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Tuesday, October 25, 2011

PCard Receipts Due

Please submit receipts for all October PCard purchases to Laura by Tuesday, November 1st. PCard Coversheet

Tenure-stream African American Studies position at Penn State

Pennsylvania State University invites applications for a tenure-stream position in its new Department of African American Studies. The position is to be filled at the rank of assistant or beginning associate professor, effective July 1, 2012. Application deadline: December 1, 2011.

Applicants should have demonstrable teaching experience or potential, and scholarly credentials commensurate with a tenure-stream appointment at a major research university. While we welcome applications from scholars across all the relevant areas of specialization and competence, we particularly encourage applications from scholars with research emphases in feminist theory and in humanistic disciplines like history, comparative literature, philosophy, and English.
Interested parties should submit a formal letter of application, current curriculum vitae, and three letters of reference to www.la.psu.edu/facultysearch/. Electronic submission is preferred. If you cannot submit electronically, applications can be mailed to Marie Carlson, The Pennsylvania State University, 133 Willard Building , University Park, PA 16802.
Applications received by December 1, 2011, will receive first priority, although all applications will be considered until the search is concluded. For additional information, contact Marie Carlson atmdc16@psu.edu. Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity and the diversity of its workforce.

Two-year Post-doctoral Appointment at Washington University

The Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program at Washington University in St. Louis seeks to fill a two-year post-doctoral appointment in masculinities and queer theory to begin in the 2012-13 academic year. Applications are invited from disciplines or interdisciplinary programs in the social sciences and humanities. Application deadline: January 17, 2012.

We are particularly interested in candidates from disciplines or interdisciplinary programs in the social sciences and humanities. Special consideration will be given to those whose research explores transnational and/or intersectional issues and masculinities, as well as queer theory. The responsibilities of this appointment include course teaching and research.
Applicants should send a letter of interest explaining research and scholarly interests; current curriculum vitae; a five-page description of current research project(s); a published article or dissertation chapter; and three (3) letters of recommendation, including one from the dissertation advisor.
The committee will review applications until the position is filled, but priority will be given to those received by January 17th, 2012.
Further inquiries can be made to 314-935-5102 or women@artsci.wustl.edu
Application Address:
Applications should be sent to Linda Nicholson, Interim Director, WGSS Search Committee, Campus Box 1078, Washington University, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130.
Application E-Mail: women@artsci.wustl.edu
Institution/Department URL: http://wgss.artsci.wustl.edu/
Contact E-Mail: women@artsci.wustl.edu
Contact Telephone: 314-935-5102
Additional Information:
Washington University especially encourages applications from women, members of ethnic minority groups, and disabled individuals. Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States and have received the doctorate after July 1, 2009 and before July 1, 2012.

WRIT 8510 Spring 2012

WRIT 8510: Seminar in Rhetoric Emergent Genres in the Internet: Innovation, Evolution, and Genre Theory will be taught by Prof. Carol Berkenkotter Spring 2012 on Wednesday 2:30 to 5pm. This seminar brings together theorists and researchers from several disciplines to explore and analyze the functions of genre in the field of Computer-Mediated Communication. Click here for a course flyer

New Books at the Libraries

Our librarian, Nancy Herther, has sent us another list of recent acquisitions, click here for a full list.

"To Love and Rukus" Spoken Word Presentation

The Feminist Studies Graduate Student Association and The Graduate Interdisciplinary Group in Sexuality Studies will host "To Love and Ruckus: Spoken Word by kay barrett" on Wednesday, November 16th. The event will begin at 5:00pm at Nolte Center, room 140. Click here for an event flyer.

"Revisiting bell hooks" presentation sponsored by GWSS

The Department of Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies is pleased to invite you to join them for Prof. Catherine Squires Cowles presentation "Revisiting bell hooks" on Friday, October 28, 2011. The event will begin at 2pm in room 400 Ford Hall, and light refreshments will be served.

Most researchers in Communication Studies turn to bell hooks for inspiration regarding representations of Black women. Squire argues that hooks' work is much broader. She demonstrates how hook's concerns about representation are but one route into her deeper discussion of civility and democratic practices. Reconsidering bell hooks in the company of john Dewey, C. Wright Mills, Nancy Fraser, and Jurgen Habernas, she situates bell hooks in contemporary debates over civility in political discourse.
Catherine Squires is Cowles Professor of Journalism, Equity and Diversity at the School of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Minnesota. She is author of African Americans and the Media (Polity Press, 2009) and Dispatches from the Color Line: The Press and Multiracial America (SUNY Press, 2007). She has published widely cited articles in the Journal of Communications Inquiry and the International Journal of Press/Politics. She is also co-editor of the anthology The Obama Effect: Multidisciplinary Readings of the 2008 Campaign (SUNY Press, 2010).
Click here for an event flyer

Ault Coauthors The 1968 Project

Current graduate student Elizabeth Ault's coauthored book, The 1968 Project: A Nation Coming of Age, is now available from the Minnesota Historical Society Press. It's published in conjunction with The 1968 Exhibit on display at the Minnesota History Center through February

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Policy regarding University-issued International Insurance for Research Abroad

Graduate Students: The Global Programs & Strategy Alliance Office recently informed departments that graduate students must purchase University-issued international insurance, with coverage by Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI) or receive a waiver from the GPS Alliance in order to conduct University activities (research, attending conferences, etc) abroad. In order to be in compliance with this policy, the department will require proof of insurance or approval of a waiver for those who are doing research abroad prior to approving/releasing research or travel funds, grpp, or other funding.

