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Artist Berel Lutsky Discusses Image and Language in Visiting Artist Series Lecture

Artist Berel Lutsky explores the interplay between image and language in his artwork Tuesday, April 13 at 4:30 p.m. in the Wriston Art Center auditorium in a Lawrence University 2009-2010 Visiting Artist Series address. The event is free and open to the public.

The presentation will examine the often misplaced trust people place in appearances and well-crafted explanations. The vast amount of both visual and verbal information bombarding  people today often causes them to ignore the sources and manipulations of image and word. Focusing on the blurred line between fact and fiction, Lutsky’s artwork examines the consequences of ignoring the complexities of the truths that drive the world.

Lutsky, an associate professor of art at UW-Manitowoc, works primarily with paper, specializing in commercial and fine art printmaking, drawing and photography. He recently spent a month-long residency in Israel at the Jerusalem Print Workshop. His artwork has been exhibited publicly in the U.S., Israel and Japan and also can be found in private collections in China, Belgium and Germany.  One of his pieces was selected last summer for the Wisconsin Visual Artist’s Biennial, a state-wide fine arts competition open to all visual artists in the state.

Visiting Poet Rebecca Wolff Conducts Q & A, Reading

Poet Rebecca Wolff reads from her latest collection, “The King,” Thursday, April 15 at 8 p.m. in the Kohler Gallery of Lawrence University’s Wriston Art Center. A reception and book signing follows.

Rebecca-Wolff_web
Rebecca Wolff

Prior to her reading, Wolff will conduct a question-and-answer session at 4:30 p.m. in Main Hall 104. Both events are free and open to the public.

“The King,” which includes short poems that challenge the traditional views of motherhood, is Wolff’s third collection of poetry. Her first, “Manderley,” published in 2001, was selected for the National Poetry Series, while her second, 2004’s “Figment,” received the Barnard Women Poets Prize, which is awarded every other year for an exceptional second collection of poems written by an American woman who has already published one book of poetry.

In 1998, Wolff, along with a small group of editors, founded Fence magazine, a biannual journal of poetry, fiction, art and criticism. The same organization launched Fence Books in 2001 to publish poetry, fiction, critical texts and anthologies.

Wolff’s appearance is supported by the Mia Paul Poetry Fund.

Asthma Research Earns Michael Schreiber Invitation to 2010 Posters on the Hill Conference

Lawrence University senior Michael Schreiber has been selected to present his research on the mechanisms of common cold-induced asthma exacerbations Tuesday, April 13 at the 14th annual Posters on the Hill event at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Schreiber, a biochemistry and English major from West Allis, was one of only 80 undergraduate students from colleges and universities around the country chosen to share his research. Sponsored by the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR), the Posters on the Hill conference showcases the value of undergraduate research and strives to ensure future federal funding for new research.

“This is a great opportunity to highlight the excellent research we do at Lawrence and the wonderful sponsors of that research, including the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the McNair Foundation and of course Lawrence itself,” said David Hall, associate professor of chemistry and Schreiber’s academic advisor. “Michael’s research is built upon insights garnered by previous Lawrence student researchers over the past eight years. Continued funding at all levels will ensure many more undergraduates will have top quality research experiences.”

Student presenters for the Posters on the Hill conference are selected on the basis of a submitted abstract of their research conducted in any of CUR’s divisions: biology, chemistry, arts and humanities, social sciences, psychology, mathematics/computer sciences, physics/astronomy and geosciences.

Schreiber’s research, in the chemistry division, investigates the function of compounds called G-proteins, which function as molecular switches in certain cells of the immune system. They play a role in turning on the inflammatory response to cold virus in the lungs. The poster is based upon a submitted article to the journal Innate Immunity co-authored by Schreiber, Bryce Schuler, a 2009 Lawrence graduate and Hall.

While in Washington, Schreiber will participate in a reception in which each of the submitted posters will be displayed for members of Congress, federal funding agencies and other area foundations.

