Rick Peterson

Author: Rick Peterson

Spoerl Environmental Series Focuses on the “Greening” of Higher Education

A scholar on the integration of environmental studies and sustainability programs in higher education opens Lawrence University’s 2010 Spoerl Lectures in Science and Society series. The theme for this year’s three-part series is “The Greening of Higher Education.”

Nan Jenks-Jay, dean of environmental affairs at Vermont’s Middlebury College, presents “Sustainability and the Liberal Arts,” Wednesday, May 12 at 7 p.m. in Thomas Steitz Science Hall Room 102. The presentation is free and open to the public.

As dean of environmental affairs, Jenks-Jay had been instrumental in raising Middlebury’s nationally recognized environmental academic program to new heights and integration. She will examine Middlebury’s success in integrating sustainability as a visible aspect of the culture of the college, present examples on how sustainability is integrated into the academic program and discuss the importance of empowering students.

For nearly three decades, Jenks-Jay has been involved in environmentally related work as an administrator, educator, ecologist and consultant. She has been associated with the two oldest undergraduate environmental studies programs in the country, spending 15 years at Williams College and the past 14 at Middlebury. She also has developed new undergraduate and graduate environmental programs for the University of Redlands in California.

Her extensive experience has earned Jenks-Jay invitations to chair external review committees for more than a dozen college and university environmental programs. She has served on several international and national committees, state governmental boards and numerous commissions and lectures frequently on topics related to the environment, sustainability and transformational change within higher education.

Other presentations on this year’s series include:

• May 18, “The Role of the Arts in Sustainable Community Development,” Amara Geffen, professor of art and director of the Center for Economic and Environmental Development, Allegheny College.

• May 19, “Education in Action for a Sustainable Future,” Debra Rowe, president, U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development and professor, sustainable energies and behavioral sciences, Oakland Community College.

The environmental lecture series is sponsored by the Spoerl Lectureship in Science in Society. Established in 1999 by Milwaukee-Downer College graduate Barbara Gray Spoerl and her husband, Edward, the lectureship promotes interest and discussion on the role of science and technology in societies worldwide.

Science Hall Colloquium Features Documentary Film on Wolf/Moose Interactions

Chicago independent filmmaker George Desort’s documentary film “Fortunate Wilderness,” based on a half-century study of predator/prey interactions, will be screened Tuesday, May 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Warch Campus Center cinema as part of a Science Hall Colloquium. The event is free and open to the public.

Desort will introduce the film and conduct a question-and-answer session following the film.

In making the film, Desort spent four years with wolf biologists Rolf Peterson and John Vucetich in Upper Michigan’s Isle Royale National Park, a collection of islands covering 206 square miles in the northwest corner of Lake Superior. The two researchers have been examining the relationship between wolves and moose for 50 years, making their work the longest continuous study of predator/prey interactions ever conducted in the country.

Environmental Efforts Earn Lawrence University Inclusion on National “Green” Guide

Lawrence University is one of the country’s most environmentally responsible colleges according to The Princeton Review.

The national education services company selected Lawrence for its new resource for college applicants, “The Princeton Review’s Guide to 286 Green Colleges.”

Developed in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council, the “Guide to 286 Green Colleges” is a comprehensive guidebook focused solely on institutions of higher education that have demonstrated an above average commitment to sustainability in terms of campus infrastructure, activities and initiatives.

The guide profiles the nation’s most environmentally-responsible campuses and highlights each institution’s ecological commitment based on several criteria, including the USGBC’s LEED green building certification program, use of renewable energy resources, formal sustainability committees and recycling and conservation programs.

Lawrence was cited in the guide for its Green Roots program, a two-year-long environmental initiative launched in 2008 designed to establish a framework to develop institutional policies and procedures to promote environmental awareness on the campus.

Other factors in Lawrence’s inclusion in the Green Guide included the Warch Campus Center’s LEED Gold certification, the student-run sustainable garden that provides fresh produce to the dining hall, the composting of all food prep waste and the college’s vibrant environmental studies program that draws faculty from 11 different departments and focuses on research projects that lead to solutions for real world environmental problems.

