Faculty
Shop Talks
Faculty Shop Talks provide an opportunity for KU faculty to come
together from across the campus to interact on both a professional and
social level in a relaxed, collegial atmosphere. Shop Talks
provide a forum for serious yet informal
presentation of original research and artistic creation by KU
faculty with the aim of increasing scholarly communication and
interactions across disciplines within the University community.
Thus, the audience for a Shop Talk will typically consist of KU faculty
members and their guests, although KU staff and administration members
are also welcome to attend. The Faculty Shop Talks are sponsored
by the KU Chapter
of APSCUF .
What is
presented at a Faculty Shop Talk?
A Shop Talk should present research, artistic creation, or scholarship
that would be appropriate for presentation at
a disciplinary conference, recital, art exhibit, etc, but adapted for a
non-specialized audience. The primary focus of the talk should be
scholarly work authored or created by the faculty presenter; if
necessary, a short portion of the talk can be allocated to providing
background
information or context. The work presented need not be entirely
complete;
"work in progress" scholarship is also appropriate for presentation as
a Shop Talk.
What is the format
for a
Faculty Shop Talk Presentation?
Because the intent of Shop Talk is to facillitate discussion and
interactions amongst faculty, presentations should be sufficiently
brief as to allow time for audience questions and discussion after the
presentation. Therefore, while the entire Shop Talk might last
about 50 minutes, the presentation itself should last no more than
20-30 minutes.
When and where are
Faculty Shop Talks held?
Shop Talks are held on select Friday afternoons at 4:00 p.m in the
School House at the Pennsylvania German Heritage Center.
The schedule will be posted on the Shop Talk
web-site
(Shop Talk Schedule).
How do I schedule a
Shop Talk?
To schedule a Shop Talk presentation, submit a title, brief abstract,
A/V requirements, and preferred presentation date to Nancy Butler
(butler@kutztown.edu). If there are no vacancies left on the
current Shop Talk schedule, contact Nancy about reserving a future date.
What audio/visual
equipment is available for my Shop Talk?
All standard audio/visual equipment (e.g. an overhead projector, 35 mm
slide projector, data
projector) can be made available for your presentation. A laptop
computer (PC) and data projector are available (e.g. for Power
Point presentations); if you are a Mac user, a Mac laptop can be
provided or you can bring your own Mac laptop.
Spring
2008 Schedule
Presenter:
Jennifer Forsyth (English)
Title: "I am Ill at these Numbers": Shakespeare and
Authorship Attribution Studies
Time and Place: February 8
2008; 4:00 pm; SUB 250
Abstract:
Shakespeare is one of the most famous artists who ever lived and
is
among the iconic figures of high culture. At the same time, controversy
over who he was and what he actually wrote continues to simmer not just
in literary studies but in popular culture as well. MacDonald P.
Jackson's widely-embraced 2003 publication of a new technique for
attribution studies calls for searching full-text databases for words,
phrases, and collocations that the disputed passage shares with
predetermined, comparable corpora of potential authors to produce an
objectively measurable result. As is often the case with seeming
panaceas, however, Jackson's test creates new challenges and revives
some old ones. In this talk, I'll discuss what we know about the
authorship of Shakespeare's works, how we know it, and why it matters.
Presenter: Dr. Geoff Moss
(Anthropology/Sociology)
Title: Postindustrial
Bohemia: Artists and Neighborhood Redevelopment in Lawrenceville
Pittsburgh
Time and Place: March 28
2008; 4:00 pm; SUB 250
Abstract:
The urban bohemian community constitutes a highly influential
phenomenon that accompanied the rise of industrial society. Since the
first such community emerged in nineteenth century Paris, new
generations of urban artistic strivers have created variations on the
original bohemian prototype. This paper draws on a case study of
Lawrenceville Pittsburgh to examine the contemporary manifestation of
urban bohemia. Like bohemian communities described in previous studies,
Lawrenceville’s bohemia is an urban cultural enclave formed by
struggling artists and artisans dedicated to free aesthetic production,
and cheap yet aesthetically stimulating urban living. Lawrenceville,
however, is devoid of the intense antagonism between bohemians and
bourgeois (e.g., the East Village bohemians of the 80’s produced the
phrase “Die Yuppie Scum”) that has been a virtual trademark of previous
bohemias. Instead, Lawrenceville artists work in partnership with hip
yuppies and other urban bourgeois to promote neighborhood
redevelopment, and attend common artistic and social events (e.g.,
parties at local art galleries and a hip local bar). This finding is
consistent with Richard Florida’s (2002) controversial claim that in
the postindustrial city, relations between bohemians and other hip
urban residents tends to be non-adversarial as well as beneficial to
urban economic development.