Three Lawrence University Students Write Winning Analysis in International Modeling Competition

A 10-page report analyzing the effects that the accumulation of plastic debris has on the Pacific Ocean earned three Lawrence University students “Outstanding Winner” honors in a recently completed international interdisciplinary modeling contest.

Lu Yu, a junior from Guangzhou, China, sophomore Fangzhou Qiu from Shanghai, China, and Jian Gong, a sophomore from Chengdu, China, co-authored one of four reports that was designated as an outstanding winner from among 356 entries in the 12th annual Interdisciplinary Contest in Modeling (ICM) conducted by the Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications (COMAP).

Lawrence was one of only two U.S. colleges designated an outstanding winner among the four. Foreign teams, primarily from China, Indonesia and Malaysia, accounted for 333 of the competition’s 356 entries.

Working in teams of three, students had five days to research, analyze, model and communicate a solution to the problem. In their report, the Lawrence team modeled the environmental impact of plastic debris in the ocean and how this impact varies with time, particle size and other factors.

“Their report was a tour de force drawn from multiple disciplines — mathematics, physical oceanography and chemistry among them,” said Stefan Debbert, assistant professor of chemistry, who served as the faculty advisor for the project. “It gave concrete advice as to how we can better protect our oceans.”

The analysis written by Yu, Qiu and Gong will be published later this year in The UMAP Journal, along with commentaries from the problem author and contest judges.

Joining Lawrence as the contest’s four outstanding winners were Carroll College in Helena, Mont., and China’s Jiaotong and Dianzi universities.

Based in Bedford, Mass., COMAP is a non-profit organization focused on improving mathematics education for students of all ages. Since 1980, it has created learning environments where mathematics is used to investigate and model real world issues.

LU Student Musicians Featured in Sunday WPR Broadcast

Three Lawrence University student musicians — pianists Marshall Cuffe and David Keep and saxophonist Sumner Truax — will be featured performers April 11 at 12:30 p.m. in the annual Neale-Silva Young Artist’s Winners’ Recital.

The recital, performed in the Wisconsin Union Theater in Madison, will be broadcast live statewide on the Classical Music Network of Wisconsin Public Radio and can be heard locally on WPNE, 89.3 FM.

Cuffe, Keep and Truax were named three of the five winners at the 2010 Neale-Silva Young Artist’s Competition conducted last month.

For Sunday’s recital, Cuffe will perform Bach’s “Chromatic Fantasy in D minor” and “Fantasy on Themes from ‘The Wizard of Oz’” by William Hirtz. Keep will play three movements from Alberto Ginastera’s “Sonata No. 1.” Truax will perform “Buku” by Jacob Ter Veldhuis and “Tableaux de ProvenceI” by Paule Maurice.

“Trip Around the World” Goal of Lawrence International’s 34th Annual Cabaret

With a theme of “Around the World in 90 Minutes,” more than 80 Lawrence University students promise a whirlwind global tour in two performances of Lawrence International’s 34th annual Cabaret Saturday, April 10 at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday April 11 at 3 p.m. in Stansbury Theatre of the Music-Drama Center, 420 E. College Ave. A buffet dinner featuring international dishes will be served in the Warch Campus Center following the Sunday performance.

Tickets, at $8 for the show and $15 for the show and dinner, are available through the Lawrence Box Office, 920-832-6749. Children four and under are free.

“Cabaret is a unique and entertaining way to experience the music, dance, food and fashion of cultures from around the world,” said Tim Schmidt, Lawrence International advisor. “The students put so much of themselves into this every year and are so proud to share part of their culture. I encourage the Lawrence and Fox Valley community to join us and see first-hand all that Cabaret has to offer.”

Students will showcase traditional fashion from their native countries as well as perform a wide range of entertainment, including native dances from China, Japan, Latin America, the Subcontinent, Africa and Vietnam, music from Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Korea and Brazil and a group didjeridu performance .

