Colgate University News

New provost and dean of the faculty enjoyed blue-sky debut

2012-02-09T19:01:33Z

Douglas A. Hicks, Colgate's next provost and dean of the faculty, enjoyed a warm welcome earlier this week when he visited campus for the first time since his appointment as the university's top academic official.

Though his start date is nearly five months away, unseasonably mild temperatures and blue skies made it seem as though July 1 might be just around the corner.

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"We're really excited to be coming to Colgate," Hicks said. "I appreciate the hospitality, particularly of the faculty who have been so welcoming to me and to my family. Come July, we'll jump right in."

Hicks, who also was appointed professor of religion, met with various members of the faculty and administration, and attended a meeting of the president's staff. The Tuesday afternoon welcome reception in his honor drew more than 150 people to Merrill House.

"It has been a real pleasure to begin working with Doug to begin the transition process," said Bruce Selleck, interim provost and dean of the faculty and Harold Orville Whitnall Professor of geology.

"We are committed to making the process as seamless as possible. Colgate is fortunate to have talented and experienced staff in the dean's office, and those folks will also be critical to Doug in the months ahead."

Hicks will to move to Hamilton with his wife, Catherine Bagwell, who will serve as professor of psychology, and his children Noah, 8, and Ada, 5. Bagwell studies developmental psychopathology and is a coauthor of Medicating Children: ADHD and the Politics of Mental Health.

Hicks joins Colgate after 13 years at the University of Richmond, where he currently serves as professor of leadership studies and religion in the Jepson School of Leadership Studies. He is the author of four books, and has been published widely on both academic presses and the popular media.

To contact Hicks directly, write to dhicks@colgate.edu.

Students canoe the Everglades with Outdoor Education

2012-02-09T15:45:56Z

Twelve Colgate students and staff members ventured into alligator territory during winter break as part of an outing organized by the university's Outdoor Education program.

]]> The group spent seven days and six nights canoeing through Everglades National Park, exploring mangrove forests, the Gulf of Mexico, and everything in between.

"It was pretty much like a scene out of a movie," said Christine Heffernan '12, about the mangrove tunnels the group paddled through on the first day. The tunnels are formed from thin channels of water meandering through mangrove forest. Branches arch out over the water, blocking out much of the sunlight burning bright above the canopy.

"It was kind of like going through a maze," Heffernan said, "and sometimes you'd have to put your paddle in your boat and use your hands to push off the branches, sometimes you'd have to lie down and duck under."

Paddling 10-13 miles per day, the students and staff saw a different part of the park each day. They camped on beaches with views looking west over the gulf, as well as land sites and chickees, which are wooden platforms 12-feet square and raised about three feet out of the water.

The group spent two nights on Pavilion Key, a small island on the western edge of the park.

"It was absolutely, the most fantastic thing I have ever seen. It's not one of the most fantastic things, it's just the most fantastic thing," said Johnson Tai '13.

While there were a number of alligator sightings, water birds were the ever-present wildlife.

Courtney Savage and Michael Savage, the two staff leaders on the trip, guided the group each day, pointing out egrets, herons, osprey, spoonbills, bald eagles, and myriad other birds flying overhead or skittering along the shore.

Colgate's Outdoor Education program is among the most respected collegiate programs in the nation. Learn more about the program offerings here.

Artist adds experimental flourish to her exhibition

2012-02-06T21:28:48Z

As the roomful of voices rose and lowered, overlapped, and occasionally fell silent, it sounded like a séance was being performed in the dark Brehmer Theater on Friday night. A packed theater of students as well as faculty, staff, and community members read separate lines as they floated across the divided screen on the stage. "All has been said so far," began part of the group. "So far," echoed others.

]]> Seated at a café table on the stage, artist Ann Hamilton and poet/literary critic Susan Stewart listened. "We're going to animate time together," Hamilton had told the audience members, who were given different colored dots that would indicate which part of the screen they read. "I have always wanted to do an experiment where people read together," explained Hamilton. She had prepared the three-part reading by crossing Keats's "This Living Hand" poem with fragments from Stewart's book Poetry and the Fate of the Senses.

The event, which began with an informal conversation between collaborators Hamilton and Stewart, launched Hamilton's Recto/Verso exhibitions at both the Picker and Clifford art galleries, on view until April 6.

Hamilton is recognized internationally for her large-scale multimedia installations. The videos in Recto/Verso -- a retrospective -- combine repetitive motion with sound, often eliciting a visceral reaction from viewers. For example, Aleph is a close-up of stone marbles rolling around in a mouth, and the soundtrack is of the marbles scraping together.

