of Sciences organized the committee and held its first meeting in March. At that meeting, the committee identified several additional areas of expertise it wanted to include and Gerard, along with three other members, were added. The committee will meet several more times, including August 2-3 in Detroit. It is expected to deliver its final report to the NHTSA by the end of June 2011.

Gerard, who joined the Lawrence faculty in 2009, specializes in risk regulations and public policy, including the interrelationships between regulations and technological change in the U.S. auto industry. He is also part of the development team for TrafficSTATS, an interactive web-based ,tool used to compare and communicate traffic safety risks.

Prior to coming to Lawrence, Gerard spent eight years on the faculty at Carnegie Mellon University, where he was the executive director of the Center for the Study and Improvement of Regulation in the Department of Engineering & Public Policy. Gerard blogs regularly for Lawrence students and alumni and “fellow travelers.”

Sculptor Rob Neilson Named to Endowed Professorship

Rob Neilson, associate professor of art at Lawrence University, has been named the college’s Frederick R. Layton Professor of Art. Appointments to endowed professorships recognize academic distinction through teaching excellence and/or scholarly achievement.

A member of the Lawrence art department since 2003, Neilson is a sculptor who specializes in public art and how that art engages the public and becomes part of their lives.

Working with metals, plastic, rubber and other exotic materials, Neilson has been awarded commissions for site-specific installations St. Elizabeth Hospital in Appleton, the cities of Charlotte, N.C., and Los Angeles, Calif., and the Long Beach Transit Authority. His foam and rubber sculpture, “Two-Head Trojan Ducky” was selected in 2004 for display at Chicago’s 10th Annual Navy Pier Walk exhibition.

One of his most recent commissions involved a series of 54 cast iron masks based on digitally scanned faces of local residents Neilson created for the Los Angeles Country Metropolitan Transit Authority. The four-foot-tall masks were affixed to the canopy of one of the L.A. county light rail stations. They were formally dedicated last November.

“Rob Neilson is an enormously creative artist and a wonderful teacher,” said Provost and Dean of the Faculty David Burrows. “His large-scale works have attracted national interest and praise for their unusual style and use of novel ideas. Rob is able to see the world in new and exciting ways, and his work reflects that vision. As a teacher he works many long hours and inspires his students to accomplish things they never thought possible.”

Neilson earned a bachelor of fine arts degree at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit and a master of fine arts degree in sculpture at the University of North Carolina.

The Layton Professorship was established in 1983 in part from a trust established by the assets of the Layton School of Art and Design as well as funds raised by Lawrence.Originally designed to bring distinguished artists to campus for multiple year stays, the endowed chair now supports a permanent position in the art department.

Opening Higher Education Doors: Lawrence Hosts Pre-College Workshop for Native Americans

Lawrence University welcomes 73 Native American high school students to campus June 26-30 for a five-day, pre-college workshop coordinated by College Horizons, a New Mexico-based non-profit organization.

Lawrence is one of three host institutions in the country for the 2010 workshop. The University of Hawaii hosted a similar program last week while the University of Puget Sound will conduct a similar program at the same time as Lawrence.

College-Horizons_web Native American students from as far away as Plantation, Fla., and Battle Ground, Wash., representing 24 states and 38 tribes, will participate in an “academic crash course” designed to assist them in the college search process.

As part of the 13th annual program, a bevy of college and high school counselors, admission officers, essay specialists and other educators will be on hand to work individually with students and lead small group sessions on topics ranging from “Overview of the ACT/SAT,” “Financial Aid & Scholarships: How Can I Afford College?” and “Native Students and College.”

The goal of the workshop is to assist Native American students in developing a list of appropriate colleges to consider, prepare a winning application, write a memorable essay, maximize their ACT or SAT scores and navigate the financial aid/scholarship maze. At the end of the program, students leave with a completed college application and a list of colleges with which they are likely to be good matches.

This is the second time in three years the program has been hosted by Lawrence.

“I think College Horizons accepted our bid to host again this soon because they had such a great experience two years ago when they were here and they wanted to come back now that the Warch Campus Center is more than a construction site,” said Steve Syverson, vice president for enrollment and dean of admissions and financial aid. “This program gives Lawrence some great exposure to Native American students and we’re delighted that this year we will have three College Horizons graduates in our student body.”

