Ramapo College of New Jersey || School of American and International Studies

EXPERIENTIAL CREDIT: The AIS Film Series features are required in some courses. Students in other classes should check with their instructors about experiential credit for participating in AIS Film Series events.

The AIS FILM SERIES presents:
13th Warrior (1999)
Hosted by Yvette Kisor, Professor of Literature
6:30pm, Wednesday, October 14 - Laurel Hall Movie Theater

Refreshments will be served.

NEWS AND EVENTS

AIS Alumni Advisory Board Meeting November 17, 2009
The first AIS Alumni and AIS and student gathering was held on Tuesday, November 17, 2009 in the Trustees Pavilion, 7-9 PM. Six of the members of the newly created AIS Alumni Advisory Board, Antonietta “Toni” Brower, Steve Fonder, Cathy Moran Hajo, Thomas M. Hewitt, Jonathan N. Marcus Esq., and Scott W. Stahlmann, nine AIS faculty members Professor Yvette Kisor, Professor Pinar Kayaalp, Professor Lisa Cassidy, Professor Cliff Peterson, Professor Erick Castellanos, Professor Ron Hayashida, Professor Rosetta D’Angelo, Professor Anthony Padovano, and Professor Michael Unger, and 28 students attended this event.

The evening began by a panel discussion consisting of three students and three alumni. The student members of the panel were: Marissa Dragone (Senior History Major), Elizabeth Gilmour (Senior International Studies Major), and Boris Glazman (Senior International Studies Major). The Alumni panelists were: Antonietta “Toni” Brower ’02, Thomas M. Hewitt ’75, and Scott W. Stahlmann ’79. Panel members discussed their academic and experiential experiences at the College and in AIS. Alumni provided advice and guidance on career paths, and graduate/professional school opportunities.

The panel discussion was followed by two round tables involving the faculty, alumni, and students.

Alumni Board Event Alumni Board Event Picture E
Alumni Board Event Picture F Alumni Board Event Picture G

Student/Faculty Paper: Food Availability and Choices in East Harlem
Elizabeth Gilmour, an AIS student, submitted a paper with Professor Erick Castellanos for both SUNTA's (Society for Urban, National, and Transnational/Global Anthropology) and CORI News entitled "Food Availability and Choices in East Harlem".

The Role of Imperial Mosque Complexes (1543-1583) in the Urbanization of Uskudar
Professor Pinar Kayaalp’s chapter, “The Role of Imperial Mosque Complexes (1543-1583) in the Urbanization of Uskudar,” has come out in Part 4 of the De Gruyter Series, Fundamentals of Medieval and Early Modern Culture: Urban Space in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Age, edited by Albrecht Classen. Pinar Kayaalp focuses on a new Ottoman imperial construction project undertaken in 1543, the Mihrumah Mosque Complex, as an example of early-modern city planning. Whereas before the district of Uskudar had been an insignificant outpost of Istanbul, the construction of the charitable building began the transformation of Uskudar into a full-fledged urban center of great military, religious, and cultural significance. Almost immediately, after the construction of the Mihrumah Mosque Complex, a number of schools, stables, stores, barracks, and other public buildings sprang up around it, which further contributed to the development of Uskudar into one of the most populated districts of the Imperial capital.

AIS International Evening Event November 9, 2009
On November 9, 2009, the School of American/International Studies hosted a second event highlighting both our Visiting Scholars and International Students
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2nd International Event 2nd International Event C
2nd International Event D 2nd International Event E

Caribbean Conference on Literature Lisbon Portugal
On November 1 to 4, Professor Rosetta D'Angelo presented a scholarly paper at the Caribbean Conference on Literature in Lisbon entitled "The Deconstruction of Memory in the Poetic Tales of Contemporary Haitian Women's Writers".

34th Annual National Italian American Foundation Convention
On October 23-24. Professor Rosetta D'Angelo attended the 34th annual National Italian American Foundation Convention and gala in Washington DC. with three students, Jackie Cislo, Karen Kardinal and Danielle McCarten, from the Italian Club.

MALS Student Presentation Night and Dinner
On November 5, two students presented their theses in the Trustee Pavilion. Madeleine Taylor studied pharmaceutical advertising in her thesis titled “Pushing Pills: Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Drugs.” Her faculty mentor was Dr. Elaine Winshell, professor emeritus of Biology, formerly of TAS. Madeleine works as a librarian. Alejandra Bozzolasco presented her thesis on “Animals as the Original Other—And Rights for All.” Her faculty mentor was Dr. Lisa Cassidy, Associate Professor of Philosophy in AIS. Ali will begin her doctoral studies at Montclair State University in the fall in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Management.

