Archives
 Maria Rybakova Nominated for Literary Award
Congratulations to Classics and Humanities' Professor Maria Rybakova, for her novel's nomination for the Jan Michalski Prize for Literature. Her novel is entitled A Sharp Knife for a Tender Heart and is in the genre of magical realism. The Jan Michalski Prize for Literature is attributed each year to crown a work of world literature. It is open to authors from the world over and is intended to contribute to their international recognition. We wish Dr. Rybakova the best of luck!
To find out more about this nomination, please visit the departmental website.
 Stephen L. Weber Graduate Conference in Ethics
The SDSU Stephen L. Weber Graduate Conference in Ethics is the second annual graduate conference hosted by the Department of Philosophy and the Institute for Ethics and Public Affairs. The conference will take place on May 5th with graduate students from around the nation presenting their latest work in the field of ethics with a specific focus on philosophy of education and pre-college philosophy. The conference will feature keynote addresses by Mitchell Green and Jana Mohr Lone.
To view the schedule of events, please visit
the conference website.
 In Memoriam
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our colleague and friend, Clare "Bud" McKanna. Bud died from chronic heart disease in his San Diego home on March 25, 2012. Bud's career at San Diego State began in 1971, and for over forty years he taught classes in US, California, Native American, and Latin American history. Bud was also a prolific scholar of Native American history and history through crime. He was dear to all of us, and we miss him very much.
To read more about the life of Bud McKanna, visit his website.
 Spring 2012 Appleby Lecture
The Department of History presents its Spring 2012 Appleby Lecture featuring Professor Hasia R. Diner on April 13th, 2012 at 3:30pm. Professor Hasia R. Diner is the Paul S. and Sylvia Steinberg Professor of American Jewish History and the Director of the Goldstein Goren Center for American Jewish History at New York University. Her lecture is entitled: American Jews, the Holocaust, and the Post-War World.
For more information, please visit the History Department's website.
 Africana Studies 40th Anniversary Lecture
The Department of Afrciana Studies invites you to attend their lecture, Women's Avenues to Political Power in Patriarchal Igbo Society: 1800-1900, given by Antwanisha Alameen on April 9th at 5:30pm. This lecture is part of the department's fortieth anniversary celebration. Antwanisha Alameen is a doctoral student at Temple University and is an alumnus of the Africana Studies Department at San Diego State University.
To learn more, please visit the Africana Studies Department website.
 Ethics Beyond Borders
The Department of Philosophy at San Diego State University invites you to attend a panel discussion focusing on cosmopolitan ethics, international politics, and the ethics of compassion in preparation for His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama's visit. Please join Professors Barbone, Wawrytko, Weston and Wheeler and Lama Tenzin for an evening of philosophical debate about cutting edge issues in value theory this Tuesday, April 3rd, from 6:00-8:00 pm at the SDSU Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center.
View the 4/3 event flyer for more information (.pdf)
 2012 Student Research Symposium (SRS) Awards
Congratulations to this year's SRS Winners and Mentors from the College of Arts and Letters:
Cassidy Berg, Physics, Undergraduate, Possible Worlds and Parallel Universes, Mentor: Mark Wheeler, Library Award, Undergraduate Excellence Oral Award;
Ethan Howe, Undergraduate, Witness Consciousness: A Response to Chalmers’ “Hard Problem” Drawing from Samkhya, Mentor: Robert Francescotti, Charles Wei-Hsun Fu Foundation Award for Philosophy, President's Award;
Tiffany G. Harrison, Political Science, State of Black San Diego, Mentor: Tanis Starck, Undergraduate Excellence Oral Award;
Marta Jankowska, Geography, Doctoral, Climate Change and Human Health: Contextual and Compositional Effects of Climate, Livelihoods, and Population Change on Child Malnutrition in Mali, Africa, Mentor: John Weeks, Library Award;
Tanisha Martin-Chiles, Undergraduate, The Effects on Low-Income Students when EBT is Not Accepted as a Form of Payment at Universities, Mentor: Kyra Greene, Dean's Award;
Tonya Warren, Masters, Addiction and Autonomy: A Qualitative Study of a Buddhist-Based Drug Rehabilitation Program in a Taiwanese Prison, Mentor: Mark Wheeler, International Research Award, Dean's Award;
Nicholas Ynami, Asian Studies, Undergraduate, Comparative Study of Soft Power Promotion in US, China and South Korea, Mentor: Lei Guang, Library Award;
Alex Zvoleff, Doctoral, Linking Conservation and Development: A Global-scale Investigation of Demographics in High-value Conservation Areas, Mentor: Li An, President's Award.