In addition to admissions personnel from Lawrence, representatives from more than 30 colleges and universities, including Brown, Harvard Princeton, Stanford and Yale will be available to assist the students. Following Native American tradition, an Elder from the Menominee Nation in Wisconsin will be present through the duration of the workshop. Several prominent educators from the College of Menominee Nation will be participating as well.

Since its inception, more than 1,550 students have attended College Horizons and the results have been nothing short of spectacular. Ninety-nine percent of the participants of the program have gone on to post-secondary education, including 95 percent of them to four-year colleges, with 85 percent earning their bachelors degree within five years of starting college.

Syverson noted Lawrence’s participation in the College Horizons program harkens back to the college’s founding.

“In establishing Lawrence University in 1847, Amos Lawrence stated that he wanted to provide ‘gratuitous advantage to the Indians and Germans of both sexes,’ so our involvement with College Horizons affirms part of our original mission,” said Syverson.

Six Alumni Awards for Career Achievement, Service Highlights Annual Reunion Weekend Celebration

Josh Hobson was so excited about returning to Lawrence University to attend his 10-year class reunion this weekend, he got an early start. He left April 30th…from San Francisco…on his bicycle!

The 2000 graduate expects to pedal his way on to the Lawrence campus Friday, just in time for the college’s annual Reunion Weekend Celebration activities June 18-20.

Hobson will be among 759 alumni and guests — from 40 states, England and Kenya — who will participate in the weekend-long festivities. Highlighting the weekend will be the presentation of six alumni awards for career achievement and distinguished service to the college during the annual Reunion Convocation Saturday, June 19 at 10:30 a.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. The convocation is free and open to the public.

Starting near the Golden Gate Bridge, Hobson pointed his Trek 520 east on April 30 for a transcontinental ride that will cover nearly 4,200 miles by time he reaches his Brooklyn, N.Y., apartment in early July. He had logged just over 3,000 miles when he reached his grandmother’s house in Princeton earlier this week. Prior to this, the longest ride Hobson had ever completed was a 240-miler over two days.

“This is something I’ve wanted to do ever since I was a little kid,” said Hobson, who has maintained a blog about his adventure.

One of his tires found a wood screw just 27 miles into the ride, but since stocking up on spare tubes — he carries six of them — he has not encountered another flat tire.

He did run out of water while crossing the desert in Utah (a friendly pick-up truck driver gave him an eight-mile lift to a gas station), met a fellow biker from Africa in Nevada who also was riding across the country so they rode together for a couple of days and discovered the road he had planned to take in a part of Wyoming was completely closed for construction, leaving him with a tough choice: take a 45-mile detour or ride 11 miles on the Interstate along side tractor trailer trucks whizzing by at 80-plus miles per hour. In the interest of time, he opted for the Interstate, which turned out to be the most frightening segment of the trip to date.

“What I’m doing is ridiculous,” said Hobson, who graduated with a degree in theatre, later attended the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan where he earned a degree in culinary arts and hopes to own his own restaurant in the not-too-distant future. “But I’m also encouraging people I’m meeting along the way to get out on their own bikes as much as possible. It doesn’t have to be a 100-mile ride. Whatever you can do. It’s all about the experience.”

Joel Blahnik, long-time Wisconsin high school band director and Paul Schmidt, an Immigration Judge, won’t be returning to their alma mater on bicycles, but each will receive Lawrence’s Lucia R. Briggs Distinguished Achievement Award. Named in honor of the second president of Milwaukee-Downer College, the Briggs award recognizes alumni of more than 15 years for outstanding contributions to, and achievements in, a career field.

A composer, conductor, retired music educator and member of the class of 1960, Blahnik, Fish Creek, spent 32 years as band director at three different Wisconsin high schools, including Gibraltar High School, where he taught for 13 years before his retirement in 1993. His father, Arthur, a 1933 Lawrence graduate, began his own career as band director at Gibraltar High School in the 1930s.

Blahnik’s compositions have been recorded around the world and been featured at national symposiums and international festivals. He is a founding member of the Wisconsin Alliance for Composers. As band director, his student ensembles have distinguished themselves at state convention, including three performances at the celebrated Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic. He has been a long-time clinician for state adjudication workshops, related-arts festivals, music camps, and other music activities from elementary schools to world professional ensembles.