MALS
Left to Right: MALS graduate Alejandra Bozzolasco; her faculty mentor, Dr. Lisa Cassidy, AIS; MALS Director, Dr. Anthony T. Padovano, AIS; Professor Emeritus Dr. Elaine Winshell, formerly of TAS; MALS graduate Madeleine Taylor; and AIS Dean Dr. Hassan Nejad.

"Our Clothes are a lie: Disguise and Christian Typology in Puddd'nhead Wilson."
Congratulations to Professor Ed Shannon who has published a new book entitled "Our Clothes are a lie: Disguise and Christian Typology in Puddd'nhead Wilson." Professor Shannon should also be congratulated for having been accepted to Seminar on "Literature and the Environment, sponsored by the FacultyResource Network, NYU.

International Dances Events
We invite you to come and join our Visiting Scholars for and hour of fun, music, and dance. Events will be held on October 22 in the Pavilion and on November 12 in SC 138.

El viejo, elasesino, yo y otros cuentos (The Old Man, the Assassin, I, and Other Stories)
El viejo, elasesino, yo y otros cuentos (The Old Man, the Assassin, I, and Other Stories), a critical edition of short stories by Cuban writer Ena Lucía Portela, features nine stories and a testimonial essay, preceded by an introduction from Iraida H. López, Associate Professor of Spanish at Ramapo College. It was released on October 22, 2009 by Stockcero Publishers. López worked with the author in drafting two hundred notes on myriad cultural and literary references in the texts as well as dialectic expressions. An award-winning and widely translated author of four novels and two short story collections, Portela was selected in 2007,along with Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Díaz, as one of the 39 most important writers in Latin America under the age of 39. IraidaH. López's prologue offers an overview of short fiction in Cuba since 1959,focusing particularly on the 1990's generation. She analyzes not only relevant themes in Portela's work, but also some of the strategies used by the author to accomplish her goals.

World Food Day Event
Professor Risa Gorelick, along with some of her students, attended World Food Day at Rutgers University. Below is a picture of the event.

Alumni Advisory Board Meeting October 6, 2009
The second meeting of the newly created AIS Alumni Advisory Board was held on the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 6th. They welcomed two new members Toni Brower International Studies (2002), and Zoe Baldwin (Political Science, 2003). The Board discussed planning the first AIS Alumni-Student event, scheduled for Nov. 17th, 7-9 PM. PLEASE save the date and time to attend this event. Come and meet the Board members and participate in the discussions. The event is organized to help students and the faulty to connect with the alumni and learn from their experiences as we strive to deliver quality academic programs and keep an open mind in its continuous improvement.

AIS International Evening Event October 7, 2009
On October 7, 2009, the School of American/International Studies hosted an event highlighting both our Visiting Scholars and International Students.

Intl Event 2

Intl Event Photo 3 Intl Event Photo 4

Bitter Spring A Life of Ignazio Silone Book Discussion
The Italian Club presents Dr. Stanisalo G. Pugliese author of the book Bitter Life A Life of Ignazio Silone. This event will take place on Wednesday October 14th from 3:00-5:00 PM in room SC 219. Food and beverages will be served.

2009 Henry Bischoff Award for Excellence in Teaching
Congratulations to Professor Carter Meyer for winning the 2009 Henry Bischoff Award for excellence in teaching. A ceremony was held in her honor, on September 9 of this year, for her multiple achievements as an educator.

Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies Events for Fall 2009
For a complete list of events please see their flyer.

King Scholarship from the New Jersey Martin Luther King Commemorative Commission
Congratulations to Elizabeth Gilmour for winning the King Scholarship, from the New Jersey Martin Luther King Commemorative Commission, this summer.

The Latinoization of the Americas: Fluid Identities, Structural Realities Symposium October 12, 14-15, 2009
Funded generously through the Platinum Series, the symposium will seek to address the challenges and opportunities faced by Latino and Latin American communities at the beginning of the 21st century. Our objective is to bring to the attention of students, faculty, and staff the social, cultural, and political changes that have taken place in Latin America in recent years and their implications for the U.S. as well as for the large, diverse Latino communities in the U.S. Thus, the project will reach across national borders and ethnic communities. The symposium will include five panels with two to three presenters each as well as related cultural activities. The panels will cover the following topics:

Latino and Latin American Literature: Past, Present, and Future (organizer: Monika Giacoppe)
Beyond Borders: Transnational Latino Communities (organizer: Eric Castellanos)
Latin America in the 21st Century (organizer: Roark Atkinson)
Our América (organizer: Monika Giacoppe)
People and Environmental Change in Amazonia (organizers: Eric Wiener and Paula Straile-Costa)
Reporting on Latin America and the Latino USA (organizers: Edna Negrón and Pat Keeton)

Association for the Study of Literature and Environment Conference
Professor James Hoch participated in the Association for the Study of Literature and Environment conference in Victoria, BC, Canada from June 3-6 of this year.

