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Tracy Denean Sharpley-Whiting, professor of French and chair of Africana studies, was named as a "rising superstar" among black intellectuals in a Chicago Sun-Times article (Aug. 27, 2002) by Michael Eric Dyson. Dyson calls Sharpley-Whiting "one of the country's most brilliant and prolific racial theorists." He said, "In an era when interdisciplinarity is lauded, Sharpley-Whiting's immense intellect and huge curiosity make her an ideal example."

Tracy Denean Sharpley-Whiting, professor of French and chair of Africana studies, was appointed chair of the Advisory Committee on Foreign Languages by the executive committee of the Modern Language Association. The appointment is effective July 2002-June 2003.

Adirondack Adventure, one of Hamilton's pre-orientation programs for first-year students, celebrated its 19th year from Aug. 19-24 with a record number of participants. Students who opt to participate in this program arrive on campus a week before the rest of their class for a four-day trip in the Adirondacks, followed by several days at a ropes course center. Trip options include mountain biking, rock climbing, backpacking, canoeing, kayaking and community service.

Hamilton College Life Trustee will Richard Couper '44 will be honored by the Oneida County Historical Society on Thursday, Sept. 5, at Harts Hill Inn. The Historical Society has renamed its "Living Legends" award in honor of Couper. The award will be called the Richard W. Couper Living Legend Award in honor of Couper, who "has not only worked long hours on behalf of the Society, but also as a volunteer for many non-profit organizations," said Kevin Marken, of the Historical Society.

Best-selling author and political theorist Benjamin R. Barber will speak on globalization on Thursday, Sept. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Chapel. Barber is the Gershon and Carrol Kekst Professor of Civil Society at the University of Maryland and a principal of the Democracy Collaborative. His talk is titled "Globalization a Year After 9/11: Terrorism or Democracy?"

Dave Smallen, vice president for information technology is quoted in a University Business article about the distance learning software Blackboard. Smallen said, “the technology facilitates Hamilton’s core values by extending the classroom beyond the meeting times, increasing time on task for students, and helping them be better prepared to use the in-class time for substantive discussions.” Faculty uses the course management system to distribute materials, provide a forum for discussions outside the classroom among other things. Students have embraced this online system even though as the writer states in the beginning of the article, “Everything about Hamilton College in Clinton, NY says, ‘Come live here.’ This top liberal arts, residential college seems the antithesis of distance education.”

Professor of Chinese Hong Gang Jin received a research grant from the National Science Council in Taiwan in August, 2002. She is currently working with colleagues at the Institute of Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language at National Taiwan Normal University. The grant is a prestigious research grant from the Taiwan government, which provides support for Jin's research and living expenses for ten months in Taiwan. While there, she plans to collect data and necessary materials for her two books: 1. The Role of Classroom Interaction in Second Language Acquisition; 2. Experimental Studies of Multimedia Effects on Chinese Language Learning. Jin is also visiting different Chinese programs in Taiwan and giving lectures on topics of Chinese language pedagogy.

Henry Platt Bristol Professor of International Affairs Alan Cafruny presented his paper titled “Assessing the Transatlantic Relationship: Implications of Trade and Monetary Conflicts for the International Political Economy” in Rome, Italy, at the Istituto Affari Internazionali Conference on New International Challenges: Reassessing the Transatlantic Partnership.

Assistant Professor of History Kevin Grant published an article, "Bones of Contention: The Repatriation of the Remains of Roger Casement," in the Journal of British Studies, July 2002, pp. 329-353. He also published an essay titled, "The Post-Cold War Era, 1988-2002," in John Grayson Kirk (ed.), The History of the World. (World Publications, 2002). He presented a paper on the subject of "Trusteeship, Empire, and International Government," at the Anglo-American Conference of Historians in London in July.

Assistant Professor of Psychology Julie Dunsmore presented a paper, co-authored with Megan Robinson '00, at the conference of the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development in Ottawa. The presentation, "Parental socialization of empathy and altruism and children's reasons for prosocial behavior," was part of a symposium chaired by Sophie Havighurst titled, "The socialization of children's emotional regulation." The conference was held in Ottawa, ON.