During the past 22 years, Blahnik has been heavily involved in musical activity in the Czech Republic, where he co-founded the Prague Youth Wind Ensemble Festival and serves as guest conductor for student, amateur and professional ensembles. In 1989, he established Alliance Publications, Inc., a desk-top music publishing company to promote old and new Czecho-Slovak music, as well as educational and religious music of contemporary composers.

Schmidt, Alexandria, Va., who graduated from Lawrence in 1970 with a degree in history, has served as an Immigration Judge since 2003. Prior to that appointment, he spent eight years on the Board of Immigration Appeals in Falls Church, Va., including six years as board chairman before stepping down to adjudicate cases full-time.

Earlier in his career, Schmidt served as deputy general counsel and general counsel for the former Immigration and Naturalization Service, where he was instrumental in developing the rules and procedures to implement the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. He left the INS to practice business immigration law with the Washington, D.C. office of Jones, Day, Reavis, and Pogue. He later served as managing partner of the law firm Fragomen, Del Rey & Bernsen before joining the Executive Office for Immigration Review.

Schmidt has taught law at the George Mason University School of Law, authored numerous articles on immigration law and has written extensively for the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

J. Thomas Hurvis, Glenview, Ill., and Joseph Kortenhof, a native of Kimberly now living in St. Louis, Mo., will receive the Gertrude B. Jupp Outstanding Service Award. The award honors Jupp, a 1918 graduate of Milwaukee-Downer College, who was named M-D Alumna of the Year in 1964 for her long volunteer service to the college. It recognizes Lawrence and Milwaukee-Downer alumni of more than 15 years who have provided outstanding service to the college.

A 1960 Lawrence graduate, Hurvis was a member of the Lawrence Board of Trustees from 1990-2002 and was elected trustee emeritus in 2003. He has served Lawrence as a class agent and More Light! campaign event volunteer as well as a member of the steering and gift committees for his 40th reunion.

He has generously supported numerous Lawrence projects and initiatives over the years, among them the Warch Campus Center, Hurvis Crossing land bridge, the Lawrence Fellows Program, the Posse Program and conservatory ensemble tours.

An advocate for education reform, Hurvis has sponsored scholarships and internships for inner city youth and serves on the board of Providence St. Mel, a private K-12 school in Chicago, a former failing inner city school that now boasts a 100% acceptance rate of its school’s graduates to four-year colleges and universities for the past 29 years. In 2009, Hurvis and his wife, Julie Esch Hurvis ’61, produced an award-winning documentary — “The Providence Effect” — to showcase the school’s success and provide a platform for a conversation about improving education in America.

He is the co-founder, president and CEO of Old World Industries, a privately-held company that markets and sells chemical products and automotive parts, including Herculiner truck bed liners, Peak antifreeze and Febreze odor eliminator in more than 50 countries worldwide.

Kortenhof served as an Alumni Trustee for 10 years and chaired his 50th Reunion Gift Committee, helping secure Lawrence’s first Reunion Class Gift of more than $1 million. He is currently a member of the 60th Reunion Steering Committee for the Class of 1950.

Ten years after graduating from Lawrence, Kortenhof co-founded and served as senior partner of the St. Louis law firm Kortenhof & Ely, which specialized in malpractice, workers compensation, civil trial practice and casualty insurance. Amnog his past clients were General Motors Corp., Freightliner Corp. and Sentry Insurance.

Kortenhof, who spent time as an adjunct professor of law at Washington University Law School, was recognized in 1990 by the Lawyers Association of St. Louis with its Award of Honor.

Andrea Powers Robertson, Chicago, Ill., and Erin Stahowiak, Chicago, Ill., both 1994 graduates, will receive the Marshall B. Hulbert Outstanding Young Alumni Service Award, which recognizes a Lawrence graduate of 15 years or less for significant service to the college. The award honors Hulbert, a 1926 Lawrence graduate known as “Mr. Lawrence,” who served the university in many significant capacities for 54 years.

Andrea-Powers-Robertson_web — Andrea Powers Robertson

Powers Robertson has served her alma mater as an employee and a volunteer. She spent six years in the alumni relations office as assistant and later associate director and also helped coach the men’s and women’s swimming teams. She has served as a career contact, admissions volunteer, Viking Gift Committee member, international student host parent, More Light! campaign volunteer, class secretary and co-chair of the steering committee for her 15th reunion. She is employed by The Field Museum of Chicago where she is the auxiliary groups manager.