The exhibition in the Clifford Gallery features two huge photographs by students who began working with Hamilton on a project called "i am camera" when she visited last September. Because she is also known as a master of low-tech image making, Hamilton suggested that students create pinhole cameras out of cardboard, aluminum foil, tape, and film. Students and staff then photographed various campus events and locations. The results were developed with the help of Professor Linn Underhill, who curated Hamilton's exhibitions.

Returning to campus last week, Hamilton spoke about her work to approximately 150 students on Thursday night in Golden Auditorium, followed by dinner with some of the students.

"Ann's work is strange -- brilliant, but strange," said Alex Coco '12, an art and art history major. "She has an acute sensibility that is hard to understand unless you listen to her speak about her work. I learned how strange the simple is."

Hamilton is the Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation Visiting Artist in Residence; these events are also supported by an NEA grant and the Colgate University Arts Council.

Colgate track recruit is an inspiration to N.Y. Giants

2012-02-06T14:24:52Z

A high school student from San Francisco who will be running track next year for Colgate is being called an inspiration to the Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

]]> According to a story in the New York Post, Giants coach Tom Coughlin recently showed the team an ESPN video of University High senior Holland Reynolds crawling over the finish line to help secure the 2010 CIF Division V State Championship.

Reynolds, then a junior, was among the leaders but collapsed several yards from the line in Fresno due to a combination of dehydration and hypothermia. She was inspired to finish for University coach Jim Tracy, who is stricken with Lou Gehrig's disease.

Coughlin, known for love of inspirational quotes and telling stories of historical figures such as Gen. George S. Patton, Winston Churchill, John Wooden, and Muhammad Ali, used Reynolds' crawl as an example of how to finish the season.

Reynolds told the San Francisco Chronicle Friday that she was honored by the news of Coughlin's tribute.

"Just crazy," she said. "I never thought athletes in professional sport, who spend their whole lives competing, would ever look to a high schooler for inspiration."

Reynolds, who placed sixth in November to help University to a ninth state crown, has another tie with New York. Next season she'll run track at Colgate, having been recruited by coach Laura Nardelli.

Read the complete San Francisco Chronicle story.

Studying abroad not just for students

2012-02-04T15:30:26Z

That was the headline on a Feb. 3 story in USA Today about Colgate's faculty trip to India. ]]> photos taken along the way by professor Christopher Henke. On Jan. 19, the trip was mentioned in two New York Times blogs, The Choice and India Ink, reaching prospective students and their families across the globe. Faculty members continue to post to the Reflections from India blog. Let us know what you think.

Alan Frumin '68 retires as Senate parliamentarian

2012-02-03T21:20:37Z

Alan Frumin '68, who has served nearly 20 years as the U.S. Senate parliamentarian, is retiring. The congressional newspaper The Hill called the role of parliamentarian an obscure yet crucially important position.

]]> Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) thanked Frumin for his service, which he compared to acting as the umpire of the Senate.

"It shouldn't surprise anyone to hear that we haven't always agreed on those calls, but it's not an easy job to be an umpire for 100 senators," McConnell was quoted as saying in The Hill.

Good Food just one club of interest for first-year

2012-02-03T15:13:43Z

A highlight of this week was definitely the activities fair, which was held in the Hall of Presidents on Thursday. Many students gathered in order to sign up for the numerous clubs and groups Colgate offers.

]]> This semester, I look forward to being a member of clubs like WRCU (the Colgate radio station), a vegetarian/sustainable food club called "Good Food," a group focused on raising breast cancer awareness, the Disaster Relief Team (DiRT), and maybe a few others.

From the ping pong club, to the Colgate jugglers (who performed at the activities fair), to Habitat for Humanity, and the French and finance clubs, students could find a club for virtually any interest at the event.

I look forward to continuing my activity in the clubs I joined last semester while looking into some of the new clubs I signed up for.

This weekend is exciting for students who will be going to Syracuse for a David Guetta concert. Colgate's CAB association offered a limited number of tickets, including transportation to and from the concert, to the first eighty students who stood in line.

Luckily, my friends and I were able to get tickets and we will be going to the concert tonight. We look forward to attending and enjoying the concert with many of our classmates, and bringing a little bit of Colgate to Syracuse.

Lately, Colgate's new Trudy Fitness Center has been packed with students. Possibly due to some recently created New Year's resolutions, students are utilizing the campus facilities in order to get ready for spring.

