Associate Professor of English Steven Yao delivered a lecture titled "Global Literary Studies and the Rising Tide of the Transpacific," as part of the Faculty Research Colloquium Series at UMass, Amherst, on March 1. While there, he also taught a graduate seminar on Global Modernisms.

Assistant Professor of Psychology Jeremy Skipper has been awarded a $907,350 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for his research project "Neurobiology of Speech Perception in Real-World Contexts." The long-term objective of this research “is to understand the neural mechanisms of language comprehension in real-world settings, in which the brain can use context to aid in communication.”

Ernest Williams, the Christian A. Johnson Professor of Biology, gave a talk at Utica College sponsored by the Asa Gray Biological Society on Feb. 28. The title was "Microclimate benefits for monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico," and the talk was based on work he has done in Mexico over the past several years.

Associate Professor of Art Rebecca Murtaugh has the art installation “Confection” featured in The Stone Canoe 5: Signs of Life in Culture. The journal is an annual national publication of writing, art and ideas showcasing the work of emerging and established artists with a connection to Central New York. Lynette Stevenson curated the collection of visual artists; the journal was edited by Robert Colley '66 and published by Syracuse University.

Derek Jones, the Irma M. and Robert D. Morris Professor of Economics, co-presented “Efficiency and Job Satisfaction in Employee-Owned Enterprises: An Economic Case Study of Mondragon” at the Mid-Year Fellows Workshop. The workshop was held Feb. 24-25 at the School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers University.

Juror Jim Dine has selected prints by Professors of Art Bruce Muirhead and Bill Salzillo for the 2011 North American Print Biennial presented by the Boston Printmakers. Dine chose only 149 prints from more than 2,000 entries.

Marianne Janack, the Sidney Wertimer Associate Professor of Philosophy, recently published "The Problem of Experience," in Vol. XL/2 of International Studies in Philosophy. It is an essay on the ways in which philosophers in the Anglo-American Analytic and Continental traditions have criticized appeals to experience in discussions of politics and knowledge.

Crystal Leigh Endsley, visiting assistant professor of Africana Studies, was invited to headline as an educator and an artist in events at Wake Forest University recently.

Associate Professor of Government Robert Martin spoke about a proposed extension of some of the provisions of the Patriot Act in the face of growing concerns over home-grown terrorism in an article titled “Why is Patriot Act under fire if homegrown terror threat is rising?” in The Christian Science Monitor. The article appeared in the international newspaper, published daily online and weekly in print, on Feb. 10.

Assistant Professor of African Studies Nigel Westmaas presented a paper at the National Association of African American Studies conference in Baton Rouge, La., on Feb. 14. His paper “Teaching Caribbean History in the North American Academy: Pitfalls, Pedagogy and Performance” discussed the strategic use of comparison in theme and topic, the content and design of effective syllabi, and the general classroom environment and receptivity in teaching Caribbean history in America.