If you are traveling internationally please contact GPS Alliance to find out what is required. Please note that receiving a waiver / insurance will take additional time if traveling to a country on the State Department Traveling Warning list. In order to be in compliance with this policy the department will require proof of insurance or approval of a waiver for those who are doing research abroad prior to approving/ releasing research or travel funds, grpp, or other funding. For more information on the University policy please see: http://global.umn.edu/travel/insurance/outgoing.html

Next "The Work of American Studies" Workshop: Academic Conferences: Monday October 24 at 3:30pm

"The Work of American Studies" series' first workshop of the semester will be Monday, October 24 at 3:30pm in the Scott Hall Commons on the topic of "academic conferences". Panelists will speak on a variety of subjects, including writing effective conference papers, developing panel proposals, and conceptualizing and coordinating conferences. Panelists include Kale Bantigue Fajardo, Juliana Hu Pegues, and Karisa Butler-Wall. Please bring your questions to this interactive session.

Requesting the Use of American Studies Department Funds for Research and Conference Travel

Grad students are able to request the use of Department funds for research and conference travel on an on-going basis. Continue reading for more information and the procedure for requesting the use of funds.

All American Studies graduate students are provided up to $1500 in department Research and Conference Travel funding over the course of your graduate career. Requests are limited to $500 per instance. Because the funds are limited, you are encouraged to apply for outside sources and to rely on this department funding only when you are unable to secure outside funding. Good sources include conference organizations and "best paper" competitions. The following is a list of several
University web sites with information about additional funding opportunities:
http://www.grad.umn.edu/prospective_students/Financing/other.html
http://www.gapsa.umn.edu/grants/travel.htm
http://www.cogs.umn.edu/awards.html
http://www.international.umn.edu/funding/gradstudents.php
http://www.grad.umn.edu/gradwriting/funding.html
You may request funding as soon as the criteria for each allocation are met. The typical response time in which you will receive a reply indicating whether or not your request has been approved is two weeks. Note: Funds are distributed after the travel takes place in the form of a reimbursement for specific expenses incurred. Please review the specific processes below and contact Melanie Steinman if you have any questions.
Requesting Funds for Conference Travel
******************************************************************************
American Studies grad students in active status may request funding to travel to scholarly conferences to present a research paper. We will not provide funds for presenting the same paper at more than one conference.
Criteria for conference travel funding:
• You are in good standing
• You have been accepted to present research at a conference
• Your total claim from the research and conference travel funds has
not exceeded $1500
To request conference travel funds, email Melanie Steinman, stein196@umn.edu, with the following:
• Student ID# and name of adviser(s)
• Proof of acceptance to present at conference
• Paper title and conference name, date, and location (if not
indicated on proof of acceptance)
• Amount requested (not to exceed $500) with detailed budget proposal
• For students traveling internationally: Proof of University-issued
international insurance OR approved waiver
Please note, we prefer, as proof of acceptance to present at conference, a PDF of the conference program page showing the session in which you will
participating. However, a forwarded email from the conference organizers or hard copy acceptance letter will also suffice.
Requesting Funds for Research Travel
******************************************************************************
American Studies grad students in active status may request funds to cover expenses related to dissertation research. Covered expenses include travel costs and reproduction of essential documents and images.
Criteria for research funding:
• You are in good standing
• You have successfully completed the preliminary portfolio exam
• Proposed research is clearly connected to dissertation
• Proposal clearly establishes a justification for research (e.g.
travel to an archive to investigate materials not otherwise available)
• Proposal sets out a sound research design
• Your total claim from the research and conference travel funds has
not exceeded $1500
To request research travel funds, email Melanie Steinman, stein196@umn.edu, with the following:
• Student ID# and name of adviser(s)
• One page description of your project, including title
• Up to a one page research proposal clearly describing in detail the
research you will undertake (be as specific as possible about the use
of archives, libraries, interviews, etc)
• Amount requested (not to exceed $500) with detailed budget proposal
• For students traveling internationally: Proof of University-issued
international insurance OR approved waiver

Castellanos Honored by Disability Services

Professor Bianet Castellanos has been awarded a 2011 Access Achievement Award by Disability Services. The awards recognize individuals who have contributed to making the University more accessible for everyone. Click here for more info.

Dillon's Article in Captive Genders

Current graduate student, Steve Dillon's article "The Only Freedom I Can See: Imprisoned Queer Writing and the Politics of the Unimaginable" was published in the collection Captive Genders: Trans Embodiment and the Prison-Industrial Complex (AK Press, 2011). Click here for more info.

CFP: Cornell's "From Meydan Tahrir to Wisconsin"

The Department of Government at Cornell University invites submissions for the conference "From Meydan Tahrir to Wisconsin: Rethinking Revolution, Democracy and Citizenship". The conference will be held April 27-28, 2012 and will bring together a diverse group of graduate students to discuss the significance of revolutionary mobilizations and moments of solidarity. Submission deadline: November 1, 2011.