More recently, Lawrence installed its first solar panel and placed ninth nationally among 346 colleges in the 2010 Recyclemania competition’s per capita recycling category.

“Over the past two years, Lawrence has made great strides in its efforts to improve our sustainability and instill environmentally sound practices, from reducing our water and natural gas consumption to dramatically cutting our paper usage” said Jeff Clark, associate professor of geology and faculty associate to the president for the Green Roots initiative. “It’s gratifying to have those efforts recognized.”

The 286 schools included in the guide were selected on the basis of their 2009 “Green Rating” scores in The Princeton Review’s annual college guidebook. The “Green Rating” is a numerical score from 60–99 based on several data points developed in conjunction with the USGBC. Lawrence’s green rating was 83.

According to a recent survey conducted by The Princeton Review, 64 percent of college applicants and their parents indicated information about a school’s commitment to the environment would impact their decision to apply to or attend it.

“Students and their parents are becoming more and more interested in learning about and attending colleges and universities that practice, teach and support environmental responsibility,” said Robert Franek, senior vice president and publisher of The Princeton Review. “We created this guide to help them evaluate how institutions focus on environmental responsibility so that they can make informed decisions as they move through the college assessment and application process.”

GWU Law Dean Offers Legal Perspective on Environmental Challenges in Povolny Lecture Series Presentation

Lee Paddock, associate dean for environmental law studies at The George Washington University Law School, examines the major domestic and international environmental challenges of the 21st century and the mechanisms that can drive environmental behavior in the final address of Lawrence University’s 2010 Povolny Lecture Series in International Studies “The Climate for Climate Change.”

Paddock presents “Environmental Change: A Legal Perspective,” Monday, May 10 at 7 p.m. in the Wriston Art Center auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

Focusing on how environmental governance needs to evolve to support long-term environmental sustainability, Paddock will discuss the roles regulation, economics and societal values play in influencing environmental behavior, arguing an integrated approach is necessary to move toward sustainable outcomes.

Paddocks’s work at The George Washington University Law School focuses on environmental compliance and enforcement, environmental governance and environmental management in the context of emerging nanotechnologies.

A senior consultant to the National Academy of Public Administration on environmental issues, Paddock also serves on The George Washington University sustainability implementation team.

Prior to joining The George Washington University, Paddock directed the environmental law programs at Pace University School of Law and spent 20 years in the Minnesota attorney general’s office, including 13 years as the state’s director of environmental policy.

“The Climate for Climate Change” lecture series is sponsored by the Mojmir Povolny Lectureship in International Studies. Named in honor of long-time Lawrence government professor Mojmir Povolny, the lectureship promotes interest and discussion on issues of moral significance and ethical dimensions.

Sara Wallsworth Named Fulbright Scholar, Will Teach English in Germany

Before graduating from high school, Sara Wallsworth twice traveled to Stuttgart, Germany to visit relatives serving there in the U.S. Air Force.

But for the Lawrence University senior from Waukesha, it was the things she didn’t experience on those visits more than what she did that actually sparked her interest in all things German.

“Living on the military base, my cousins really weren’t exposed to the German culture and it made me think how interesting it would be to learn the language, experience the culture and come back at some point by myself,” said Wallwsorth, a German and linguistics major at Lawrence.

Beginning this fall, Wallsworth will realize that opportunity after being named a 2010 Fulbright Scholar. She was awarded a fellowship for a nine-month appointment to teach English in Germany. She is the 14th Lawrence student since 2001 named a Fulbright Scholar.

Wallsworth will spend September through June 2010 as an English language assistant in Baden-Wüttemberg, a southwest state bordering France and Switzerland at either a middle or secondary school still to be determined.

Wallsworth serves as both a writing tutor and an ELS (English as a Second Language) tutor in Lawrence’s Center for Teaching and Learning. She also assists as a tutor in both her German and linguistics courses.

