1. Marquette hosting National Endowment for the Humanities regional application-writing workshop April 11-12

The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs will host a National Endowment for the Humanities regional application-writing workshop April 11-12 in the AMU.

Dr. Stefanie Walker, a senior program officer in the Division of Research Programs, National Endowment for the Humanities, will come to Marquette to present the application-writing workshop. Walker, an art historian by training, will present an overview of endowment programs and special initiatives, discuss specific issues involved in the writing and review of applications, and facilitate a mock peer review panel session.

Walker will also be available from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 11 and from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Friday, April 12, for a limited number of 15-minute, one-on-one sessions to discuss specific projects. These sessions are available on a first-come, first-served basis to any individual interested in improving their grant-writing skills.

There is no fee for the workshop. To register or to sign up for a one-on-one with Walker, contact Dr. Kevin Abing, assistant director of project planning and development in the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs at 8-5327 by Friday, April 5.

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2. Nominations for 2013-14 Metcalfe Chair due April 1

Nominations are now open for two Ralph H. Metcalfe Chair positions for the 2013-14 academic year. Named for Marquette alumnus Ralph Metcalfe, the Metcalfe Chair is a non-residential chair that brings an African-American, Latina/o or Native American scholar from any academic discipline to Marquette University. Since 1982, the Metcalfe Chair has enriched the university with a roster of notable scholars.

The deadline for nominations is Monday, April 1. Nominating departments will be notified by Monday, April 15, if they are selected. The nominating department will also receive financial support for an honorarium and travel expenses for the chair.

Metcalfe chair holders are ordinarily nominated by faculty and hosted by an academic department over a 3-4 day visit. Metcalfe Chairs are expected to give public lectures and interact with students and faculty during their visits to campus, and in some instances, visit local high schools or middle schools.

For more information, contact William Welburn, associate provost for diversity and inclusion, at 8-8028.

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3. Domestic violence survivor to present lecture and reading on campus April 2-3

The Department of Social and Cultural Sciences and the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center will sponsor author and domestic violence survivor Elin Stebbins Waddal for the McGee Lecture, "Winds of Change: One Woman's Journey Beyond Domestic Violence," Wednesday, April 3, at 5:30 p.m. in Raynor Memorial Libraries, Beaumier Suites B/C.

The GSRC will host a reception for Waddal Tuesday, April 2, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the AMU, 425. She will provide a reading from her memoir, Tornado Warning: A Memoir Of Teen Dating Violence And Its Effect On A Woman's Life. The reading will be followed by a discussion on the impact of dating violence relative to the author's personal story of survival. Appetizers and refreshments will be served.

Both events are free and open to the community as part of the university's recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness month. For more information, contact Sue Cooper, coordinator of sexual violence and advocacy services, 8-5244.

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4. Sensenbrenner Hall renovations begin April 2

Renovation work on Sensenbrenner Hall will begin Tuesday, April 2. The first part of the project will include the demolition of the former legal research library. The general contractor for the project, KBS, will begin placing construction fencing and preparing the site for demolition. Additional information regarding the project including sidewalk closings and parking impacts can be found on the Office of The University Architect's website.

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5. Change made to university retirement plan share class

In mid-February, a letter was sent to all Marquette University Retirement Plan participants informing them that, as of March 19, the university had replaced the Retirement Share Class on all investments with a new, lower-cost Institutional Share Class. This letter outlined all of the pertinent information needed and is posted on the Benefits website.

It is important to note that none of the plan's annuity accounts were affected by this share class change, and as always, participants can change their contribution allocations at any time online. Refer to the Benefits website for the link to TIAA-Cref's microsite.

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6. Les Aspin Center for Government to celebrate 25th anniversary reunion

The Les Aspin Center for Government will host a 25th anniversary celebration Thursday, April 11. Rev. Tim O'Brien, founder and director of the Les Aspin Center for Government, will participate in a discussion with Mike Gousha, distinguished fellow in law and public policy, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in Eckstein Hall. A reunion and reception for Les Aspin Center alumni, local politicians and community leaders will take place after the event from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., with a program at 7 p.m., at the Haggerty Museum of Art.

RSVP to University Special Events by Thursday, April 4.