Stahowiak was a member of the Lawrence University Alumni Association from 2002-2005 and has served as a career contact, an admissions volunteer, a regional event volunteer, a regional club program committee member and an alumni phonathon caller. Last December, she participated in the Shadow Chicago networking event, in which Lawrence students from the Chicago area followed alumni at their jobs during the winter break. She is currently a senior planner for McDonald’s Corporation in Oak Brook, Ill.

African Sculptures Add Artistic Interest to Lawrence Campus

A gift of 14 African sculptures — seven for Lawrence University and seven for the Appleton Art Center — from Milwaukee art gallery owner David Barnett and his wife, Susan, a 1981 Lawrence graduate, will be officially dedicated Wednesday, June 16 in private ceremonies on campus and at the ACC.

The sculptures were created by members of the Shona tribe of Zimbabwe from a variety of stones, including opal, spring and serpentine.

Several of the pieces have been donated in memory or honor of people with special ties to Lawrence, the Fox Valley community or the Barnetts. Lawrence’s seven sculptures are located in four locations on campus.

“Beggar,” a piece donated in memory of James Auer, a 1950 Lawrence graduate who was a decades-long reporter and art critic for the Milwaukee Journal and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and “Mother and Children,” donated in memory of Barnett’s parents, Philip M. and Ethel Barnett, are located along the new riverwalk nature trail behind the Warch Campus Center.

“Traditional Dancer,” dedicated to the memory of Kaitlin Mahr, a member of the class of 2009 and “African Girl,” dedicated in honor of Cory ’92 and Michelle Nettles, are in the Wriston Art Center.

“Resting Man,” dedicated to the memory of former Lawrence Professor of French Gervais Reed and “Proud of My New Hair” can be found on Hurvis Crossing over Lawe Street.

“Waving Woman,” which was carved by Colleen Madamombe, widely considered one of the top sculptors in Zimbabwe, is located in Memorial Hall.

Lawrence Supports Appleton Juneteenth Celebration Sunday, June 27

Lawrence University has joined with several other community leaders in sponsoring the city of Appleton’s first Juneteenth Celebration, a national commemoration of the abolition of slavery for African Americans.

The celebration will be held Sunday, June 27 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. in Houdini Plaza in downtown Appleton. This event is free and open to the public.

Highlighting the Juneteenth Celebration will be performances by gospel musicians, the jazz band Right On, the R & B/funk/soul band Unified Soul, the reggae band Unity and live step dance performances by Kappa Alpha Psi and other Black Greek lettered organizations.

A DJ will provide music, entertainment and prize giveaways throughout the day while games, face painting and other activities will be available for children.

A pavilion featuring African clothing and vendor booths selling African American soul food and African cuisine will join with community vendors selling various food and merchandise.

From its 1865 origin in Galveston, Texas, the observance of Juneteenth as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond, becoming the oldest African American celebration in the country. Today Juneteenth is commemorated in 36 states. Gov. Doyle signed the Resolution to include Wisconsin as one of the states commemorating Juneteenth in December 2009.

Four Faculty Honored for Excellence at Commencement

Four members of the Lawrence University faculty were recognized for teaching excellence, scholarship and creative activity Sunday, June 13 during the college’s 161st commencement.

David Becker, professor of music and director of orchestral studies, received Lawrence’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, which recognizes outstanding performance in the teaching process, including the quest to ensure students reach their full development as individuals, human beings and future leaders of society.

Becker returned to the Lawrence conservatory in 2005 as director of orchestral studies after serving in the same capacity for four years early in his career in the mid-1970s. In between he held teaching positions at Oberlin College, the University of Miami and UW-Madison, where he spent 21 years as director of orchestras and professor of the graduate orchestral conducting program.

In presenting Becker his award, Lawrence President Jill Beck praised his “great skill as a master teacher.”

“Your marvelous direction of the Lawrence University Symphony Orchestra, your work with student productions such as opera and your involvement in every aspect of musical performance have had a profound effect on students, faculty and staff and the countless members of the community who have been present for the inspiring music events performed under your guidance,” said Beck. “Anyone who has attended a Lawrence Symphony Orchestra performance can sense the pride of the students and the love and respect they feel for you.”