It was during a 16-week study abroad program in Freiburg, Germany in the fall of 2008 that convinced her to apply for the Fulbright Fellowship.

“I fell in love with Germany and wanted to figure out a way to go back,” said Wallsworth of her time in Freiburg. “I thought a Fulbright appointment would be great way to bridge my life from Lawrence to the next step in my education.”

While serving as an unofficial ambassador for her home country, Wallsworth is approaching her upcoming appointment as a personal growth opportunity.

“This is going to allow me to get a better grasp of the language, but I’m also looking forward to living independently in a different country and immersing myself in a different culture,” said Wallsworth. “It’s about living and traveling in Europe and experiencing that lifestyle. I certainly want to gain a more international perspective on the world while I’m there.”

Created by Congress in 1946 to foster mutual understanding among nations through educational and cultural exchanges, the Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s premier scholarship program. Since its founding, it has supported opportunities for nearly 300,000 American students, scholars and other professionals in more than 150 countries.

Forty Fulbright alumni have earned Nobel Prizes while others have gone on to become heads of state, judges, ambassadors, CEOs, university presidents, professors and teachers.

Documentary “The Life Over There,” Director Dan Ollman Featured in Visiting Artist Lecture Series

The latest work of Milwaukee-based independent filmmaker Dan Ollman, “The Life Over There,” will be screened Monday, May 3 as part of the 2009-10 Lawrence University Visiting Artist Lecture Series. The film will be shown at 7 p.m. in the Warch Campus Center cinema followed by a question-and-answer session and reception with Ollman. The event is free and open to the public.

The 2009 film examines three different lives from the part of America’s inner cities known simply as “the hood.” Providing rare glimpses into the street life of “the black neighborhood,” Ollman’s movie offers images that are shocking, disheartening and yet still provide a collective hope for a better tomorrow. “The Life Over There” was one of six feature films showcased last fall at the Milwaukee Film Festival.

Ollman also has directed the 2004 documentary “The Yes Men,” which won the Audience Award at the Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival and 2006’s “Suffering and Smilling,” a documentary focused on the legendary African singer and activist Fela Kuti, his son Femi, and the impact of their politically charged music.

Ollman’s visit is sponsored by Lawrence University department of art and art history.

“Ordinary Happiness” Focus of SMU English Professor’s Main Hall Forum

Award-winning author and essayist Willard Spiegelman discusses the simple joys that can be derived from everyday activities in the Lawrence University Main Hall Forum “Sanguinity for Beginners: Seven Pleasures,” Thursday, April 29 at 4:30 p.m. in Main Hall 201.

Willard-Spiegelman_web — Willard Spiegelman

The presentation is based on Spiegelman’s most recent book, “Seven Pleasures: Essays on Ordinary Happiness,” which examines the pursuit of happiness and its accompanying delights without reliance on religion or drugs through such activities as reading, dancing, writing and walking.

Spiegelman, the Duwain E. Hughes Jr. Distinguished Professor of English at Southern Methodist University, where he has taught since 1971, is the author of nine books and is a regular contributor to the “Leisure & Arts” page of the Wall Street Journal. He serves as editor-in-chief of The Southwest Review, the third oldest continuously published literary quarterly in the country.

Spiegelman’s presentation is sponsored by the Gordon R. Clapp Lectureship in American Studies.

Visiting Scarff Professor Featured April 29 in Livestream Interview

George Wyeth, who is spending Term III as Lawrence University’s Stephen Edward Scarff Memorial Visiting Professor in the government department, will be the featured guest of The Post-Crescent’s weekly “Newsmaker” livestream interview Thursday, April 29 at 1 p.m. You can watch it here.

A 1973 Lawrence graduate, Wyeth is director of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Policy and Program Change Division. He will be discussing his Scarff appointment as well as his work with the EPA, where he tests and promotes innovative approaches to environmental protection as the county transitions to a “green economy.”