Food Presentation Examines Local Sourcing, Sustainability Issues

Dayna Burtness, a Sustainability Fellow with Bon Appétit, the management company that oversees Lawrence University’s dining services, presents “The Story Behind the Food” Tuesday, April 6 at 7 p.m. in the Warch Campus Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Burtness is one of three recent college graduates serving as fellows for Bon Appétit who are studying best labor and sustainability practices on the farms that supply the company’s 400 cafés in 30 states across the country. The presentation will examine several Bon Appétit initiatives, including Farm to Fork, a local sourcing program and Low Carbon Diet.

Burtness is a graduate of St. Olaf College, where she was co-founder of the college’s student-run farm and served as an intern with the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy and later became a program associate for the Institute’s Local Foods Program.

The mission of the Bon Appétit Fellows program is to gather information that will lead to better partnerships with farms of all sizes that supply the company’s kitchens. Bon Appétit wants to help farmers build and improve on existing relationships with all their buyers to regionalize and strengthen the country’s food supply chain and improve food security and sustainability for the future.

Bon Appétit began buying direct from farmers through its Farm to Fork local sourcing program 10 years ago as a way to address the loss of flavor in food as a result of industrial agricultural practices and long shipping distances.

Following a spring 2009 visit to Florida’s tomato fields and talks with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Bon Appétit expanded the program, addressing labor issues throughout its entire supply chain. The fellows’ work is the company’s next step toward justice and fairness for farm workers.

Stage Reading Features New Play by Lawrence University Professor Tim Troy

A staged reading of a new play written by Lawrence University Professor of Theatre Arts and J. Thomas and Julie Esch Hurvis Professor of Theatre and Drama Timothy X. Troy will be held Tuesday, April 6 at 7 p.m. in Harper Hall. The reading is free and open to the public.

“Radio and Juliet” is a cautionary tale that incorporates Shakespearean themes with shades of George Orwell and 1950’s science fiction amid the workings of an elusive crime spree only Juliet can solve.

It centers around an environmental crisis that forces the government to create two classes of citizens: the resettled Arids, who occupy the recently exposed lake bed of the Great Lakes and the Old Shores, who protect what remains of the fresh water supply. Juliet is on the eve of reaching adulthood when she falls in love with an Arid pirate broadcaster who challenges the assumptions upon which her culture depends.

The three-character reading features Lawrence junior Erika Thiede as Juliet and professional actors from the American Players Theatre and the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre.

The reading, a preliminary step before being staged as a full production, will feature actors reading from music stands with minimal props. Following the reading, the audience will be invited to participate in a group discussion to offer feedback on the plot or characters.

Troy began working on the project in 2006 and completed it earlier this year while on sabbatical. Last December he participated in a Lawrence-sponsored study tour of China that examined environmental and water policy issues with 12 students and colleagues from the economics and geology departments. Many of the themes explored in “Radio and Juliet” grew out of his China trip experiences.

Grammy-Winning Tenor Anthony Dean Griffey Performs April 9 in Lawrence Artist Series Concert

Four-time Grammy award-winning tenor Anthony Dean Griffey brings his powerful, lyric voice to the stage of the Lawrence Memorial Chapel Friday, April 9 at 8 p.m.  Accompanied by pianist Warren Jones, Griffey performs in concert as part of Lawrence’s 2009-10 Artist Series.

Tickets, at $22-20 for adults, $19-17 for seniors and $17-15 for students, are available through the Lawrence Box Office, 420 E. College Ave., Appleton, 920-832-6749.

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Anthony Dean Griffey

Best known for his “achingly vulnerable and alarming interpretation” of the title character in Benjamin Britten’s “Peter Grimes,” Griffey has performed with leading symphonies and at prestigious opera houses around the world, including the Metropolitan Opera and the Opera Nationale de Paris.  Among his other starring roles, Griffey has performed as Mitch in “A Streetcar Named Desire” and Lennie Small in “Of Mice and Men.”

Steven Spears, assistant professor of music at Lawrence, says Griffey boasts three outstanding qualities that make him a bona fide star.