From revolutionary awakenings in the Arab world to protests against austerity measures in Europe and assaults on labor rights in Wisconsin, a "specter is haunting the world" - the specter of democracy and equality. This conference aims to discuss the significance of these revolutionary mobilizations and moments of solidarity for political thought. How do unfolding events challenge us to reconsider political concepts such as democracy, revolution, and citizenship? In light of these historical developments, papers might address political possibilities and anxieties unleashed by the current revolutionary enthusiasm: To what extent are these demands for economic equality, labor rights, and democracy compatible with contemporary hegemony of (neo)liberalism? Does the Tea Party as a conservative social movement challenge our ideas regarding the content of democratic politics? Is it the attempt to weaken union rights in Wisconsin that represents an undermining of democratic citizenship, or the recall efforts that have followed them? When are "rebels/protestors" justified in claiming popular authority and taking up "constituent power"? How should we interpret the nationalist discourse and imagery evoked in revolutions? What is at stake in the tendency to present the Egyptian revolution as a radical break from the past, as a distinctively "secular moment"? What do transnational connections between the protestors in Tahrir Square and the public workers of Wisconsin tell us about revolutionary enthusiasm from a far, about democracy's 'witness', or about projection of democratic imagery and metaphor?
We seek papers that will engage a wide range of disciplines, including politics, sociology, developmental sociology, history, anthropology, and near eastern studies. In order to be considered, applicants should email theirproposals to cornelltheoryconference@gmail.com by November 1, 2011. Proposals should include a two-page c.v. and a prospectus of 500-1000 words.
Decisions will be announced by January 15, 2012

GWSS 8190 Spring 2012

GWSS 8190: The Body as Text and Context in Law, Public Policy, and Medicine will be taught spring 2012 by Prof. Mary Schuster on Mondays 2:30 to 5pm. This seminar will explore how the body is configured in legal decisions, public policy debates, and funding acceptance of medical research and treatment. Click here for course flyer.

Woodrow Wilson Women's Studies Fellowships

The Woodrow Wilson Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship in Women's Studies invites applications from PhD candidates in the humanities and social sciences whose work addresses topics of women and gender. Applications are invited from PhD candidates in the final year of dissertation writing. The dissertation fellowships provide one year of support. Application deadline: November 21, 2011. Click here for full eligibility requirements and more information.

Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships

The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation invites applications for the 2012 Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships. The Fellowships are provided to PhD candidates who will complete their dissertations, with topics in religious studies or ethics, during the fellowship year. Atleast 21 non-renewable Fellowships of $25,000 will be awarded for 12 months of full-time dissertation writing. Application deadline: November 15, 2011. Click here for full eligibility requirements and more information.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Remembrance for Prof. Judith Martin Today 10/12 at 5pm and an October 30th service

Professor Judith Martin, Geography, passed away on Monday, October 3rd. Faculty, staff and students of the Geography Department will be hosting a remembrance gathering for Judith today, Wednesday, October 12th in the John S Adams Community Room, Blegen Hall 445, beginning at 5pm. All are welcome to attend. For more information about today's and an October 30th gathering, please click here.

Agenda for 10/17/11 Assembly Meeting

All Core and Afiiliate faculty and graduate and undergraduate students are invited to the American Studies Assembly meeting on Monday, October 17th at 3:30pm in the Commons, room 105 Scott Hall. The tentative agenda for the meeting includes updates on undergraduate programming and the continuing development of graduate workshops. Please send suggestions for additional agenda items to Colleen at henne020@umn.edu

Schneider-Mayerson Co-Editor of Reconstruction

Current Graduate Student, Matthew Schneider-Mayerson, co-edited the issue "Gender and Popular Fiction" of the journal Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture, Volume 11, Number 3. Click here for an online edition.

Save the Dates for Recruitment Weekend

Graduate Student Recruitment Weekend for 2012 will be held March 23rd and 24th.

New Technology Team

CLA OIT has reorganized the support team and asks that you contact the CLA Service Desk at (612) 624-4357 or 4help@umn.edu for assistance. Click here for details on our new tech team.

GWSS & Political Science Colloquium Series

The Gender, Sexuality, Power, and Politics Colloquium series will kick-off its inaugural season with lunch on Friday, October 14th at 12:25pm in 319 Coffman Memorial Union. The Colloquium is an exciting collaborative initiative of the Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies and Political Science Departments.

It will meet periodically throughout the year to provide a forum for interdisciplinary engagement with research that addresses the complex relationships of gender, sexuality, power, and politics. Scholars from outside the University as well as regular participants-- faculty and graduate students-- will present research at colloquium sessions throughout the year.
We hope you will join us on the 14th for invigoratingconversation and lunch. We will host an engaged discussion about our concept, speaker schedule, and goals for the colloquium series. Lunch will be hosted by the Colloquium.
Please Save the Dates for the following Fall 2011 speakers:
Friday, December 2nd; 12:15pm
Professor Joan Tronto
Department of Political Science
University of Minnesota
Professor Tronto will present a talk, "Care and Peacebuilding".
Location: Social Science Tower
Monday, December 5th; 4pm
Professor Gundala Ludwig
Visiting Fulbright Scholar; Political Theory
Department of Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies
Professor Ludwig will deliver a talk, "Thinking sex as state concern. How turning to state theory can stimulate new directions for queer theory and vice versa".
Location: Ford Hall 400

Wiggins Essay in World Film Locations

Current graduate student, Ben Wiggins's essay "Getting Played: Hollywood, South Central, and the Space Between" appears in the book World Film Locations: Los Angeles (University of Chicago Press, 2011). Click here for more info.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Classroom Use for Fall 2011 Finals

Fall 2011 Faculty and Instructors who will NOT use their classroom during finals week should notify the department by writing to amstdy@umn.edu no later than Monday, October 24. If you are unsure of when your final is to be held, click here to check the finals schedule.