Wyeth has played a lead role in overseeing the use of Lean Manufacturing and Six Sigma strategies to achieve environmental improvement, streamlined EPA’s administrative processes and developed agency strategies to promote the use of sustainable products.

Pianist Simone Dinnerstein Brings her “Dreamy Lyricism” to Lawrence Memorial Chapel

Pianist Simone Dinnerstein, hailed as “a phenomenon in the world of classical music” by The Washington Post, performs Friday, April 30 at 8 p.m. in the Lawrence University Memorial Chapel as part of the college’s annual Artist Series.

The concert will include works by Bach, Copland, Lasser, Schubert and Webern. Tickets, at $20-22 for adults, $17-19 for seniors and $15-17 for students, are available through the Lawrence Box Office, 920-832-6749.

Simone-Dinnerstein_web — Simone Dinnerstein

Best known for her intelligent but emotive performances of Bach, Dinnerstein jumped into the international spotlight with her acclaimed 2007 recording of Bach’s challenging “Goldberg Variations.”

Since a triumphant recital debut at Carnegie Hall in 2005, she has earned widespread acclaim, including consecutive Classical Recording Foundation Awards in 2006 and 2007 for her recording of Beethoven’s complete works for piano and cello with Zuill Bailey. She recently signed an exclusive recording agreement with Sony Classical, which will release an all-Bach disc this fall.

Dinnerstein has performed solo and with symphonies at renowned concert halls and festivals across the U.S. and Europe. The New Yorker described her as “the pianists’ pianist of Generation X.”

Pianist Catherine Kautsky, professor of music at Lawrence, says it is Dinnerstein’s individual voice that places her among the best pianists of her time.

“Simone has a dreamy lyricism that makes you feel she’s communing very personally and privately with her audience, whether she’s playing a slow movement of Bach, a Schubert Impromptu or a difficult 20^th-century work,” said Kautsky. “Her sound is unfailingly lush and beautiful. She’s not afraid to take time to make a musical line, to establish her own space and make her own statements. She draws you in to her universe.”

A graduate of The Juilliard School, Dinnerstein performs regularly for the Piatigorsky Foundation, an organization that brings classical music to non-traditional venues such as nursing homes, schools, community centers and correctional institutions.

She also founded P.S. 321 Neighborhood Concerts, an evening concert series at the Brooklyn elementary school where her husband teaches. The concerts raise funds for the school’s Parent Teacher Association and features musicians Dinnerstein has admired and collaborated with during her career.

DownBeat Magazine Honors Fred Sturm, Student Band Fatbook with Music Awards

For more than 30 years, Fred Sturm has devoted his life to enthusiastically sharing his love of jazz with aspiring musicians.

That dedication was not lost on the editors of DownBeat magazine, who have named Sturm a recipient of its 2010 Jazz Education Achievement Award as part of its annual Student Music Awards.

And for the second straight year, the magazine also recognized the Lawrence student band Fatbook with its blues/pop/rock category as the nation’s best college band, sharing the honor with Compendium from Western Michigan University.

The awards were announced in DownBeat’s June edition, which hit newsstands April 27. Known as “DBs” and presented in 15 categories in four separate divisions (junior high, high school, performing high school and college) the DownBeat awards are considered among the highest music honors in the field of jazz education.

As a 19-year-old student at Lawrence in the early 1970s, Sturm formed the conservatory’s first-ever jazz ensemble, which in turn became a catalyst for the creation of the jazz studies department at Lawrence. Four years after earning his degree from Lawrence, Sturm returned to Lawrence to direct the college’s jazz program, which he has done for 22 years (1977-91, 2002-10).

“The award certainly means a great deal to me,” said Sturm. “DownBeat is the jazz world’s bible and the mere fact that its editorial staff even knows who I am, let alone selected me for the award, is humbling.”

The Jazz Education Achievement Award honors jazz instructors who have made significant contributions toward the development of future jazz artists and positively impacted their school’s jazz programs through their commitment to jazz education. Winners are chosen by a panel of educators/artists.