Presenter: Dr. Carlos Vargas
(Provost)
Title: Let us chat about
radiation.
Time and Place: April 25
20008; 4:00 pm; SUB 250
Abstract:
Radiation is a broad term that often has negative connotations.
Heat, light, radio waves, alpha particles, gamma rays, neutrons, UV
light, electrons, etc., all are forms of radiation. This talk will
focus on relatively "low energy" radiation, its sources, and its
detection and measurement. Radiation creates temporary and/or permanent
changes in the materials it traverses. Since both the energy deposited
on the materials it traverses and its fluence (to be defined) are
frequently of most importance, a bit of time will be spent addressing
the mechanisms used to measure these quantities. Examples will be given
of some of the effects resulting from the irradiation of a variety of
materials, some of which are unusual and unexpected. Mention will be
made of the use of ionizing radiation for the treatment of plastics,
cable, food, mail, medical devices, semiconductors, etc. This talk will
be qualitative in nature. No formulas will be used.
Fall 2007
Schedule
Presenter: Dr. Steven M.
Schnell (Geography)
Title: Food with the
Farmer's Face on it: Community Supported Agriculture in the United
States.
Time and Place: Friday
September 14, 2007; 4:00 pm; Pennsylvania German Heritage Center
Abstract: Over
the last twenty years, community-supported agriculture (CSA) has grown
dramatically in the United States. In a CSA, members pay farmers
an annual membership fee. In turn, they get a share of the
harvest throughout the growing season, as well as a renewed link to the
land and people that produce their food. Such a setup guarantees
farmers financial support, and enables many small-scale farmers to stay
on their land. CSA is a fundamental rethinking of the
relationship between food, economics, and community, one rooted firmly
in place. This talk examines the geography of CSA in the United
States, and it explores the reasons behind this dramatic growth through
a series of in-depth interviews with farmers and CSA members in the
northeastern United States. It also addresses several critiques
of the movement offered by scholars of alternative agriculture.
Presenter:
Dr. Eric F. Johnson (History)
Title: Saints and
Soldiers: Revolutionary Violence and Political Spin in Provence, 1793-94
Time and Place: Friday
October 12, 2007;
4:00 pm; Pennsylvania German Heritage Center
Abstract:
This project examines the narrative surrounding the death of
Agricol Viala, an adolescent native of Avignon in southern France who
was killed by counter-revolutionary troops in 1793. The story of
his death was seized upon by a variety of individuals for personal,
local, and national interests revealing a complex interplay of regional
and national political culture, as well as the overlap between sacred
and secular imagery in revolutionary France.
Presenter:
Dr. Carol Watson (Elementary Ed)
Title: Adventures in Malawi: The
Culture and People of ‘The Warm Heart of Africa’
Time and Place: Friday
November 9, 2007;
4:00 pm; Pennsylvania German Heritage Center
Abstract:
During the summer of 2004, I had the amazing
opportunity to travel to the Zomba region of Malawi, Africa on a
Fulbright Scholarship. I spent 6 weeks experiencing the culture from a
very authentic perspective and taking a participatory role inside one
public school in the remote area near the village of Domasi. The
presentation will chronicle my experiences throughout this journey and
highlight the rich, diverse culture and people in this unique and
seldom visited rural area. Some of the issues addressed will be the
recently established free public school system, the role of women, the
influences of disease and poverty, local ecosystems and wildlife,
current cultural norms and changing practices, as well as a look at
some of the fascinating individuals I met along the way. Several
follow-up projects currently being considered will also be described.
