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Even if you’re going to break them in a few weeks, it’s time to think about New Year’s resolutions. Do you aim high — to make the world a better place, save the environment — or more basic — lose weight, get out of debt, stop smoking? President George W. Bush resolved to eat fewer cheeseburgers. Douglas Raybeck, who is a psychological anthropologist, is resolute about not making any New Year’s resolutions, but he did have some thoughts about why we do it.

In December, Heidi Ravven, professor of religious studies, chaired a panel on Spinoza and Scripture at the Association for Jewish Studies annual meeting in Washington, DC.

Peter Rabinowitz contributed a back-page piece, "Too Many Records" to International Record Review 2, No. 10 (January 2002).

An article, "Teaching about Controversy," by Professor of Psychology and Women's Studies Margaret Gentry was published in the journal Transformations, Fall 2001.

George Shields, professor and chair of chemistry, has been awarded a two-year grant from the New York State Department of Health for the "Design of Molecules that Inhibit Human Breast Cancer."

Journal entry from Hamilton's Antarctica 2001 research expedition: The warmer and moister climate of King George Island, relative to the Antarctic Peninsula, results in greater sediment input into the ocean...Stations were established in Admiralty Bay near the glacier fronts, on the flanks of the deep central channel and at the mouth of the bay.

Professor of English Margaret Thickstun published an article on Paradise Lost, "Raphael and the Challenge of Evangelical Education," in the December 2001 edition of Milton Quarterly.

Jay Williams, the Walcott-Bartlett Professor of Religious Studies, co-authored Volume 252 of the Dictionary of Literary Biography, which was published in December 2001. Williams provided three entries for this volume on British philosophers from 1550-1799. His articles were biographies of Benjamin Whichcote, John Smith, and Nathaniel Culverwell. Williams also published two book reviews: Aurobindo Ghose, A Greater Psychology: An Introduction to Sri Aurobindo's Psychological Thought (The Quest, Nov/Dec. 2001), and Sarangerel, Riding Windhorses: A Journey into the Heart of Mongolian Shamanism (The Quest, Jan/Feb 2002).

Assistant Professor of English Gillian Gane presented two papers at the Modern Language Association conference held in New Orleans in December, "Deterritorializing English: Othering, Anti-Language, Interrillumination" and "The Peculiar English of Postcolonial Literature: Teaching Tsitsi Dangarembga's Nervous Conditions." Gane is also on the executive committee of the MLA Discussion Group for Postcolonial Studies in Literature and Culture.

Journal entry from Hamilton's Antarctica 2001 research expedition: Deception Island was discovered shortly after the exploration of the South Shetlands began and its natural harbor became a base for the early seal hunters.