CFP: University of Wisconsin "Gendered Borders and Queer Frontiers"

The University of Wisconsin-Madison invites submission for the conference "Gendered Borders and Queer Frontiers" to be held March 16-17th, 2012. Submission deadline: November 14, 2011.

The fields of Gender and Women's studies have long offered spaces for conceptual exploration and innovation in history, the social sciences, cultural and literary studies. But what does it mean to "do" gender studies in this age of queering and intersectionality? What are the limits of current scholarship and how can we push beyond them? Are some conceptual boundaries productive? In what new directions can gender scholars take the
study of history? Concurrently, what does the field of history have to offer queer studies?
We envision this conference as bringing together scholars from many disciplines, time periods, and regional focii in order to have conversations about the future of the fields of gender history and gender studies. For this reason we welcome graduate students whose focus is neither the United States nor the 20th century.
We hope to build an interdisciplinary and intergenerational dialogue in the space of this conference. Although this conference is hosted by the Program in Gender and Women's History, we hope to see presentations by graduate students from many fields, including (but not limited to) cultural studies, American studies, area studies, race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, history of science, legal studies, literature, the social sciences, media and communication, borderlands, and of course, history. Our definition of queer is broad and we welcome contributions from all disciplines.
Potential topics include:
-reproduction/motherhood/family
-cultural history/popular culture
-space and migrations
-criminalization/criminality
-pedagogy
-race/ethnicity
-identities and embodiment
-trans/gender
-methodology
Please submit abstracts of 250-300 words and a brief bio of no more than 100 words to jlholland26@gmail.com by November 14, 2011. We welcome submissions from individuals as well as panels. Conference applicants will be notified in early January.

CFP: UCLA's "Thinking Gender" Conference

The UCLA Center for the Study of Women announces a call for papers for the 22nd Annual Graduate Student Research Conference "Thinking Gender". The conference will be held on February 3, 2012. Submission deadline: October 17th by noon.

Thinking Gender is a public conference highlighting graduate student research on women, gender and/or sexuality across all disciplines and historical periods. We invite submissions for individual papers or pre-constituted panels on any topic pertaining to women, gender, and/or sexuality. This year, we especially welcome feminist research on: gender roles in relation to marriage, parenting, or being single; critiques of biosciences and biotechnology as they pertain to fertility, sanitation, and/or medical experimentation at a local, national or global level; mobility as duress or success--for example, in relation to migration, immigration, or upward or downward economic mobility; life stage issues, such as aging and girls' studies; and feminist storytelling or research in modes such as oral histories, graphic novels, theater, comedy or other inventive expressions.
CSW accepts submissions for both individual papers and pre-constituted panels from all active graduate students. In order to give everyone an opportunity to present, we do not accept submissions from people who presented at Thinking Gender in the previous year. Also no previously published material is eligible.
Students proposing individual papers are to submit an abstract (250 words), a CV (2 pages maximum), and a brief bibliography (3-5 sources), for consideration. For panels, a 250-word description of the panel topic is required, in addition to the materials that must be provided for individual paper submissions. For a more detailed description of submission guidelines, please visit: http://www.csw.ucla.edu/conferences/thinking-gender/thinking-gender-2012.
Send submissions to: thinkinggender@women.ucla.edu
Event is free and open to the public, but please be aware that there will be a $30 registration fee for presenters, to cover the cost of conference materials and lunch at the Faculty Center.

Two-year Cornell Mellon Postdoc

Cornell University's Department of Theatre, Film and Dance invites applications for a two-year, teaching-research Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship in global, transnational, and/or minority performance and media studies. Applications are invited from individuals who earned their PhD no earlier than September 2006. The fellowship provides a stipend of $45,000 each year. Application Deadline: January 6, 2012.

We are particularly interested in individuals whose research engages the intersection of performance and media, the use of media in performance, multiple and nontraditional media and performance platforms, old and new media.
We would welcome applicants whose research includes dance and its interracial/intercontinental migration, old and new media representations of those forms and vigorous analysis of the implications for contemporary dance culture. We encourage applicants whose research and teaching explore medial and performative modes of interaction across different cultural contexts, embodied practices, theoretical domains, and historical configurations. Possible fields of specialization include Latina/o, Asian American, African diasporic, or Native performance and media; Latin American, African, South or East Asian performance and media.
Teaching responsibilities include two courses a year, one upper-level seminar in the candidate's area of specialization and a lower-level introductory course in the field that could be comparative in nature. In addition, the Mellon Fellow is invited to participate in the Society for the Humanities' events, including weekly seminar luncheons.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Applicants for the Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship for the 2012/13-2013/14 academic years must have received the Ph.D. degree after September 2006. Mellon Fellowships are no longer restricted to citizens of the US and Canada.International applicants are welcome to apply. Applicants who will have received the Ph.D. degree by June 30, 2012 are eligible to apply. Applicants who do not have the Ph.D. in hand at the time of application must include a letter from the committee chair or department stating that the Ph.D. degree will be conferred before the term of the fellowship begins.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Applicants should submit the following materials for consideration:
* a curriculum vitae
* a detailed statement of research interests
* a writing sample
* course proposals for the courses the Mellon Fellow will teach
while in residence at Cornell
* three letters of recommendation
Megan Dirks mmd226@cornell.edu
Program Administrator
Society for the Humanities
Cornell University
27 East Avenue
Ithaca, NY 14853
Click here for posting's website.

