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UVMNotebook
photo by Sally McCay You
are here Home field advantage has been a foreign concept to the UVM womens field hockey team in recent years. As the sport has evolved into a nearly exclusively artificial turf game, the Catamounts traveled regularly down to Middlebury College to practice on the plastic grass and often hosted home games on fields at Dartmouth, Yale, Harvard, and Holy Cross. So,
the morning of August 11 is a milestone for the program as the UVM athletes
step onto Astroturf of their very own, the V-Cat logo airbrushed at midfield,
for their first practice. Its huge, says Coach Nikki
Houghton as her players warm up with stick and ball drills on the fast
surface. Its huge for morale; its something they take
real pride in. Beyond
what the new field means to the field hockey and lacrosse teams that will
play on it, Athletic Director Robert Corran points out the wider impact
of the Technicolor swath of green along Spear Street. Its
a very visible sign for the whole department, the whole community,
Corran says. Its the first important indicator of the progress
we are making. More
subtle signs of progress buzz along inside the adjacent Gutterson Fieldhouse,
where crews are installing new boards and seamless glass around the rink,
a new scoreboard, improved lighting, not to mention the banners of the
Catamounts new top-flight conference, Hockey East. The
changes promise to keep coming at this end of campus, Corran says, as
he looks over the playing fields south of Gutterson. Pending final permitting,
work is likely to get underway on a new outdoor track next spring. Further
down the road, but into the planning stages, are a new womens softball
field, and a synthetic turf field and small stadium (seating approximately
6,000) for soccer. Corran
points up at the large windows of the fitness center that overlook the
playing fields and considers the day when the view might be into a soccer
stadium and a game between, say, Vermont and Dartmouth. He smiles and
says, The best seat in the house will be right up there on a treadmill. NEW
HEIGHTS As
theyve done at earlier points in the building process, Bob Taylor,
dean of the Honors College, and Patty Redmond, administrative coordinator
for the HC, don hard hats and safety glasses to tour the north complex
with project manager Todd Merchant. They have good reason to be especially
interested in the project and its progress it will become the home
to the Honors College in just a matter of months. Merchant
leads the way into what will be the complexs living room
area, a space that isnt quite cozy at this point. Concrete floors,
exposed steel girders, plastic taped over the window openings it
takes a little imagination to picture the building that will be. But clearly
thats an exercise Redmond and Taylor are well practiced in. Redmond
steps over to a window bay and notes where the baby grand piano will go.
Throughout the building, they point out features a seminar room
with a vaulted ceiling and Green Mountain views, a living room fireplace,
bedrooms with lofts that promise to make University Heights a prime
campus address. Taylor,
Redmond, and Merchant walk outside into a sheltered courtyard (a microclimate
to landscape architects, a nice sunny spot out of the wind
to the rest of us) that would be an ideal place to hold a small class
or just hang out on a warm April day. Taylor
says, There are just so many spaces here interior and exterior
that are going to be fun to work with. But even with a hard
hat on, the dean is reluctant to get too caught up in bricks and mortar.
As much as he expresses his appreciation for the new building, Taylor
notes that the point isnt the structure but the way it enables the
Honors College to create a closer knit between students academic
and residential experience. CAMPUS
CROSSROADS This
summer, Ray Lavigne 67 set up shop at the north end of the tunnel
in the space that was most recently home to a fast food stop. Lavigne
alumnus, former UVM vice president, project manager during construction
of Burlingtons waterfront ECHO Center, and one of those people who
has a hard time staying retired is the Universitys project
manager for the Davis Center, UVMs long-dreamt student center that
is envisioned as a crossroads for the entire campus community. Few
know the campus as well as Lavigne, who oversaw facilities and grounds
operations at UVM for years. Hes seen building booms before
in the 60s when the athletic facilities, Marsh Life Science, the bookstore,
Bailey/Howe Library, and numerous residence halls broke ground. Still,
as he spreads out large construction plans on a table and points out features
of the Davis Center, Lavigne says its the most exciting era hes
seen at UVM in the past 40 years. Considering
the Davis Center, Lavigne says, The building is just going to dramatically
change the entrance to campus as you come in from the east. He pages
through the plans to point out favorite features the designs
echo of architectural elements from the historic buildings along the Green,
the landscaped oval fronting the building at the top of the hill on Main
Street, the way the west exterior face of Terrill Hall will become an
east interior wall of the Davis Center, part of the bright, four-story
atrium/entrance. I just think its going to be magnificent, Lavigne says. Theres going to be a wow factor to this. 3
Questions Q.