 LAS Graduate Student Invited to the White House
Army Major and Latin American Studies Graduate Student, Eldridge Singleton and his wife have been invited to attend a White House State Dinner. Major Singleton is one of 78 military service members invited to a White House dinner by President Barack Obama. He has served four deployments in Iraq. His first tour was with infantry troops and then with Special Operations forces. He's received four Bronze Stars.
View the full video on 10 News....
 Call for Papers: Philosophy in Contemporary Life
The San Diego State University's Philosophy Department is pleased to announce the very first undergraduate conference in Philosophy. The focus of this year's conference will be on Philosophy in Contemporary Life. The conference will take place at SDSU on May 5-6, 2012. The Keynote Speaker will be given by Dr. Noël Carroll, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy CUNY Graduate Center. Undergraduates are encouraged to submit an abstract no later than March 23rd.
Find out more about the conference...
 Alumni Invite to SDSU Open House, March 17th
March is SDSU Month; an annual celebration of San Diego State's outstanding people and programs and features 31 days of artistic, academic and athletic events. As part of these events, the Arts and Letters Alumni Chapter would like to invite all alumni to Explore SDSU. Explore SDSU Open House is a free all-campus event featuring an information fair, academic program workshops, tours and open houses.
Read more about the Explore SDSU event...
 Lecture by Venerable Lama Tenzin Dhonden
Join us on Wednesday, March 14th, for a lecture by Venerable Lama Tenzin Dhonden, His Holiness the Dalai Lama's personal emissary for peace. From the age of eight, the Venerable Lama Tenzin was trained in the monastic tradition of Namgyal Monastery, the personal monastery of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala India. Lama Tenzin has been living part-time in the US for the past 10 years, sharing his teachings with groups across the US and internationally.
Learn more about the lecture by Venerable Lama Tenzin Dhonden...
 LSAT Review at SDSU
The College of Arts and Letters in partnership with The Princeton Review is proud to present a low-cost LSAT preparation program on campus. The course offers 30 hours of professional LSAT instruction, 4 proctored examinations and over 1800 pages of study material for $150. Princeton Review has significantly reduced their price on this program in order to provide a service to our students so please help us advertise this opportunity.
View the course flyer (.pdf)...
 In Memoriam
Long-time Religious Studies Professor Dr. Ray Jordan, who retired from SDSU in 1996, died peacefully on February 10, 2012. In 1966 Dr. Jordan was offered a position at San Diego State College, now SDSU to create the Religious Studies Department. He was Chairman of the Religious Studies Department for many years and was voted "Favorite Professor" at least once while he taught at the Religious Studies Department. Dr. Jordan, a long-time Zen practitioner, continued his meditative practices up until his death.
Learn more about the life of Dr. Ray Jordan...
Black History Month and Africana Studies 40th Anniversary
Not only is February, Black History Month, but it also kicks off the 40th anniversary celebration of Africana Studies at San Diego State University. Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by black Americans and a time for recognizing the central role of African Americans in U.S. history. Africana Studies at SDSU has evolved from a focus on Afro-Americans, to an emphasis on African Americans, to the present curriculum that includes African Americans, the African diaspore and Africans.
Find out more about Black History Month events...
 In Memoriam
It is with a sad heart that we morn the loss of Dr. Frederico Moramarco. He passed on February 13th and although he is gone, his legacy will forever live on. Dr. Moramarco was a professor emeritus of English and Comparative Literature at SDSU and founding editor of Poetry International. He was an accomplished author, poet and chef; he authored or edited seven books, including his most recent, The City of Eden.
Learn more about the life of Dr. Frederico Moramarco...
 Joanna Brooks Featured on CNN
Professor and Chair of English and Comparative Literature, Joanna Brooks, was recently featured on cnn.com. In a piece on the site's belief blog entitled, Crossing the plains and kicking up dirt, a new Mormon pioneer, Joanna discusses her life growing up Mormon and return to her faith after a ten year absence. A wife, mother, professor, author and activist, she believes there is room in her life to be true to her religion but also to her own ideals.
Read the full article on the CNN website...
 In Memoriam
Dr. Alfredo Velasco passed away this last December, at the age of 66, after a long battle with cancer. Dr. Velasco was a local civil rights leader who helped improve the lives of thousands in San Diego County’s Latino community. He joined the faculty of the Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies at SDSU in 1990. He is remembered as a great professor, colleague, and friend of the Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies.