University of Delaware Search in Multiple Disciplines, Open Rank Position

The University of Delaware seeks to hire a minimum of two professors in the arts and humanities, social or behavioral sciences, or business and economics, law and public policy. They expect to hire at the associate or full professor rank though assistant professors are also encouraged to apply. Review of applications will begin November 15, 211

The search is part of a university-wide commitment to bring to campus accomplished scholars whose work examines the history, culture, politics or creative works of racially or culturally marginalized communities employing a range of analytical and creative conceptual frameworks and methodologies. Applicants who have a Ph.D. (or J.D. for legal scholars) in the arts and humanities, social or behavioral sciences, or business and economics, law and public policy will be appointed in the department of their discipline. Applications from scholars with interdisciplinary interests and who examine social dynamics at the intersection of diverse groups are especially welcome. We expect to hire at the associate or full professor rank though assistant professors are also encouraged to apply.
The University of Delaware, a RU/VH [once called Research 1] University, is a Sea, Space, and Land Grant institution, strategically located on a beautiful campus in Newark, Delaware in the middle of the Northeast corridor. Nearby Wilmington is approximately halfway--or an hour and a half by train--between New York and Washington, D.C. Philadelphia and Baltimore are each about an hour away. The University of Delaware is a well-endowed public institution with selective admissions, resulting in a student body of about 17,000 undergraduate and 3,500 graduate students. The University has an excellent compensation and benefits package that, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education, makes it a "Great College to Work For."
Review of applications will begin November 15, 2011 and continue until positions are filled. To apply, please submit--in a single Word or PDF document--a current CV and cover letter indicating your interest in the position, relevant scholarly activities and accomplishments and any leadership or collaborative engagement in institutional or community projects to http://www.udel.edu/udjobs. Letters of reference and other materials may be requested at a later date. Inquiries should be addressed to the search committee chair: James M. Jones, Chair of Diversity Search Committee, Department of Psychology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, jmjones@psych.udel.edu.

IAS presentation: "A Guant√°namo Site of Conscience?"

Join the Institute for Advanced Study for Liz ≈†evčenko's presentation "A Guant√°namo Site of Conscience? Remembering "Gitmo" long before-and long after- 9-11" on Tuesday, October 25th at 4pm in room 125 Nolte Hall.

"Guant√°namo" has become an international symbol of torture, detention, national security, and conflict over America's "War on Terror." It has divided US society, the US and Cuba, and the US and its international allies. After more than a decade of bitter struggle over whether and how to "close Guant√°namo," in 2011, nearly 200 prisoners remain at the US naval station, or "Gitmo". This should come as no surprise: for over a century, the base has been used and reused for a wide range of people and purposes. These include Cuban workers in exile after the Revolution; Haitian refugees with HIV, first welcomed as asylum seekers but then confined in tent cities as threats to public health; and the War on Terror's "enemy combatants." In fact, many parts of the base have been "closed" before in the wake of major public controversies - then put to new use. GTMO and its residents have been inextricable, if often invisible, parts of America's deepest policy conflicts: over immigration, public health, human and civil rights, and national security. How could exploring Guantanamo's past help us better imagine what could happen there next?
The Guant√°namo Public Memory Project seeks to build public awareness of the century-long history of the US naval station at Guant√°namo, Bay, Cuba, and foster dialogue on the future of this place and the policies it shapes. The Project was launched by the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, a network of places of memory committed to opening dialogue on contemporary issues. Drawing on examples from sites with very different histories -- such as the Gulag Museum in Russia, Memoria Abierta in Argentina, and the Maze/Long Kesh prison in Northern Ireland, Sevcenko will explore the challenges and possibilities for building a public memory of Guantanamo's complex past.
Liz ≈†evčenko is Director of the Guant√°namo Public Memory Project at Columbia University. She launched the Project from the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, a network of historic sites that foster public dialogue on pressing contemporary issues, which she founded in 1999 and directed until 2010. She worked with initiatives in more than 60 countries to design programs and practices that reflect on past struggles and inspire citizens to become involved in addressing their contemporary legacies. Before launching the Coalition, Ms.≈†evčenko had over ten years of experience developing public history projects designed to catalyze civic dialogue in New York and around the country. As Vice President for Programs at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, she developed exhibits and educational activities that connect the dramatic stories of the neighborhood's immigrants past and present. She also developed national and community initiatives to inspire civic dialogue on cultural identity, labor relations, housing, welfare, immigration, and other issues raised by these stories. ≈†evčenko has degrees in history from Yale University and New York University.
Organized by the Teaching Heritage collaborative and the Guantanamo Public Memory project.