I understand that the team of scientists on this grant is bringing an
unusual approach to the study that especially attracted the interest of
the National Cancer Institute. Could you tell me a little bit about that? Q.
Looking far down the line, how could this sort of research have an impact
on the prevention or treatment of cancer? Q.
As a research scientist, what are the particular rewards of being involved
with a team study that brings together individuals from diverse areas
of expertise? photo by William DiLillo
Getting
into the field Which
is exactly what the Barrett Foundation intended when the family nonprofit,
led by 1966 UVM graduate Richard Barrett, a successful entrepreneur whose
career was boosted by early internship experiences, decided to provide
summer research scholarships for four top students in the College of Engineering
and Mathematical Sciences. Tracy Owen, Jennifer Gagnon, Alaina Dickason,
and Brendan Kennedy were this summers first Barrett Scholars. Senior
Tracy Owen, left, is pictured conducting fieldwork with doctoral student
Maeve McBride. Owen spent her summer focused on furthering her study of
stream dynamics by recreating aspects of one particular waterway in the
Votey Buildings six-meter flume. Owen spent weeks scaling the survey
data from forested and unforested stretches of the actual stream so that
she could build the scale model that would allow her to conduct experiments
and take measurements on how the surrounding land affects the waters
turbulence and velocity and how that, in turn, affects the width of the
stream. Such information is essential to have, she notes, on a forest
or stream restoration project. All of the Barrett Scholars hope to see their work through to publication, but Owen notes that challenges overcome getting there may be the greatest reward of the summers work. You run into problems, and you have to think of a solution quickly in that engineering spirit of solving issues with the materials you have, she says.
Artist McKendree Key placed white plastic balls on the frozen surface of the lake for Lake Champlain, 2005, a project commissioned by the Fleming Museum. Keys color print is part of New Turf, the first major contemporary exhibition organized by the Flemings new curator, Evelyn Hankins. Photo by McKendree Key
Telling
it straight Were
interested in showing students how to get useful information out to people
in a meaningful way that can make a difference, says Tom Streeter,
associate professor of sociology and the institutes co-director. No
matter what youre passionate about, communicating in an audiovisual
way is critical in todays climate. I think were unique because
of our interdisciplinary approach, adds co-director Andrea Grayson,
an adjunct professor with more than 20 years of writing, producing, and
documentary filmmaking experience. A
line-up of guest speakers that included industry insiders and well-established
filmmakers proved to be a powerful element of the course. The three owners
of Earth Network, an informational web and video channel that recently
established its headquarters in Burlington, were among those who shared
their expertise with the UVM students. Earth Networks Seth Zimmerman came away impressed with the potential of the UVM students and the fledgling summer institute. The new media is starting to change how people get information, he says. Its the new FM. Some of these kids who are inspired could create new forms of communication. This course is being taught by some of the best on the planet, so these kids are getting a big jump. We dont need more right spin or left spin, we need truth spin, and some of these students are good enough to create it. It
must be Baraka! OK,
so it was nearly impossible to sit in on the evening, part of Burlingtons
2005 Discover Jazz Festival, and not want to join in the groove. The highlight
of the night was Gennaris exuberant Rope-A-Dope, a self-composed
tribute to the troubadour of cool, set to the music of Thelonius Monk.