I think a trip to the gym, pool, rock-climbing wall, or an aerobics class is a great way to fight the cold weather and to refocus after a long day of classes and schoolwork. I enjoy getting exercise during the winter months because it gets me active, out of my dorm room, and away from the dining hall.

Many students are beginning to organize their Super Bowl parties for Sunday. Those fortunate enough to have large screen televisions in their dorms will be seeing an influx of TV-less friends desiring to watch the game come 6:30.

I look forward to being able to watch the game in a friend's room and ... cheering on the Giants!

Look every Friday for my blog entries about what is going on at Colgate.

Bookstore, theater create program for community

2012-02-01T20:51:18Z

(Note: This story is by Chuck Fox '70, manager of the Hamilton Theater)

"OK, what did everyone think? Thumbs up or thumbs down?"

Heather Elia, marketing coordinator for the Colgate Bookstore, kicks off the discussion with members of the Hamilton Book and Movie Club gathered in the community room at the bookstore, across the street from the Hamilton Theater where the group has just finished seeing The Help.

]]> The group, numbering 19 today, enjoys a light dinner while they digest the film and exchange views on how the film and book compare to an earlier club feature, To Kill a Mockingbird.

"Both are controversial," offers Peter Darby. "I grew up during the civil rights era, so The Help really hit home for me."

Darby, a self-employed contractor, is a first-time participant at the monthly screenings. He joined for the varied offerings and lively discussion, even though he admits to not having quite finished the book before seeing tonight's movie.

Now in its seventh year, the Hamilton Book and Movie Club is a program initiated by the bookstore in partnership with the theater. Both entities are owned by Colgate, which in the last decade has made a major commitment to revitalizing downtown Hamilton.

The club features four 'seasons' per year. For each three-month season, Elia selects three books and accompanying movies, centered around a common theme. The theme of the current season is 'Down South', featuring The Help, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Cold Mountain.

She says the most popular season was Sibling Rivalry, featuring Atonement, The Other Bolin Girl, and East of Eden.

Members read the featured book in advance, then meet at 5:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month to see the film, followed by discussion at the bookstore. A light dinner is catered by Curtain Call, a caterer in the Hamilton Theater building.

The club offers two subscription plans. The full plan includes three books, movie tickets, and dinners for a three-month season for $48. The basic plan includes movie admissions and dinners without the books for $24. Elia says average membership is about 25 each season.

"We have a lot of teachers, but overall it's a pretty varied group including recent college grads and retirees," said Elia.

"This is a great example of coordinated programming," she added. "The bookstore, the theater, and Curtain Call all contribute to provide an innovative program not always available in a small community like ours."

For more information about the book club, contact Elia at helia@colgate.edu or 315-228-6944.

Celebrated artist Ann Hamilton at Colgate University

2012-01-31T16:44:43Z

From February 3 through April 6, the Picker Art Gallery at Colgate University will host installations by renowned artist Ann Hamilton.

Hamilton is internationally recognized for the sensory surrounds of her large-scale multi-media installations.

Her ephemeral environments create immersive experiences that poetically respond to the architectural presence and social history of their sites.

The exhibition will examine consistent threads that deal with gesture, the senses and the body, voice and language, time and duration, and history and community.]]>
In the Clifford Gallery, additional videos will be juxtaposed with images, some of which were made on the Colgate campus by members of the Colgate staff and student body.

This free event will be truly eye opening for visitors.

The hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Opening conversation and reading

On February 3 at 4:30 p.m., Hamilton and Susan Stewart will kick off the exhibit at Brehmer Theatre, Dana Arts Center, with a presentation compliments of the Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Foundation Visiting Artist-in-Residence. Click here to add this event to your calendar.

Let us know in comments if you will be attending the event on Friday or the exhibition.

Douglas A. Hicks named provost, dean of the faculty

2012-01-30T00:41:49Z

Colgate University President Jeffrey Herbst announced the selection of Douglas A. Hicks as provost and dean of the faculty, effective July 1, 2012. Hicks also will serve as professor of religion.

]]> Hicks has spent the past 13 years at the University of Richmond, where he currently serves as professor of leadership studies and religion in the Jepson School of Leadership Studies. He is the author of four books, including With God on All Sides: Leadership in a Devout and Diverse America (Oxford University Press, 2009) and Religion and the Workplace (Cambridge University Press, 2003). He has been published widely on academic presses and contributes OpEd articles on issues of religion and public life to the Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, Wall Street Journal and other newspapers.