A native of Pennsylvania, Becker earned a bachelor of music degree in viola performance and music education at Ithaca College School of Music and a master of music degree in viola performance and conducting from the University of Louisville School of Music.

Jerald Podair, professor of history and Robert S. French Professor of American Studies, received the Award for Excellence in Scholarship, which honors a faculty member who has demonstrated sustained scholarly excellence for a number of years and whose work exemplifies the ideals of the teacher-scholar.

A specialist on 20^th-century American history and American race relations, Podair joined the Lawrence faculty in 1998 as the winner of that year’s Allan Nevins Prize, an award conferred by the Society of American Historians for the best Ph.D. dissertation in history written in the country that year.

He is the author of two books, “The Strike That Changed New York: Blacks, Whites, and the Ocean Hill-Brownsville Crisis,” which examines a bitter racial controversy in New York City and “Bayard Rustin: American Dreamer,” a widely praised biography of the civil rights activist who organized Martin Luther King’s 1963 March on Washington. Other recent projects include an essay on Rudolph Giuliani and New York’s racial politics and an introduction to a new edition of the classic book about the sinking of the Titanic, “A Night to Remember.”

“Your scholarly contributions to Lawrence have been outstanding,” said Beck in presenting Podair his award. “You have published two books while at Lawrence and are working on no less than three other books. Your work has been published in several important journals and has led to many awards and honors. If there is something more that you might be expected to do right now, I have no idea what that could be.”

His current scholarship includes a baseball-themed book on the cultural implications of the Brooklyn Dodgers move to Los Angeles, a book that looks at the United States from 1877 to the present entitled “American Conversations” and a collection of essays on the ways Americans have sought to define the concept of equality.

A native of New York City, Podair serves as a member of the Wisconsin Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission and was named a fellow of the New York Academy of History in 2009. He earned a bachelor’s degree at New York University, a law degree from Columbia University and his Ph.D. from Princeton University.

Patrice Michaels, professor of music, received the Award for Excellence in Creative Activity. Established in 2006, the award recognizes outstanding creative work for advancing Lawrence’s mission.

An award-winning soprano, Michaels has taught vocal performance and music theatre in the Lawrence conservatory since 1994. A specialist in the works of Mozart, Michaels has performed at prestigious concert venues throughout the world, including Salzburg, Austria in 2006 for the 250th anniversary celebration of Mozart’s birth.

She is well known for her performance of “The Divas of Mozart’s Day,” a tour de force theatrical production that celebrates the divas of late 18^th-century Vienna. She has released 20 commercial recordings, among them the disc “American Songs,” which included eight world premiere recordings.

“You have been a powerful force for creative activity, both through your own work and through the inspiration you have provided to others,” said Provost David Burrows in presenting Michaels her award. “Your presence has helped many students develop their own creative abilities, helped by your supportive and friendly attention.”

In a career that has taken her to opera stages around the world, Michaels also has performed for the U.S. Supreme Court and Cuban President Fidel Castro. Most recently she has remounted an original program she first developed while at the Banff Centre for the Arts. “A Song for Harmonica,” featuring a 4-foot tall bib overall-clad puppet worked by Michaels, is a program designed for elementary school students to explore the nature of inspiration through operatic excerpts and original songs.

Michaels earned a bachelor’s degree in music and theatre from Pomona College and a master of fine arts degree from the University of Minnesota.

Dominica Chang, assistant professor of French and Francophone studies, received Lawrence’s Young Teacher Award in recognition of demonstrated excellence in the classroom and the promise of continued growth.

A member of the Lawrence faculty since 2007, Chang’s research interests include 19^th-century French studies, literary history and historiography, print culture, film studies and language pedagogy.

In presenting her award, Burrows praised Chang for her “extraordinary success” in the classroom and for being a “wonderful example of the concept of individualized learning.”

“Students speak with enthusiasm about your ability to inspire everyone to learn and reach the highest levels of achievement,” said Burrows. “Your patience and warmth help students conquer their anxieties about writing and speaking and produce work of outstanding quality. Your feedback is frequent and helpful.

“Students say they strive to do well because they want to repay the trust you show in them and many give you the ultimate praise: you are the best professor they have ever had,” he added.

Chang earned a bachelor’s degree in French language and literature from UW-Madison, a master’s degree in French studies from Middlebury College and a Ph.D. in Romance languages and literatures from the University of Michigan. She also spent a year studying at the University of Paris.

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