New AIS Alumni Advisory Board Meeting June 24, 2009
An AIS Alumni Advisory Board has been formed. After much planning and discussions, along with vital support and advice from both Institutional Advancement and the Alumni/Constituent Relations office, a meeting was held on the evening of June 24 to approve the board.

The current members are:

Thomas Hewitt, 75; History, Board Chair
Sara "Zoe" Baldwin, 03; Political Science
Steve Fonder, 74; History
Cathy Moran Hajo, 85; History
Vincent Marchese, 75; International Studies
Jonathan Marcus, Esq., 93; Law and Society
Kelly McCartney, 03; History
Scott Stahlmann, 79; Political Science
Toni Brower, 02; International Studies

These members will serve staggered terms of one, two, and three years.

Visiting Writers for the Fall 2009 semester

Monday October 12 at 1PM in the York Room (Mansion)
Poets Alex Lemon and Beth Bachmann...Two young poets who write fairly intense material. Trauma and spunk seem to be what bind these two. Alex, author of Mosquito, Hallelujah Blackout and a forthcoming memoir, has dealt with a series of brain surgeries. Beth, author of Temper, focuses on the murder of her sister. However sad the facts of their stories, both authors manage to speak unsentimentally, bravely and eloquently.

Thursday October 29 at 4PM Q&A in the Pavilion; at 7PM Reading in the Pavilion
Three time US POET LAUREATE Robert Pinsky will be visiting. Author of lots of books of poetry, translations of Dante and prose on culture. Join us for an Afternoon Q and A and evening reading.

Thursday November 12 at 7PM in the Pavilion
The BLACK VOICE NOW series presents poets Michael Harper and Major Jackson for an evening reading and q and a.
This series brings together two major voices, one established and one emerging, to discuss the state of African-American letters and culture. Harper, Brown University Professor and Rhode Island Poet Laureate, has won nearly every award possible. Jackson, author of two books and finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, comes from University of Vermont.This is the first event in an ongoing series.

AIS Colloquium Series

EXPERIENTIAL CREDIT: Students should check with their instructors about experiential credit for participating in AIS Colloquium events.

				The AIS COLLOQUIUM presents: Ramapo College alumna and author of Only You, Christine, Only You! Christine Komoroski-McCohnell Adjunct Professor of Disability Studies "One Woman's Journey through Life with Cerebral Palsy" 3:30pm, Wednesday, December 2, 2009 - Pavilion

EXPERIENTIAL CREDIT: Students should check with their instructors about experiential credit for participating in AIS Colloquium events.

The AIS COLLOQUIUM presents:
Roark Atkinson
Professor of History

"Black Sabbaths:
Popular Reactions to the Great Awakening, 1600-1750"
2:00 PM Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - G-327

EXPERIENTIAL CREDIT: Students should check with their instructors about experiential credit for participating in AIS Colloquium events.

		The AIS COLLOQUIUM presents: Co-Sponsored by the Readings at Ramapo Visiting Writers Series Robert Pinsky Thursday, October 29, 2009 4:00pm, Q&A - Pavilion 7:00pm, Reading - Pavilion

	Born and raised in New Jersey, ROBERT PINKSY is an exceptional guest - three time US POET LAUREATE, translator of Dante, writer of a books on culture and democracy, guest on "The Simpsons," and judge of the "Meta-Free-Phor-All" on the "Colbert Report."

EXPERIENTIAL CREDIT: Students should check with their instructors about experiential credit for participating in AIS Colloquium events.

The AIS COLLOQUIUM presents:

Pinar Kayaalp
Professor of Islamic and Middle Eastern History

"The Hospitals of Suleyman the Magnificent and Hurrem:
Two Different Approaches to Healthcare in the 16th Century Ottoman Empire"
2:00pm Wednesday, October 21, 2009 - Pavilion 103

AIS Film Series Events

EXPERIENTIAL CREDIT: The AIS Film Series features are required in some courses. Students in other classes should check with their instructors about experiential credit for participating in AIS Film Series events.

				The AIS FILM SERIES presents: Milk (2008) Hosted by Pinar Kayaalp, Professor of Islamic and Middle Eastern History 6:30pm, Wednesday, October 7 - Laurel Hall Movie Theater Refreshments will be served.

Ramapo College History Club

EXPERIENTIAL CREDIT: Students should check with their instructors about experiential credit for participating in Ramapo College History Club events.

The HISTORY CLUB presents:

Elektra Kostopoulou
Professor of History, Istanbul Bilgi Universitesi

"Negotiating Space in the Eastern Mediterranean: The Case of Crete"
12:30pm, Wednesday, November 25, SC-136