Introducing his piece, Gennari said, Wed like to thank Amiri
Baraka for his inspiration, his hipness, his humor, his revolutionary
zeal, his jazz, his craziness, his bullshit, his ugly, ugly beauty,
then the band swung into a melodious romp punctuated by the exhortation
It must be Baraka! Late
in the evening, when the musicians were packing up their instruments,
Jackson explained why the tribute struck a more personal chord. Nobody
really celebrates the mosaic of Baraka, he said in a raspy, post-performance
voice. It gets lost in the static surrounding him. When it
comes to Baraka, there is a lot of static. Most recently, he was stripped
of his honorary position of Poet Laureate of the State of New Jersey for
his incendiary comments about where responsibility rests for the 9/11
terrorist attacks. The
refrain It Must Be Baraka! however rang out high above the
buzz. In addition to Gennari, Jackson, and Stewart, the evenings
Beatific octet was composed of Rob Duguay 05 on bass, UVM senior
Alex Toth on trumpet, UVM alum Geoff Kim G04 on guitar, Brennan
Mangan 05 on drums, and poet-performance artist Kim Jordan reading
Barakas poems. In
addition to their two Firehouse Gallery performances, the JazzLit.com
Collective served up an encore Laban Carrick Hill UVM
lands leadership role in transportation research As
the ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee,
Jeffords has worked for more than three years to pass the highway legislation,
which will bring over $1 billion to Vermont through 2009. The legislation
provides funding to UVM to establish one of 10 National University Transportation
Centers to study transportation issues in an effort to promote and develop
more efficient transportation policies and study related environmental
issues. The highway bill also includes $1 million for research at UVM
on hydrogen and renewable fuels. We
must develop more efficient and environmentally friendly transportation
policies at a state and federal level, said Jeffords. I cannot
think of a better place than the University of Vermont to study these
critically important issues. UVMs reputation for academic excellence
and cutting- edge research directly contributed to its designation as
a National University Transportation Center. UVM
President Daniel Mark Fogel said, This designation and the funding
associated with it create a tremendous opportunity to expand our research
capacity to identify environmentally and economically sustainable strategies
for the nations critical transportation issues. Fogel continued, Equally exciting is the opportunity to direct funds to nurture the engineers, planners, and other professionals who will become our nations transportation leaders, through the hands-on research involving undergraduate and graduate students that the transportation center will sponsor. We are extremely grateful for Senator Jeffordss vision. photo by Sally McCay University
mourns death of James Petersen The
tragic news touched many at the University of Vermont, where Petersen
had distinguished himself as student, teacher, and scholar. Professor
Petersen, quoted in an article in the Spring 2005 issue of Vermont Quarterly,
referred to himself as a child of UVM. His parents, James
E. Petersen and Ella Chamer Noack, met on the campus and were graduates
of the Class of 1949. Professor Petersen received his bachelors
degree from the University of Vermont in 1979 and joined the faculty at
his alma mater in 1997. Michael
Heckenberger, UVM Class of 1988, an anthropology professor at the University
of Florida, was among the many students Petersen inspired during his career.
He worked with him when Petersen was a visiting professor at UVM, prior
to joining the faculty full-time. The two would later collaborate on ground-breaking
work in the Amazon that questioned the long-held belief that the Amazon
was a counterfeit paradise lacking the rich soils and protein
sources needed to sustain significant human populations. To
get the story right, thats my motive, Petersen told Vermont
Quarterly. I work in the Amazon as part of a broader effort like
I do here in North America, in New England, the Caribbean and wherever
else I work, to see the correct story told. That we dont underestimate
the degree of sophistication, the degree of elaboration, the degree of
complexity of the native people. Jim
is an infectious person and teacher, colleague and former student
Heckenberger said in the Vermont Quarterly article. He attracts
so many people to anthropology. He is without a doubt one of the most
powerful and influential teachers I had. The family and friends of Professor Petersen have established a scholarship in his memory to support undergraduate students within the College of Arts and Sciences. Contributions may be sent to the attention of Natalie J. Fleischman, senior development officer, University of Vermont, 411 Main Street, Grasse Mount, Burlington, VT 05401. Digging
Burlingtons history The
state-funded dig, located just off Burlingtons North Street near
Battery Park, involved the removal of the remains of two 19th-century
soldiers. About 5,000 troops were stationed in the area during the War
of 1812, and about 700 died there of war-related injuries and disease.
