NICHOLAS JENKINS, associate professor of English, will be the new director of the Program in Writing and Rhetoric (PWR). “He succeeds ANDREA LUNSFORD, who has built and passionately nurtured the program since 2000,” JOHN BRAVMAN, vice provost for undergraduate education, wrote in an email announcement last week.
Lunsford will remain at Stanford as the Louise Hewlett Nixon Professor of English.
Jenkins, who has been on the faculty since 1998, writes about and teaches 20th-century culture and literature, especially poetry. He has published widely on W. H. Auden and Lincoln Kirstein. Jenkins is a regular contributor to such publications as the London Review of Books, Times Literary Supplement, New York Times Book Review, The New Republic, The New Yorker and Yale Review.
“Nick brings great enthusiasm and commitment to his role at the forefront of undergraduate writing at Stanford, and the program will benefit from his leadership,” Bravman added.
Archive for April, 2010
He’s got the PWR
Ryan Hall places fourth in the Boston Marathon
During the first half of yesterday’s Boston Marathon, former Stanford All-American RYAN HALL, ’06, was the front runner. In the end, however, he came in fourth, finishing the race in 2:08:41. Still, Hall kept it positive. “Today my goal was to have fun and run free, and I feel like I did,” he told the San Jose Mercury News. Hall, who was bested by two Kenyans and an Ethiopian, now holds the distinction of being the fastest American ever in the race.
Med School staffers honored
Jeff Melton and Katie Allen Photo: John LeSchofs/VAS
Medical School employees JEFF MELTON and KATIE ALLEN are this year’s recipients of the school’s Dean’s Spirit Awards. Melton, an information systems manager in the Stanford Prevention Research Center, was cited for his “can-do” attitude and his mastery of his job. Allen, an administrative associate in the Division of Multi-Organ Transplantation, was called the “true unsung hero of the program.”
Each year, the Dean’s Spirit Awards go to two staff members — one exempt and one non-exempt — who contribute greatly to the “mission and vision” of the Medical School. This is the ninth year the school has given out the award, and Marcia Cohen, senior associate dean in finance and administration, reports that 230 employees submitted nomination forms this year — the most nominations ever.
Allen and Melton each will receive a cash prize of $1,500 and will be honored during the Dean’s Recognition Celebration on Thursday, April 22. The event also will recognize the 353 employees who are marking their 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years of service at the Medical School.
Read Michelle Brandt’s full story.
Gumbrecht to receive honorary doctorate in Denmark
Professor HANS ULRICH “SEPP” GUMBRECHT will receive an honorary doctorate from Aarhus University, Denmark. Gumbrecht, the Albert Guérard Professor of Literature in the Division of Literatures, Cultures and Languages, will receive the honorary degree on Sept. 10, 2010, in conjunction with the university’s 82nd anniversary. Rumor has it the Danish queen will be present at the ceremony.
Team led by James Fishkin wins ‘Virtues’ grant
James Fishkin
A Stanford proposal is one of the winners in the University of Chicago’s competition for “A New Science of Virtues,” an international competition for work that combines the sciences and humanities to shed light on virtuous behavior. Out of more than 700 proposals, 19 winners will average $150,000 each.
The winning project from Stanford was “Deliberative Democracy and the Virtues of Democratic Citizenship.” The principal investigator is JAMES FISHKIN, the Janet M. Peck Chair in International Communication and director of the Center for Deliberative Democracy, who worked with ALICE SIU, associate director of the center, and ROBERT C. LUSKIN, an associate professor at the University of Texas, Austin.
President’s Address to the Academic Council set for May 13
All the details are not quite worked out yet, but what is set in stone is that PRESIDENT JOHN HENNESSY will lead a virtual tour and real tour of “new Stanford places” for his annual address to the Academic Council on Thursday, May 13. The event will take place from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Details to come in the Stanford Report eNews.
Gathering of remembrance today at 4 p.m.
A service of reflection, prayer and candle lighting to remember those who lost their lives in the plane clash that killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski; his wife, Maria; and other high-level officials will be held in Memorial Church today at 4 p.m. The service, sponsored by the Office for Religious Life, is open to all.
Six former Stanford baseball players take the field for Major League Baseball
Baseball season opened with six former Stanford players taking the field for Major League Baseball teams: CHRIS CARTER (New York Mets), RYAN GARKO (Texas Rangers), JODY GERUT (Milwaukee Brewers), JEREMY GUTHRIE (Baltimore Orioles), JOHN HESTER (Arizona Diamondbacks) and CARLOS QUENTIN (Chicago White Sox), according to Stanford Athletics. Also, A.J. HINCH is manager of the Diamondbacks. RUBEN AMARO, JR. of the Philadelphia Phillies and KENNY WILLIAMS of the White Sox are general managers.
You can watch big league players of the future at Sunken Diamond. Just check the schedule.
High-profile scholars coming to Stanford
Anies Baswedan
Four scholars from Australia, Europe and Indonesia are coming to Stanford during the 2010-2011 academic year as part of an international program sponsored by the Stanford Humanities Center and the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.
Designed to bring high-profile scholars from around the world into the intellectual life of the university, the four-week residencies target scholars whose research and writing engage with the missions of both the Humanities Center and FSI.
The scholars are Anies Baswedan, president of Paramadina University in Jakarta; Stéphane Dudoignon, a political scientist and senior research fellow at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris; Mónica Quijada, a historian of Spain and Latin America at the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas in Madrid; and Patrick Wolfe, a historian at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia.
While at Stanford, the scholars will offer informal seminars and public lectures and will also be available for consultations with interested faculty and students.
—Adam Gorlick, Stanford News Service
Susan Calandra to return to Business Affairs as senior associate vice president
Susan Calandra
SUSAN CALANDRA will return to Business Affairs as senior associate vice president for finance in mid-August after serving as interim chief financial officer at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, according to RANDY LIVINGSTON, vice president for business affairs and chief financial officer. As senior associate vice president, Calandra will direct the activities of the Controller’s Office, Treasurer’s Office and Purchasing & Contracts, continuing the migration toward more integrated and efficient financial services for the campus. She also will serve as executive business owner of the university’s financial systems and will lead efforts to provide more effective financial information and reporting to faculty, departments and schools.
At SLAC, Calandra has worked to improve the quality of financial administration. In her new position, Calandra will continue to partner with SLAC and will become a member of the Audit and Finance Committee of the SLAC Board of Overseers. Calandra will remain at SLAC through mid-June while a search for her successor is initiated.
Calandra joined Stanford in 1993 as associate controller and was promoted to controller two years later.
In making the announcement, Livingston expressed appreciation to TANA HUTCHISON and KEN SCHULZ, who also accepted interim assignments at SLAC, and to ALLISON BAIRD-JAMES, who has served as interim controller.