University of Virginia Assistant Professor in Race & Ethnicity

The Carter G. Woodson Institute for African-American and African Studies with the Department of Sociology at the University of Virginia seek to fill a joint position in race and ethnicity. The position, open to applicants at the Assistant Professor (tenure-track) rank, is to begin August 25, 2012. Review of applications will begin by October 14, 2011, and applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Candidates with comparative, historical, or global approaches areparticularly encouraged to apply. Fields of specialization include but are not restricted to the following: race and the sociology of knowledge; race, immigration and labor; socioeconomic and racial/ethnic differences in health and mortality; urban ethnography, and urban inequality and poverty. The candidate's tenure home will be the Department of Sociology, but teaching will be evenly split between the two units. Qualified applicants must hold a Ph.D. by the time of appointment.
To apply candidates must submit a Candidate Profile through Jobs@UVa (https://jobs.virginia.edu), search on posting number 0608419, and electronically attach the following: CV, cover letter, contact information for three references, statement of teaching philosophy and statement of research interest.
Review of applications will begin by October 14, 2011, and applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
Inquiries should be addressed to the Chair of the Search Committee:
Milton Vickerman (mv8d@virginia.edu).
Questions regarding the application process in Jobs@UVa should be directed to:
Brenda Tekin (bt8x@virginia.edu).

Univeristy of New Mexico Sociology Position

The Department of Sociology at the University of New Mexico invites applications for probationary appointment leading to a tenure decision at the rank of Assistant Professor for Fall 2012. Minimum qualifications are a PhD in Sociology or a closely related discipline completed by August 15, 2012 and an active research agenda in the sociology of Latin America. Application Deadline: October 12, 2011.

Position Summary:

The Department of Sociology at UNM offers a comprehensive program of undergraduate and graduate studies that focuses on themes in comparative sociology, Latin American society, race/ethnic relations, criminology, social movements, gender and the life course, health and medicine, and the sociology of culture and religion. Faculty members and students conduct research on major sociological issues of global, national, and regional significance. Consistent with the mission of New Mexico's flagship researchUniversity, the standard teaching load is 2-2. The University of New Mexico is the state's flagship research University and is one of only three Hispanic-serving, Carnegie Research/Doctoral-Extensive institutions in the U.S. The University's location in Albuquerque, the largest urban area within one of the most diverse states in the nation, offers a wide range of research settings, cultural experiences, and recreational opportunities.
Preferred Qualifications
1. A focus on the comparative analysis of Latin America (either in-region cross-national analysis, analysis of Latin America in the context of globalization, or cross-case comparative analysis within one or more countries).
2. Specialization in one or more of the following sub-areas:political sociology, economic development, globalization, stratification, or organizations/work.
3. Ability to add to the department's existing strengths in criminology, race/ethnicity, social movements, health& medicine, and culture/religion.
4. Ability to teach both undergraduate and graduate courses on the comparative sociology of Latin America in global context, and to supervise M.A. and Ph.D. students specializing in the area.
5. Demonstrated commitment to working with broadly diverse student and community populations.
6. Capacity to work cooperatively with colleagues and students.
For Best Consideration:
10-12-2011
Required Documents:
Cover Letter, Curriculum Vitae, List of References (Faculty/Exec), Writing Sample
Special Instructions to Applicants
The application must include a letter describing the applicant's qualifications, research agenda, and teaching experience; a current curriculum vita; at least two (maximum three) scholarly writing samples. (uploaded as one document); letters of recommendation will be requested of semi-finalists Please also include an e-mail address. For best consideration, all application materials must be received by October 12, 2011.
Inquiries about the applications process and this website can be directed to: Dorothy Esquivel, Department Administrator Sociology desquive@unm.edu.
Inquires about the position, qualifications, and the search can be directed to:
Dr. Richard Wood, Chair, Search Committee
Department of Sociology
E-mail: rlwood@unm.edu
Phone: 505-277-3945
FAX: 505-277-8805

William Stout and Thomas Wallace Fellowship will not be offered for 2011-2012

Please note that the Graduate School Fellowship Office administers endowed fellowships which, because they are supported by endowed income, are not all offered every year and stipends may vary from year to year. Unfortunately, this means for 2011-2012 the William Stout and Thomas Wallace Fellowship will not be offered. If you have questions, please contact Melanie.

The Graduate School's Privately-funded Fellowship Applications Due 12/1/2011

Several of the Graduate School's privately-funded fellowships do not require American Studies internal department nominations. Those which have been received in the past by American Studies students include the Harold Leonard Memorial Fellowship in Film Study and the Mark and Judy Yudof Fellowship in Science Policy & Ethics. Applications are due directly to the Graduate School Fellowship Office by 12 noon, December 1, 2011.

Harold Leonard Memorial Fellowship in Film Study includes a stipend of $22,500 plus tuition and subsidized health insurance and is open to graduate students proposing a year of well-defined research or study in which film history, criticism, theory, or aesthetics is the major focus of the research. Up to two fellowships awarded. Click here for complete award information.
Mark and Judy Yudof Fellowship in Science Policy & Ethics Study includes a stipend of $22,500 plus tuition and subsidized health insurance and is open to graduate students pursuing interdisciplinary work whose content is focused in the areas of science policy and ethics. One fellowship awarded. Click here for complete award information .
Additional Fellowships for which American Studies graduate students may be eligible can be found at the Graduate Fellowship website: http://www.grad.umn.edu/fellowships/

The Graduate School's Norman Johnston Dewitt Fellowship Internal Deadline 11/9/2011

The Graduate School's Norman Johnston Dewitt Fellowship includes a stipend of $22,500 plus tuition and subsidized health insurance and is open to advanced graduate students in the humanities. One fellowship is awarded. NOTE: Application materials are due to the Department, attention Melanie, by the internal Department deadline of November 9, 2011. Please refer to the Graduate School's website for complete information and application form: http://www.grad.umn.edu/Fellowships/Instructions/DeWitt.html

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Fall Assembly Meeting 10/17/11

Please mark your calendars for the fall American Studies Assembly meeting. The Assembly is comprised of core and affiliate faculty and graduate and undergraduate students and meets once each semester. The fall meeting will be held on Monday, October 17th at 3:30pm in the Commons, room 105 Scott Hall.