"Doug Hicks has distinguished himself as an outstanding scholar, teacher, and leader," said Herbst. "He will be a critical contributor as we advance our ambitious academic and institutional vision to maintain high educational standards while growing ever more diverse, accessible, technological, and international. His background and intellect will be invaluable."

Hicks graduated magna cum laude from Davidson College in 1990 with honors in economics. He earned an MDiv from Duke University, and went on to earn MA and PhD degrees from Harvard University's program in the study of religion, with a specialization in religion, ethics, and economics. He studied in 1997-1998 as an exchange scholar in Yale University's department of religious studies. He also served on the Board of Trustees at Duke.

At the University of Richmond, Hicks was deeply involved in faculty and university governance. At various times during his tenure, he served as chair of the faculty committee on committees and of the university faculty council. He was a member of the strategic plan steering committee, provost advisory committee, and university budget committee. He was the founding director of the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement and led the development and opening of the University of Richmond downtown initiative.

In 2006 Hicks was selected for the Distinguished Educator Award at the University of Richmond, and he is a 2012 recipient of the Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education of Virginia, the highest faculty recognition given by the Commonwealth of Virginia.

In assuming Colgate's top academic post, Hicks will succeed Bruce Selleck, interim provost and dean of the faculty. Selleck, who graduated from Colgate in 1971 and joined the faculty in 1974, will continue in his role as Harold Orville Whitnall Professor of geology.

Hicks joins Colgate along with his wife Catherine Bagwell, PhD, a highly accomplished scholar with a specialty in child and developmental psychology. Presently serving as MacEldin Trawick Professor in psychology at Richmond, she will be appointed professor of psychology at Colgate. They will reside in Hamilton with their two children, Noah and Ada.

"I have long admired Colgate as a special place with a grand mission grounded in the liberal arts," Hicks said. "I look forward to working alongside new colleagues in the faculty and across campus to build on its remarkable tradition of excellence. Catherine and I are delighted to be joining the Colgate and Hamilton communities."

University of Richmond provost and vice president for academic affairs Steve Allred said, "I have worked closely with Doug Hicks since I came to Richmond and have always valued his leadership. He and Catherine are outstanding teacher-scholars dedicated to their students and exemplars of service to the university."

Sandra Peart, dean of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond, said, "Doug Hicks stimulates the moral imagination of our students and his colleagues. His scholarship and teaching rest at several intersections: he is equally at home in religious studies and political economy; as a professor he writes scholarly articles and books for his peers but also for the wider public; and his passion for serving students has led him to take on leadership and administrative roles while he continues to excite students in the classroom. In short, Doug has achieved a profound influence on our students, our curriculum, and on the scholarship of leadership."

Doug Johnson, associate professor of psychology, led the Colgate search committee. "Doug's academic and leadership background lines up especially well with Colgate's needs," said Johnson, who has served as associate dean of the faculty from 2007-2010, and is now Colgate's representative to the Patriot League Policy Committee. "He has had a passion for academic excellence in the liberal arts, and his Division I experience has shown him what it means for true scholar-athletes to compete at the highest level. We are excited about welcoming Doug, Catherine, and his family to Colgate and Hamilton."

Raiders take the brooms out for sweep of Big Red

2012-01-29T13:53:52Z

Brooms replaced sticks Saturday night at Starr Rink as the men's hockey team beat Cornell for a weekend sweep, the first time the Raiders have achieved that since the 2003-04 season

]]> The magical winter cleaning unfolded at a jam-packed Starr Rink, where fans saw the Raiders beat the Big Red 5-3. On Friday night at Lynah Rink Colgate had beaten Cornell 2-1.

"I'm so proud of what they just did," Raiders coach Don Vaughan told The Post-Standard.

Vaughan's squad had just come back from a two-goal deficit entering the third period, scoring four goals in the period to secure the win.

Raiders forward Austin Smith scored twice, including a shorthanded goal, to give him 26 on the season, the most in Division I hockey.

See photos from the Raiders big weekend and read the complete game story.

Early Decision II is still an option for applicants

2012-01-28T14:51:30Z

(Note: This post is by Gary Ross, dean of admission)

It's late January, so that means the Colgate Office of Admission is knee-deep in application review.

]]> It is common for colleges to compare statistics on applications from year to year, and our initial review of this year's pool indicates many similarities to last year's. While we have a slight increase in Early Decision applications, our overall number is even. The trend of an increase in international applicants continues.

Our staff meets weekly for Early Decision II committee -- and each week the Colgate Class of 2016 grows by a handful of talented students from all over the world. This week we admitted students from 11 states and one other country.