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7. Attend dialogue on measuring intercultural competence

The Center for Teaching and Learning and the Office of International Education will host Dr. Darla Deardorff, executive director of the Association of International Education Administrators, in an engaging discussion about intercultural competence Tuesday, April 2, from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Holthusen Hall, fourth floor.

Deardorff is a research scholar in the Program in Education at Duke University, visiting professor at Leeds-Metropolitan University, adjunct professor at Monterey Institute of International Studies, faculty at Harvard University's Future of Learning Institute and faculty at the Summer Institute of Intercultural Communication in Portland. As a professional in the field for more than 15 years, Deardorff has received numerous invitations from around the world to speak on her research and work on intercultural competence and international education assessment.

Registration should be completed by Friday, March 29, and can be done so online or by contacting Karina Mendoza, office assistant in the Center for Teaching and Learning, at 8-6854.

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8. Renascence sponsoring lecture on William Dean Howells

Professor Thomas Wortham, emeritus professor of English at the University of California – Los Angeles, and former editor of Nineteenth-Century Literature, will present "William Dean Howells' Spiritual Quest(ioning) in a 'World Come of Age,'" Wednesday, April 10, at 4 p.m. in the AMU, Lunda Room. This lecture is free and open to the public. A reception will follow the talk.

This fifth biennial Joseph M. Schwartz lecture is sponsored by the English Department's Renascence: Essays on Values in Literature. It will be distributed to individuals attending the lecture as part of the spring issue of Renascence.

Renascence is the 65-year-old scholarly journal published at Marquette, whose current editor is John Curran, professor of English, and whose senior editor is Edwin Block, professor emeritus of English.

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9. Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures to host Caribbean Conference

The Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures will host the third annual Caribbean Conference Thursday, April 11, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. in Cudahy, 001. Cuban author Zoe Valdez will deliver the keynote address. Valdez has been named this year's recipient of Spain's Azorin Novel Prize for "La mujer que llora" (The Weeping Woman), a work about a lover and muse of Pablo Picasso. A reception with light refreshments will follow the event from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

For additional information, contact Katie Tarara, administrative assistant in the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, at 8-1797.

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10. Attend training session on new D2L upgrade system

Desire2Learn, the university's core management system, will be upgraded to version 10 during Commencement weekend, May 17-19. Six training sessions for the new software have been scheduled for the following dates:

  • Tuesday, April 2, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Wednesday, April 10, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
  • Friday, April 19, from noon to 2 p.m.
  • Thursday, April 25, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Tuesday, May 7, from 10 a.m. to noon

Faculty teaching summer courses, both online and in the classroom, are strongly encouraged to attend. Registration can be completed online.

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11. NeuroMotor Control Laboratory seeking children for research study

The NeuroMotor Control Laboratory is seeking healthy right-handed children ages 11-18 for a study investigating motor coordination and brain activity. Study participation involves three research sessions on the campus of the Medical College of Wisconsin. During each session, children will be asked to play a video game in which they move the handle of an exercise device to control graphics on a computer screen.

The final session involves participation in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, a non-invasive, non-harmful way of measuring the children's brain activity. Parents and children will be asked to complete questionnaires about the child's development. Children are not allowed to participate if they have metal within the body, such as orthodontic braces, aneurysm clips, metal implants or pacemakers. Participants will be compensated $15 per hour for practice sessions and $30 per hour for the MRI session and will be provided with free parking. Sessions will last up to two hours. Boys, in particular, are needed for the study. Evening and weekend appointments are available.

The study has been approved by the Medical College of Wisconsin's Institutional Review Board for the protection of human subjects. For more information or to volunteer, contact Nicole Salowitz, research assistant of biomedical engineering, or Dr. Robert Scheidt, associate professor of biomedical engineering, at 8-6184.

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12. AMUW Spring Book Club to discuss The Aviator's Wife

The Association of Marquette University Women will host its annual Spring Book Club Thursday, May 9, at 7 p.m. in Raynor Memorial Libraries' Beaumier Suites. All faculty and staff are invited to read the book and join AMUW for an evening of conversation about The Aviator's Wife.

This event is free and open to the public; registration can be completed online by Monday, May 6. For additional information, contact AMUW or Andreana Moody, advancement associate, at 8-0359.

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