Ford Postdoctoral Fellowship

The Ford Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is accepting applications for their 2012 Fellowships. Applications are invited from individuals who have earned their PhD no earlier than November 30, 2004 and no later than November 17, 2011 in a research-based field from a U.S. educational institution. The postdoctoral fellowships provide one year of support including a $40,000 stipend. Application deadline: November 17, 2011. Click here for full guidelines and application.

Ford Dissertation Fellowship

The Ford Dissertation Fellowship Program is accepting applications for their 2012 Fellowships. Applications are invited from PhD candidates studying in a research-based discipline at a U.S. educational institution. The dissertation fellowships provide one year of support including a $21,000 stipend. Application deadline: November 17, 2011. Click here for full guidelines and application.


Ford Predoctoral Fellowship

The Ford Predoctoral Fellowship Program is accepting applications for their 2012 Fellowships. Applications are invited from individuals enrolled in a research-based program leading to a PhD at a U.S. educational institution. The fellowships provide 3 years of support including an annual stipend $20,000. Application deadline: November 14, 2011. Click here for full guidelines and application.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Spring 2012 Book Orders Due

Faculty & Grad Instructors: Book orders for Spring 2012 courses are due. Please send your order to amstdy@umn.edu by Wednesday, October 26, 2011. Continue reading for the order form, bookstore ordering guidelines, and notes that help process your order and obtain desk copies.

Notes from Laura:
-Please complete one book order form for each course, and email your order as an attachment to amstdy@umn.edu by Wednesday, October 26, 2011.
-Let me know whether or not you need a personal desk copy. I will be requesting copies for your TAs.
- I submit a request to the publisher for desk copies after I receive your completed order form. It can take weeks to obtain desk copies, so the earlier I get the order, the earlier you and your TAs will have copies of the books. Desk copies cannot be guaranteed for faculty and instructors if the deadline for book orders is not met.
-If your course is cross-listed, include all department names on your order form so that all sections of the course will have books ordered.
- Include the ISBN of the edition you want . If the ISBN is incorrect, you may end up with a different edition of the book.
-If you are NOT ordering books or ordering a packet instead, be sure to let me know.
Bookstore guidelines:
-Submitting book orders before Fall 2011 Finals Week gives the bookstore the opportunity to pay students the best price for their books during buyback.
- If you delete or change books for your course after they have shipped from the publisher, your research account will be charged for return fees.
-If know you will be using a book in the future, please indicate when that is. This allows the bookstore to plan to purchase used copies, saving students money.
- Be sure to specify whether the book is Required (R) or Optional (O).

Written Prelim Portfolio Exam Fall Semester Submission Date

3RD YEAR STUDENTS: The fall semester date on which Written Preliminary Portfolio Exam materials are accepted by the department is November 1st. If you are planning to submit your portfolio exam materials for this semester, contact Melanie (stein196@umn.edu) regarding your intent to submit on November 1st and to confirm the members of your examination committee.

2010-2011 Graduate Student Milestones

We are pleased to announce the following milestones completed by graduate students during the past academic year, 2010-2011:

PhDs conferred: Pamela Butler, Michael David Franklin, Sonjia Hyon, Danny LaChance, Ryan Murphy, Scott Shoemaker, Harrod Suarez, and Cathryn Merla Watson.

MAs conferred: Lauren Shell.

Passed prelim exams: Myrl Beam, Mike Cheyne, Susie Hatmaker, A.J. Lewis, Waleed Mahdi, Karla Padron, and Tom Sarmiento.

Continue reading for dissertation titles from PhDs conferred.



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Pamela Butler
Global Chicks: The Politics of Travel in Twenty-First Century Feminisms Jennifer Pierce, Roderick Ferguson, and Jigna Desai, advisers.
Michael David Franklin
Spectacles in Transit: Reading Cinematic Productions of Biopower and Transgender Embodiment Roderick Ferguson and Kevin Murphy, advisers.
Sonjia Hyon
Anxieties of the Fictive: The Immigrant and Asian American Politics of Visibility Roderick Ferguson and Josephine Lee, advisers.
Danny Lachance
Condemned To Be Free: The Cultural Life of Capital Punishment in the United States, 1945-Present Elaine Tyler May, adviser.
Ryan Murphy
On Our Own: Flight Attendant Labor and the Family Values Economy Jennifer Pierce, adviser.
Scott Shoemaker
Trickster Skins: Narratives of Landscape, Representation, and the Miami Nation Brenda Child, adviser.
Harrod Suarez
The Insolence of the Filipinas: Mothering Nationalism, Globalization, and Literature Roderick Ferguson, adviser.
Cathryn Merla Watson
Spectral Materialisms: Colonial Complexes and the Insurgent Acts of Chicana/o Cultural Production Louis Mendoza, adviser.