The presentation may include video, power point slides, and a
substantial amount of time for questions and discussion. Artifacts will
be available to see and touch.
Spring
2007 Schedule
Presenter:
Dr. Lori
Levan (Art Education & Crafts)
Title: Places I Don't
Fit
Time and Place:
Friday February 16,
2007; 4:00 pm; Pennsylvania German Heritage Center
Abstract:
In
April, 2006, I presented a paper at the Popular Culture
Association’s national conference called “Fat Bodies in Space.” The
presentation connected to my ongoing research concerning beauty, the
fat body and the socio-cultural representation of fatness. In this
presentation I introduced a new photographic/mixed media project that
I am calling “Places I Don’t Fit.” This is a new project based on an
old idea that was part of my dissertation research. With this project
I am seeking to expand my concern with the physical body to include
psychological and sociological experiences around the idea of not
fitting. I will be exploring and recording my conscious efforts when
engaging with social and psychological space as it relates to my
physicality in the world and how that physicality shapes my sense of
identity as a fat woman. My research is based in studio practice and
the ongoing pursuit of this project will contribute a great deal to my
teaching practice as it relates to identity formation.
Presenter:
Dr. Michael
Gambone (History)
Title: A Professor Goes
to War
Time and Place:
Friday March 23,
2007; 4:00 pm; Pennsylvania German Heritage Center
Abstract:
Dr. Michael
Gambone will discuss his experience serving with the American and Iraqi
military in 2006. As an academic and a long-standing college faculty
member, he found himself in a place that was adverse to both reason and
rationality. His talk will focus on the dichotomy between long-embedded
academic training and the necessities of war.
Presenter:
Dr. Todd
Underwood (Biology)
Title: How to avoid
raising someone else's kids: A bird's-eye view on brood
parasitism.
Time and Place:
Friday April 20,
2007; 4:00 pm; Pennsylvania German Heritage Center
Abstract:
Brood
parasitism is a rare reproductive strategy that allows some birds to
produce more eggs by avoiding the costs of raising offspring.
Brood parasites never build nests, but instead lay their eggs in the
nests of other species and leave the rearing of their young to these
"foster parents" or hosts. Because raising parasitic young is
costly to hosts, it favors the evolution of defenses against
parasitism. In this talk, I will review the details of brood
parasitism, the defenses birds use to avoid parasitism, and briefly
discuss my research on how some of these defenses operate.
Fall 2006
Schedule
Presenter: Dr. Thomas
A. Betts (Physical Sciences)
Title: Chemical
Analysis of Hops as an Educational Laboratory
Time and Place: Friday
September 15,
2006; 4:00 pm; Pennsylvania German Heritage Center
Abstract: The
cones of female hop plants (hops) provide an interesting backdrop to
teach students about chemical analysis using high performance liquid
chromatography (HPLC). Added in small quantities, hops have a
significant impact on the flavor of brewed beverages. Alpha- and
beta-acids are just a few of the components of hops that are
responsible for influencing flavor. As these acids are boiled in wort,
they are converted to extremely bitter compounds. Therefore, it is
imperative for brewers to have an accurate assessment of the alpha- and
beta-acid content of hops in order to predict the ultimate bitterness
of a particular brew. This presentation will tell the story of how
three undergraduate chemistry students developed an efficient method to
quantify α- and β-acids in hops using HPLC. A new laboratory experiment
based on this method will be implemented this semester.
Presenter: Professor
Leigh Kane (Fine Arts)
Title: “Suddenly,
Older” an exhibition of photographic work, addresses the awareness of
advancing age throughout the lifecycle, from youth to very old age.
Time and Place:
Friday October 13,
2006; 4:00 pm; Pennsylvania German Heritage Center
Abstract: The
recognition of the passage of time and its undeniable effect upon the
self occurs at various moments in life, caused and revealed by both
internal and external forces. Professor Leigh Kane will discuss the
process of curating this exhibition with Professor Linn Underhill, for
the Clifford Art Gallery at Colgate University. The work in this
exhibition represents a spectrum of current photographic practices,
from large-scale black and white prints to video art, from staged
tableaux to straight documentary. Although diverse in form and
subject matter, all of the work explores the relationship between time,
experience and the body.