Read faculty remembrances of Dr. Velasco...
 Ambassador Pierre-Richard Prosper to Speak at SDSU
The College of Arts and Letters is proud to welcome guest speaker, Ambassador Pierre-Richard Prosper. Ambassador Prosper will speak on February 13th (5-6:40pm), as part of the lecturer series: International Law and Global Justice: Friends, Acquaintances, or Enemies? This series is offered by the Political Science 393, World Affairs course, taught by Dr. Jonathan Graubart and in conjunction with, the Charles Hostler Institute on World Affairs.
Read more about Ambassador Prosper as well as future lectures sponsored by the institute...
 Journalist, James Foley to Speak at SDSU
The Center for Islamic and Arabic Studies presents guest speaker James Foley, February 9, 2012 at 7:00 pm, as part of the series "Understanding the Arab Spring." Foley is an American journalist who was held captive in Libya for six weeks in the spring of 2011 and who after his release, returned to cover the final battle in the city of Sirte. He will speak about the role of media in the Libyan revolution and will present some of his videos.
Learn more about Foley's lecture...
 Study Abroad Opportunities
Study abroad is widely recognized for the value it adds to an undergraduate education. Not only is it exciting to visit a new place, but studying abroad can also help students: gain new perspective on the world; increase their language skill; improve, learn, and refine decision-making and problem-solving skills; make new contacts and form lasting connections. Many different study abroad opportunities exist for students, including Africa, China, England, France, Hungary, India, Italy, Oaxaca, Spain, and Vietnam.
Learn more about study abroad opportunities offered through CAL...
 Our Classes in Mixtec and Zapotec Make the News
The Center for Latin America Studies' courses in Mixtec and Zapotec were recently featured in the online newspaper Latino California. San Diego State University is the only university in the United States to offer these language courses. These courses have been offered for the last ten years and is where students learn not only to speak and write these languages, but also about the culture of the regions of Oaxaca where they originate.
Read the full article in Spanish...
 2012 Monty Awards
Congratulations to Dr. Lilly Cheng for receiving this year's Monty Award for the College of Arts and Letters! The Monty is a symbol of achievement and success presented to distinguished alumni from each of SDSU's seven academic colleges, Imperial Valley Campus and Library and Information Access. Lilly Cheng ('84, Ph.D., teacher education) serves as managing director of the Confucius Institute in the SDSU College of Arts and Letters and as a member the Campanile Foundation Board.
Read more about Dr. Cheng and the Monty Award...
 Arts and Letters Alumni Wine Tasting
Come join us for a fun, interactive and educational wine event on Wednesday, January 18th. We will explore domestic and international wines while pairing food and wine together at The Wine Pub. The Wine Pub provides a warm and inviting atmosphere where you will be networking with SDSU alumni and will meet Dean Paul Wong. This year there will be a silent auction with proceeds going to student scholarships. Reservations are required.
Learn more about this event...
 The Modern Jewish Experience in World Cinema
This week Brandeis University Press published The Modern Jewish Experience in World Cinema edited by Lawrence Baron of the History Department. Most people have seen Exodus, Fiddler on the Roof, Yentl, and Schindler’s List—well-known films with obvious Jewish subjects. But the Jewish experience in film is far richer than this. This remarkable anthology brings together 54 new and classic essays by 49 scholars in 8 countries to analyze the Jewish presence in world cinema.
Vist the Brandeis University Press website for more information...
 Mexican Modern Painting
Mexican Modern Painting from the Andrés Blaisten Collection will be on view until February 19, 2012 at the San Diego Museum of Art. The display was curated by Latin American Studies alumna, Amy Galpin. This is one of the premiere collections of 20th-century Mexican art. This exhibition features a selection of 80 paintings dated between 1907 and 1962 from this renowned collection as part of a traveling tour of the Blaisten Collection.
Visit the San Diego Museum of Art's website for more information...
 New CAL Majors Debut in Spring
The College of Arts and Letters is pleased to announce that it will be offering three new majors starting in Spring 2012: Comparative International Studies; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Studies; Sustainability. Students can choose from an exciting array of classes this Spring including: Introduction to Comparative International Studies, Gay and Lesbian Identities in the Modern World (taught by Sophia Arredondo), and Sustainability and Culture (taught by Dr. Matt Lauer).
Read more about the new majors...