CSCL Conference "Aesthetics/Class/Worlds" October 14-15, 2011

Join the Department of Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature for their 2nd annual conference "Aesthetics/Class/Worlds" on October 14-15, 2011 on the University of Minnesota's East Bank Campus. The conference is free and open to the public and will feature key note speakers Kristin Ross (NYU) and Eric Cazdyn (Univ of Toronto).

Click here for a conference schedule.
Our conference seeks to examine the many modes through which aesthetic practices testify to the tensions between the worlds people are determined by, live in, and create. Mediating global tendencies and local realities, these lived and imagined worlds often obscure the social relations in which they are ultimately rooted. Class, as a category that is manifest between economic and political forces, persists in helping us think through these tensions between worlds and "the" world. Broadly, we ask, how do aesthetic practices attempt to imagine the world while always remaining part of it? What is the role of aesthetic practices in the configuration of worldviews and everyday practices? To what extent is class a useful category to conceptualize the relationship between aesthetics and the worlds that people produce, intervene in, and reflect? How has aesthetics, as a constitutive element of history, changed in our digital age? And what does it mean to ask these kinds of questions at this particular juncture when disciplines in the humanities once again face crisis everywhere?
From our position in a department committed to radical thought and cultural criticism, we sense the urgency in asking these questions now, as departments confront neoliberal restructuring and impending closure. Programs in the humanities continue to face misrecognition: while we still traffic in traditional forms such as novels and films, we have long been asking representational questions that challenge discrete disciplinary constraints by weaving text and context. To counter this misrecognition, we insist that this approach is, as always, fundamentally political. We thus welcome work that examines conditions at sites of intellectual labor across disciplines, as well as in broader global modes of production and aesthetic practice.

CFP: "Craving Happiness, Containing Anxiety" Brown University

Brown University invites submissions for the 7th Annual Graduate Student Conference "Craving Happiness, Containing Anxiety" to be held April 13-14, 2012. The goal of the conference is to facilitate an interdisciplinary discussion about the role that happiness and anxiety have played in shaping human society in the past and present. Submission deadline: November 18, 2011.

Click here for the official Call for Papers pdf.

Child Contributed to Award Winning Documentary

Professor Brenda Child contributed to the Twin Cities Public Television documentary First Speakers: Restoring the Ojibwe Language. The film recently won the Regional Emmy for Best Cultural Documentary at the Midwest Regional Emmy Award Ceremony.

Heikkila's Sisterhood of War

Kim Heikkila, PhD 2002, published her book Sisterhood of War: Minnesota Women in Vietname (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2011). Click here for a Star Tribune article about the book.

New Library Resources Available

Our librarian, Nancy Herther, has sent some updated information to us about the libraries. She has shared new resources including new book and video lists. There are also in-class presentations she offers that may be aide students in their writing and research.

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New Books
It's been a busy summer here in the Libraries and here is a listing of new books that will give you a good idea of some of the wonderful new research and good-reads that await you and your students.
New DVDS:
New Videos.Fall 2011.pdf is the last list of new DVDs purchased for our wonderful collections in Walter. Most are available for 3-day loans and all are available for in-class use or can be reserved for class viewing in our SMART Learning Commons area. For more information on these options, call, stop in or visit the web page for our Media Services division: http://www.lib.umn.edu/media/
Scott Spicer and his staff are there to help you with your use of our growing collections - they even can often help create film clips on DVD for your classes as an option to having to show chapters or fast-forward to find just the right section for class viewing or to stimulate class discussions!
Library Support for Fall Classes
Often, faculty will tell me that they just refer students on to me for assistance. This is great - unless you are teaching a class with tens of students! In that case, it is more effective and efficient to arrange for an in-class presentation to, at least, cover the basics.
E-mail Nancy at herther@umn.edu with questions about presentations.
Here are some options:
LIBRARY LECTURE RELATED TO SECONDARY RESEARCH RESOURCES & TOOLS:
As you may know, instruction has been a major effort and priority for me. If you'd want, I could come to your classroom or do a session - hands-on or presentation - related to their specific assignments or needs.
Here are some examples of what I can do in these sessions:
* In-class presentations on how the Libraries can support their secondary research.
* Tours of significant collections/services.
* Demos of specific databases to be used by students in their projects.
* Tips on using the Web for research.
* Hands-on workshops on using databases or the Web.
We have both classroom (up to 50 students) and hands-on lab (limit of 25) facilities available in Wilson Library for instruction. Otherwise, I am available (with some technological assistance) to come to your classroom to speak with students.
CREATION OF SPECIAL BIBLIOGRAPHIES OR GUIDES:
For available guides, check out this site:
American Studies University Libraries Resources
Each page lists many guides related to the discipline or to special topics and classes.
I would also be happy to work with you to create specific guides to meet the research needs for your class. You can, then, link to these from your course pages or syllabi.
OFFER OF PERSONAL ASSISTANCE:
Often students need personal assistance with their research - finding information, refining their topics, etc. If you want, please feel free to include my name and contact information for your students on the class syllabus or web page. If students need help, I'm here to do whatever I can to assist them in their research.
NEW RESOURCES RIGHT ON OUR HOME PAGE!
Another new service of the Libraries is our link to some resources - albeit very general resources - to support classes throughout your department. The "Library Course Support" icon in the lower left quadrant of the Libraries' home page allows students to get a quick, short list of databases and others tools to help them find the best information quickly. This is still very new and I haven't tailored the general information (by department) to specific classes. However, it is still a useful tool. Give it a quick look!