“First and foremost he has a sweet tone, which is not usual for a tenor voice of its size,” said Spears, who sang with Griffey at the Opera Theater of St. Louis in 1994.  “He also possesses a keen intellect and musicianship, which is necessary for more difficult repertoire, both vocally and musically.  And thirdly, he brings sensitive insight into the text and his character comes from a beautiful soul.”

A North Carolina native, Griffey added a pair of Grammy Awards to his collection in 2010 as the principal soloist on a live recording of the San Francisco Symphony’s performance of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 and the Adagio from Symphony no. 10.  The recording earned Grammys for best classical album and best choral performance.

Griffey appeared on DVD in the Grammy-winning Los Angeles Opera production of “Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny,” which also aired on PBS and has been featured as Artist of the Week on A&E’s “Breakfast with the Arts.”

Jones, who accompanies many of today’s prominent singers, performing nearly all his music from memory, was recently named “Collaborative Pianist of the Year” for 2010 by Musical America.

A member of the faculty at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, Jones leads a graduate degree program in collaborative piano and conducts frequent master classes around the country.  He also performs as principal pianist for the West Coast chamber music group Camerata Pacifica.

$23,000 Grant Boosts Lawrence University Program in Innovation and Entrepreneurship

A $23,000 grant will support Lawrence University’s growing innovation and entrepreneurship program, a university-wide initiative launched in 2008 that engages students, faculty and alumni.

The two-year grant from the National Collegiate Inventors & Innovators Alliance will target the program’s flagship course “In Pursuit of Innovation.”  Cross-taught through Lawrence’s economics and physics departments, the course incorporates the use of guest experts from various fields, intertwines innovation with entrepreneurship and employs a project-driven, hands-on component designed to develop a learning community eager to pursue innovative and entrepreneurial ventures.

Since its launch, 41 students have taken the “Innovation” course.  Operating in three-person teams and in conjunction with the FabLab, a prototyping facility at Fox Valley Technical College, students have worked on projects ranging from the development of a multi-directional split-field camera and an ergonomic student desk to a hand sanitizing system for hospitals and schools and a personal identification system that allows health records to be retrieved automatically in the event of an accident.

“From its inception, our course has focused on diverse teams creating innovative products or processes, leading to functioning prototypes,” said Adam Galambos, assistant professor of economics and one of the program’s originators, along with John Brandenberger, professor emeritus of physics and Marty Finkler, professor of economics.  “This grant will enable us to take the Innovation course to a whole new level with student ‘E-teams,’ which will translate ideas into new products or services that benefit society.

“With its long-standing commitment to the liberal arts and sciences, Lawrence is the ideal setting for a program that inspires students and faculty to create innovative new ventures that combine ideas from diverse backgrounds, fields and perspectives,” Galambos added.

The “Innovation” course is designed to prepare Lawrence students to become major contributors to a globally competitive American economy through an immersion in innovation and entrepreneurship.  Students in the course develop their own innovative ideas to lay the groundwork for entrepreneurial ventures, examine how innovation and entrepreneurship invigorate businesses and industries and their roles in creating new ones, study the innovation and entrepreneurship literature and interact with active, successful innovators and entrepreneurs.

“Our students learn to connect theory with the real-world experiences described by our visiting experts and to apply this learning to their own projects,” said Brandenberger.

The impetus for Lawrence’s “In Pursuit of Innovation” course was a highly-influential national publication entitled “Rising Above the Gathering Storm” and a bipartisan piece of legislation leading to the 2007 America Competes Act, both of which warned of slippage in American competitiveness worldwide. The studies pointed toward increased emphasis on innovative and entrepreneurial effectiveness, especially in scientific, technological and engineering pursuits, as one solution to reverse the trend.

In addition to “In Pursuit of Innovation,” courses such as “Entrepreneurship and Financial Markets ” and “Entrepreneurship in the Arts and Society” also are part of the effort to build an innovation and entrepreneurship program at Lawrence.

Based in Massachusetts, the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance supports technology innovation and entrepreneurship in higher education to create experiential learning opportunities for students and socially beneficial businesses.