The
discovery of a third soldier wasnt a complete shock given the number
of soldiers who died there, but its location within the confines of the
established dig site an area researchers cant venture beyond
due to funding and regulatory restrictions was extremely fortuitous.
Had it been located even an inch outside the funded site, University archaeologists
would not have been able to touch it until more grant money was secured. Were
lucky that the third solider was just 75 centimeters from the other one,
which indicates that this was a military-style cemetery, says Kathleen
Kenney, CAP historian. There could be as many as 25-30 soldiers
buried in this backyard alone. Kenney
described the condition of the remains of the first soldier as pretty
intact and expected at least one other to be in better condition.
Dozens of neighborhood residents watched the week-long excavation and
seemed particularly intrigued with the dusting off of a skull by CAP archaeologist
Cullen Black. A small, gold earring was found on one of the skeletons,
indicating that the man may have been a sailor. Seamen of the era were
known for wearing similar earrings to cover the cost of a Christian burial
if they died at sea and washed up on shore. The
remains were taken back to the lab on campus, catalogued, cleaned, analyzed
and, if possible, identified by name. Charles Knight, assistant director
of the consulting archaeology program, says the odds of identifying the
soldiers are slim, but newer identification processes such as mitochondrial
DNA testing and the creation of such agencies as the Joint POW/MIA Accounting
Command have increased the chances for a match. If a soldier is identified,
surviving relations could decide to re-inter them with Two
Deans named Eleanor
Miller is a nationally distinguished academic in the sociology and criminology
fields. Prior to joining UVM, she was professor of sociology and associate
dean for the social sciences in the College of Letters & Science at
the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Fayneese Miller is former director of the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America, and was an ACE Fellow in the Presidents Office at Brown University before accepting the deans post at UVM. Prior to Brown, Miller held faculty positions at the University of North Florida and the University of Cape Town.
UVM Shelflife Backyard
memories With
a resumé that includes positions as a senior editor at Simon &
Schuster; launch editor for O, The Oprah Magazine; senior story
producer at Good Morning America; and now a reporter for Vanity
Fair, Sue Carswell 83 is no stranger to media and publishing.
Still, writing is a long, hard road for anyone. It took Carswell seven
years to write and publish her deeply personal memoir Faded Pictures
from My Backyard with Ballantine Books. Ive had three
editors and several revisions. But, she says, I like my book.
And Im glad I wrote it. Carswells
family is, too. Her father, John Carswell 53, has bought like
30 copies of the book, a brother-in-law gave copies to all of his
co-workers, and a sister-in-law keeps emptying the local bookstores
shelves in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Even Carswells 11- and 12-year-old
nieces, who, along with their cousins, helped the author reconstruct the
youthful voice employed throughout the first half of the book, proudly
brought the memoir to show-and-tell. Faded
Pictures from My Backyard begins in the summer of 1968, when Carswells
father, an administrator at the Albany Home for Children, moved his family
to a house on the orphanages grounds. Although her father kept Sue
and her four siblings segregated from the orphanage residents, Carswell
felt increasingly close to the troubled children living in the cottages
in her backyard as she herself dealt with anxiety, insomnia, and depression.
The memoir, which explores the intense fears of the authors young
mind, culminates in Carswell coping as an adult with the realization of
her lifes biggest fear: the death of her mother. The
memoir is, first and foremost, a tribute to the extraordinary bond between
Carswell and her mother, Elaine. Ever since I could remember, she
was my greatest love, Carswell writes. Elaine emerges as a kind,
compassionate figure, a friend to her children, who, upon her death from
breast cancer on Easter Eve in 1997, leaves a deep void in the authors
life. The
book began as the eulogy Carswell wrote for her mothers funeral.
I had the best mother and miss her like her last day was yesterday,
she explains. I wanted to keep my mothers memory alive and
hoped that people would learn to love their children more, or perhaps
appreciate their parents. Amanda Waite 02 G04 The
Sunshine on My Face Swinging
for the Fences: University
of Vermont |
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