Sturm shares the 2010 award with Bob Lark of DePaul University and Bob Sinicrope of the Milton Academy in Massachusetts.

DownBeat editor Ed Enright said Sturm was recognized as “the perfect example of a teacher who goes the extra mile” for his students and ensembles.

“Fred’s influence can be seen and heard throughout the jazz education community,” said Enright. “We recognize him for the many DownBeat Student Music Awards his students and ensembles have brought home over the years, the high quality of his compositions and arrangements, the effectiveness and popularity of his own published texts and teaching methods, his high-profile gigs as guest conductor for major jazz orchestras in Europe, and his tireless work as a clinician and ensemble coach at educational festivals throughout the United States.

“DownBeat is very proud of its long association with Fred and we encourage him to continue his tireless efforts,” Enright added. “The very future of jazz itself depends on the work of top educators like him.”

Sturm’s student jazz ensembles at Lawrence and the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., where he spent 11 years, have won nine Downbeat awards during his career.

“DownBeat has applauded our jazz efforts at Lawrence over the years with numerous awards for LUJE (jazz ensemble), Jazz Singers, combos, composers, arrangers and recording” said Sturm. “Receiving recognition as a teacher in DownBeat’s awards process has special significance for me.”

Last year, Fatbook became a footnote in Lawrence history as the college’s first non-curricular ensemble to be recognized by DownBeat. This year they add to that footnote by becoming Lawrence’s first-ever back-to-back DB recipient.

“The musicians in Fatbook deserve major kudos,” said Sturm, a mentor to the band. “Consecutive DownBeat awards is not only unprecedented for Lawrence ensembles and individual students, but it’s a rarity for any university in the Student Music Awards. The Fatbook performers and composers have demonstrated a uniquely creative collective voice as an ensemble. I’m extremely proud of them.”

Formed in 2007, the seven-member band was recognized for its CD “No Time to Lose,” an all-original 10-track disc of songs written by members of the band.

Senior Harjinder Bedi, the “instigator” behind the creation of Fatbook, said there was a moment of “slight disbelief” in hearing the news the band had won for the second year in a row.

“But then I felt a sense of validation,” said Bedi, who plays guitar and sings lead vocals. “The award tells me that what we have going on with this project is worth investing our efforts in.”

Bedi is one of three Appleton students in the band along with founding members senior saxophonist Jake Crowe and trumpet player Ted Toussaint, a 2009 Lawrence graduate. Other original band members include bassist Nick Anderson, drummer Kyle Traska and trombonist Evan Jacobson, all 2009 graduates, along with keyboardist Dario LaPoma, a senior from Eugene, Ore.

With several members no longer on campus, Bedi said the band has been able to experiment with other talented musicians.

“In having some time with a fluid line-up, we’ve had the opportunity to grow and play with a number of different musicians from Lawrence and the Chicago area.”

Last year’s DownBeat award was a springboard to club dates throughout the Fox Cities and Wisconsin, with future concerts in Madison, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Chicago in the works. Fatbook also has applied for the 2010 Jazz Aspen Snowmass Academy Summer Sessions June 23-July 4.

“If we got accepted, it would be a great, if not humbling, experience for us,” said Bedi, a music education and anthropology major at Lawrence. “We’d be doing workshops with some of the greatest jazz musicians in the United States.”

With graduation on the horizon and a student-teaching position in Chicago scheduled this fall, Bedi is hoping to establish a base for the band in the Windy City.

“When we started this group, I had no expectations of how well things would go, but I said as long as we’re doing it, I’m going to push it as hard as I can and learn as much as I can,” said Bedi. “Ideally it would be great to be able to make music full time, but we’re all still kids and I’m trying to keep things in perspective.”

Sturm’s and Fatbook’s awards push Lawrence’s DB total to 17 since the competition was launched in 1978, and the college’s seventh DB since 2005.

This year’s DownBeat competition drew a total of 856 ensemble and individual entries for all categories in all four divisions.

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