 Native American Awareness Gathering
Please join the San Diego State University Native American Student Alliance on December 8, 2011 from 11am to 3pm for a Native American Awareness Gathering. The event will take place at Scripps Cottage and will feature performances by The Intertribal Birdsingers, from Pala Ca; Native Plains Dancers and Green River Singers; Danza Azteca Calpulli Mexihca. The event is free and open to the public.
View the event flyer for more information...
 A Journey in Islamic Thought: The Life of Fathi Osman
A new book by Dr. Ghada Osman chronicles the life of Fathi Osman, a leading Egyptian-born thinker at the forefront of modern Islamic reformism for nearly four decades. Using interviews, family documents and archival materials to chronicle his ideological development from spokesperson for the prototypical Islamist movement to formulator of a radical Islamic reformist ideology, Dr. Osman sheds light on the lure and inner workings of a major Islamist movement and the role of Islamic reform in the global arena.
Find out more about this new book...
 Civil Rights and African American Experience Exhibit
San Diego State's Special Collections and University Archives unveils its new online exhibit. The Harold K. Brown Civil Rights and African-American Experience will focus on the African-American experience in San Diego, emphasizing the Civil Rights era. The new collection brings an enriching experience to SDSU and features one-of-a-kind digitized oral histories, original personal and organizational papers, photography collections and online exhibits.
Visit the online exhibit and archives...
 Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit
A new exhibition, "Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Biblical Times," will open in New York on October 28th. The exhibit will be curated by Dr. Risa Levitt Kohn, Professor and Chair of the Religious Studies Department and Director of the Jewish Studies Program at San Diego State University. The exhibit will feature over 500 ancient artifacts from Israel, including 20 of the Dead Sea Scrolls, four of which have never been made available for public viewing.
Read the article in the New York Times...
 American Indian Studies Celebrates Thirty-five Years
A celebration for the 35th Anniversary of American Indian Studies will be held at SDSU with a 2-day event, November 3rd and 4th. On November 4th, an all day symposium on the most current issues affecting American Indians today will be held. The events will take place in the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center. The events are free and open to the campus community.
View the schedule for the two day symposium...
 Hostler Fellow Program Winners
Charles Hostler Institute on World Affairs is pleased to announce the winners of the new Hostler Fellow Program. Congratulations to: Katie Martin (ISCOR), Michael Riggings (Political Science), Elizabeth Vellone (Political Science), and Trevor Woolf (ISCOR). The fellowship lasts two semesters and in late spring, a symposium will be held where all four fellows will present their findings. This program was made possible by a generous donation from former Ambassador Charles Hostler and his wife, Chin-Yeh.
Read more about the fellowship and Institute on World Affairs...
 National Center for the Study of Children's Literature
San Diego State University is home to the Children's Literature Program. The program, one of the oldest of its kind in the country, brings together leading scholars in children's literature, authors of numerous and distinguished books and essays in the field, and prize-winning researchers with national and international reputations. The center hosts a free children's literature book review service as well as a blog.
Visit their website and blog...
 Symposium on Moral Courage
The Symposium on Moral Courage is designed to raise awareness of the importance of this ethical principle in the San Diego community through music, art, and lectures. The symposium, that runs from October 24th to November 2nd, brings together faculty and students from the universities in our area, as well as members of the community, in order to examine critical issues in genocide and global justice. These events are free and open to the public.
Learn more by visiting the symposium's website or the article on SDSU News Center...
 Aztec Bowl Turns 75
Seventy-five years to the day the first game was played at Aztec Bowl, SDSU's historic stadium was celebrated with a rededication ceremony recalling individuals and events that played a part in the venue's venerated past. A crowd of more than 80 students, faculty, staff and alumni turned out for the celebration that culminated with the unveiling of a restored historic plaque that had gone missing from the stadium more than 15 years ago.
Read the full SDSU News Center story...
 Binding Passions and Shielding Virtue in Early Modern Venice
Join us on Tuesday, October 11, 2011 for forty-sixth annual Phi Beta Kappa faculty lecture featuring Professor and Chair of History, Joanne M. Ferraro. The lecture will start at 3:45pm at the Aztec Athletics Center Auditorium San Diego State University. A reception hosted by the College of Arts and Letters will follow the lecture. This is a free event open to the campus community and to friends of San Diego State University.
Learn more about the event...
 Graduate Studies in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing Studies
The Master of Arts Program in Rhetoric and Writing Studies offers students from a variety of educational and professional backgrounds an opportunity for intensive examination of the nature of written discourse and its relationship to knowledge, culture, and professional practice. The program, the only one of its kind in California, offers three areas of specializations for its students to choose: the general program in rhetoric, the teaching of writing, and professional/technical writing.