Presenter: Dr. Jonathan
K.
Kramer (Finance)
Title: THE FINANCIAL
EFFICIENCY OF TOLL COLLECTION
Time and Place:
Friday Novermber 17,
2006; 4:00 pm; Pennsylvania German Heritage Center
Abstract: If you have
ever sat impatiently in bumper-to-bumper traffic waiting to pay a toll
you might be interested in the research of Dr. Jonathan Kramer (KU) and
his co-author Dr. Jonathan Peters (CUNY). They have found that,
in addition to the inconvenience of toll collection, it is also a very
inefficient method of collecting revenue to finance our nation’s
infrastructure. In his talk, Dr. Kramer will discuss the
administration, pollution, fuel, and compliance costs of toll
collection and compare them to alternative methods of revenue
generation.
Spring
2006 Schedule
Presenter: Dr. Frank
Kumor (Music)
Title: Lost in
Translation: The Performer as Interpreter and Artist
Time and Place:
Friday, March 3; 4pm; the Blue Room (OM
161)
Abstract: The
traditional role of the performer in classical music is one of
interpreting the ideas of the composer, who is in most cases, unknown
to the performer. The field of percussion performance as a solo
medium is relatively new to classical music. In fact, the marimba
as it is know today is less that one hundred years old and an
instrument the standard range is less than twenty years old. The
performer as an artist is still discovering the subtle possibilities of
the instrument. Dr. Kumor presents three new works for solo percussion
for which he worked directly with each composer. This interactive
relationship has yielded three pieces that are the culmination of the
performer / composer relationship. Because of this relationship,
these innovative works represent the most significant developments in
contemporary percussion music setting the standard of future percussion
performance.
Presenter: Dr. Chris
Sacchi (Biology)
Title: Finding a
Suitable Mate: Plants and their Reproductive Strategies
Time and Place:
Friday, April 7th; 4pm; the Blue Room
(OM
161)
Abstract: Plants
exhibit a diverse array of strategies that lead to successful
reproduction via pollen transfer from male reproductive structures to
female reproductive structures. Interest in plant reproduction
has led to detailed study of adaptations whereby plants successfully
transfer pollen by non-living vectors such as the wind and living
vectors such as bees. The architecture and chemical
characteristics of flowers are both hypothesized to play a substantial
role in promoting plant reproductive success. My interest in
plant reproduction has led me to investigate the pollination biology of
willows and a native plant related to potatoes in the past; I examined
how floral traits influenced pollinator attraction and plant
reproductive success. In the future, I plan to further explore
the relationship between floral shape, color, and nectar chemistry in
pairs of related native plants species in which flowers of each species
of the pair differs in color and architecture from the other species of
that pair, e.g. cardinal flower and great blue lobelia are related
species that produce flowers that differ in both color and shape and
perhaps attractiveness to pollinators. In a collaborative project
with KU chemist Thomas Betts, we will test hypotheses about flower
color, shape, and nectar chemistry and their role in attracting insect
and vertebrate pollinators.
Presenter: Dr. C.J.
Rhoades
(Accounting)
Title: Business Decision
Making About Technology
Time and Place: Friday, April
28th; 4pm; the Blue Room
(OM
161)
Abstract: The purpose of my research
is to investigate the
impact of the role of the decision maker within an organization on the
use and perceived value of information technology (IT).
A survey of 584 companies shows a significant relationship
between the role of the decision maker and the use of technologies.
Furthermore, companies where the Chief Information
Officer
makes the IT decisions are less likely to own their own domain name,
but more likely to have a spam filter and Broadband or T-1 connections
to the Internet. Companies where the Chief
Executive Officer makes IT decisions are more likely to own their own
domain name, and invest in customer facing programs, but less likely to
utilize a broad range of Internet technologies.