Students can change their regular application to Early Decision II up until March 1. We review ED applications as soon as they are complete, so students will hear from us much sooner than our regular notification of late March.

Check your portal account to be sure your admission and financial aid applications are complete. If you have questions, feel free to post them here or don't hesitate to contact your regional dean.

Teaching (and preaching) the humanities online

2012-01-27T22:14:50Z

Forty-eight hours after posting his first installment of Ancient Greek Religion online at Udemy.com, Robert Garland had 99 viewers for his new video course. Garland, professor of classics at Colgate, is one of about a dozen professors from universities including Duke, Northwestern, and Stanford who donated content that is now available at no charge through Udemy's Faculty Project.]]> Inside Higher Education.

King keynote speaker delivers powerful message

2012-01-27T21:37:27Z

Eddie Glaude Jr. came to Colgate with such dynamism and force that it was no wonder he was chosen as the keynote speaker for the weeklong celebration dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr.

]]> The celebration opened with a dinner at Syracuse University last Saturday and continued with myriad workshops, speakers, events, and brown-bags on campus.

Each event held special significance in that they touched on not only King's legacy, but the issues surrounding the civil rights movement that continue to exist today.

The National Abolition Hall of Fame also made an appearance at Colgate in the form of traveling panels that were displayed at Merrill House.

Glaude, professor of religion and chair of the Center for African American Studies at Princeton University, definitely knew how to approach his audience Thursday afternoon at Love Auditorium.

His lecture resembled more of a sermon than a traditional speech and was a masterful reflection on MLK's own style of oration. He prompted his audience to "talk-back," a method of interaction between the speaker and the listener.

Glaude pointed out that the mistake of our generation is to laud King as an example of true democracy achieved, when rather we should continue his legacy and strive for better.

"Dr. King's dream reveals that we are still sleepwalking," he said.

Glaude reminded us that the civil rights movement did not pertain to just the African-American population in the United States, but to the American population as a whole because it challenged the very fabric of our "democratic" freedom.

Yet, Glaude called for democratic change now. He called for leadership now. Glaude urged students, staff, and faculty to aspire for genuine democratic transformation and to "challenge what we are committed to fundamentally."

At the end of the lecture, the audience was given the chance to ask questions.

Andrea Finley '12, questioned whether or not he saw a place for academia in this movement for change, and Glaude used his own position in higher education as an example.

He affirmed that we need to ask ourselves, as he did, these difficult questions: "What am I doing, what are my skill-sets contributing? We just have to figure out how to [rise up] in light of our own unique skill-sets."

First-year enjoys doing volunteer work in El Salvador

2012-01-27T14:21:33Z

A new year, and a new semester here at Colgate!

Students have arrived back on campus after several weeks of break, and everyone seems rested and ready to take on the new semester. Many can be seen rushing to find their new classes and trying out some new winter clothing now that Hamilton is beginning to see some more snow.

]]> Winter break gave students a great opportunity to rest after the hard work of the previous semester. I took advantage of the several weeks over break to spend time with my family and with friends from other colleges. Besides celebrating the holidays, and my birthday, I was also able to travel internationally.

I was lucky enough to spend Colgate Day in Rancho Grande, El Salvador, on a mission trip with my church, Holy Cross, which is in DeWitt, N.Y.

It was my third year going on this trip, but my first time going as a Colgate student. I spent a week in the community working on projects the group had started the previous year.

These projects included finishing construction and painting of a new church, cleaning up the schoolyard, as well as restocking the clinic with medicine.

I greatly enjoy this trip every year and I believe it does a terrific job at keeping me focused on what really matters. When I arrived home, I had a week to prepare for the new semester before coming back to campus.

Personally, I am excited for the new semester and the classes I will be taking. My rather busy schedule for this semester includes all of my top choice classes: Biology 211/211L, Spanish 202, Calculus 111, and Challenges of Modernity.

Challenges of Modernity is a core class that provides me the opportunity to share my thoughts, in a discussion-based format, on the various questions raised when thinking about what is "modern." So far, I am enjoying these classes and my professors. I believe my classes are going to be very engaging this semester.

With settling into our new class schedules and daily routines, this first week of the new semester has really flown by. With the weekend upon us, students are looking forward to the men's hockey game against Cornell this Saturday. After spending such a long time apart, Raiders fans are excited to join together to support the men's team at this highly anticipated game.

Look every Friday for my blog entries about what is going on at Colgate.