Visit the M.A. program's website to learn more about it…
 Native Peoples of Mexico: A Glimpse of Mixtec, Zapotec, Maya, and Nahua Cultures
The Center for Latin American Studies at SDSU proudly presents a new library exhibit entitled: Native Peoples of Mexico: A Glimpse of Mixtec, Zapotec, Maya, and Nahua Cultures. The exhibit is composed of "cultural discovery boxes" to educate K-12-level school children about Mexico's four largest ancient indigenous communities: the Mixtec, Zapotec, Maya, and Nahua. The exhibit will be on display from September 8, 2011 to December 9, 2011 in Donor Hall at the SDSU Library. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
Learn more about the exhibit...
 Reflecting on 9/11 Ten Years Later
The Center for Islamic and Arabic Studies invites you to a panel discussion on Thursday, September 15, 2011 at 7pm in Nasatir Hall 100. The panel will feature Ghada Osman, (Professor and Chair of Department of Linguistics and Asian/Middle Eastern Languages), Khaleel Mohammed (Professor of Religious Studies), Professor Huma Ahmed Ghosh (Professor and Chair of Women's Studies), and Ahmet Kuru (Professor of Political Science). This event is cosponsored by the Department of Political Science.
View the flyer for the discussion...
 Toward a Reasonable World Conference
Toward a Reasonable World: The Heritage of Western Humanism, Skepticism and Freethought, an international conference in honor of the 500th anniversary of the birth of Michael Servetus will be held September 16-18, 2011 at The Town and Country Resort in San Diego. The conference is co-sponsored by: Department of Classics and Humanities, Department of Philosophy, Department of Religious Studies, Institute for Ethics and Public Affairs at SDSU, and Institute for the Study of American Religion at Santa Barbara. Visit the Reasonable World conference website...
 Three Things to Know About the US-Mexico Border
Dr. James Gerber recently spoke at a TEDx forum at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Tijuana. His talk was entitled, "Three things to know about the US-Mexico border." TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. Dr. Gerber is currently a Professor of Economics and Director of International Business Program. He has been a faculty member at San Diego State University since 1985.
View Dr. Gerber's talk on YouTube...
 Sociologists in Action!
Two of Sociology's recent graduates--Christina Sanchez-Weston and Tashina Vavuris, participated as community collaborators for two weeks in Las Mercedes, Ecuador. The town of Las Mercedes, Ecuador is known as one of the poorest places in the world. Christina and Tashina were instrumental in the construction of the first ever Health Center in Las Mercedes. They also held introductory English classes for the children of Las Mercedes during their stay.
Read more about Christina's and Tashina's amazing work...
 Photographs from Haiti: 2008-2010
Robert "Bear" Guerra is a photographer who focuses on humanitarian, environmental, and social issues. His award-winning images, photo essays, and multimedia stories have been published widely in the United States and abroad; and he works frequently with indigenous and immigrant populations, as well as with progressive non-profit organizations working for human rights and the environment. His photos are on exhibit in the Center for Latin American Studies (AL-377) until September.
Learn more about Robert Guerra...
 In memoriam: Clare Crane
Distinguished alumnus and 2006 Monty award winner, Clare Crane passed away on June 17th at the age of 85. Clare taught history at several San Diego colleges and universities, including SDSU, publishing numerous historical works surrounding the history of San Diego. She will be remembered for her philanthropy and community outreach efforts. Clare was an active member of the Friends of Classics, a community and alumni support group established to encourage study in Classics at SDSU. Read more about the life of Clare Crane...
 Study Finds Demand for Public Services Overwhelming Under-staffed Employees
Professor Jill Esbenshade and thirteen Sociology graduate students recently completed a study, entitled "County Employees: Overworked and Undermined." The team used secondary data obtained from San Diego County and conducted a survey of 342 employees at Family Resource Centers, where low-income county residents apply for assistance such as food stamps, health programs and temporary aid. The study found that public employees at all levels of government have become scapegoats for budget deficits. Read more about the study...
 History Professor Cited in Article
Dr. Lawrence Baron, Nasatir Professor of Modern Jewish History, and Director of Jewish Studies was recently interviewed for an upcoming film review in Moment Magazine, entitled "Film Watch X-Men: Jewish Origins." The article was published in the May 2011 issue. Dr. Baron received his Ph.D. in modern German cultural and intellectual history from the University of Wisconsin in 1974. Read the article in Moment Magazine…
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