2018–2019
SHPRS ANNUAL REPORT 2018–2019
Letter from the Director What I have come to value most in my year as interim director of SHPRS are two things: one, a fuller appreciation of my brilliant and generous colleagues, and two, the opportunity to broadcast our great strengths to others in and beyond ASU. Like ASU as a whole, SHPRS is a place of sprawling, ambitious energies. Our faculty are trained not only as historians, philosophers and scholars of religion but as lawyers and legal scholars, bioethicists, anthropologists and scholars of oral and written expression in dozens of ancient, modern and indigenous languages. In our teaching, writing, funded projects and public programming, SHPRS faculty collaborate with scholars of engineering, mathematics, sustainability, life sciences, political science, geography, psychology, literature and the arts at ASU and far beyond. As public educators in the broadest sense of the term, we seek to bring clarity to complex issues that transcend disciplinary framing and are of critical importance to Arizona, the United States and the world. In addition to sharing our research in scholarly venues, SHPRS faculty have made recent appearances in Newsweek, the New York Times, the Times Literary Supplement (U.K.), the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, Slate, PBS, NPR, Pacifica Radio, ESPN, Le Monde (France) and The Guardian (U.K.), where we have addressed such topics as the NFL protests, marriage equality, food security and immigrant detention. As leaders of interdisciplinary project teams, SHPRS faculty regularly win major grants, including several million dollars in new and incoming funding from the U.S. Department of Education, the Henry Luce Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation. Our faculty were also recognized this year with a spate of individual awards and fellowships from such institutions as the American Council of Learned Societies, the Arizona Humanities Council, Hebrew University, the National Council for Eurasian and East European Research, the National Humanities Center, Tulane University and the University of California-Berkeley. Our research expenditures in SHPRS are the very highest in the Humanities, and help to make ASU’s Humanities research expenditures among the very highest in the world. Among this year’s faculty accolades, too numerous to count, were Don Fixico’s newly awarded Regents’ Professorship, the university’s highest faculty honor; the many awards bestowed on Julian Lim’s extraordinary “Porous Borders”: Multiracial Migrations and the Law in the U.S.-Mexico Borderlands”, including this year’s IHR book award; and Agnes Kefeli-Clay’s National Humanities Center Fellowship, a great coup for ASU, for SHPRS, for religious studies and Islamic studies, and for contract faculty everywhere.
I marvel at these and other achievements: Pen Moon, Volker Benkert, and Aaron Moore created a first-of-its kind M.A. degree in World War II Studies by bringing ASU scholars in history, religious studies, Asia studies, Jewish studies, English and film and media studies together with experts from the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, our partner in the project. At midyear, Pete Van Cleave and Matt Casey took on the directorship of our online programs with great energy, skill and aplomb. In 100+ appearances in multiple venues, Victoria Jackson was an indefatigable ambassador for SHPRS, for the academic study of sport, for student athletes and for gender and racial justice in athletics the world over. More: Thanks to the generosity of our students, faculty, staff, supporters and alums, SHPRS narrowly missed taking first place of all units in The College on this year’s Sun Devil Giving Day, breaking all previous records for our School. Truly transdisciplinary hiring committees brought us new colleagues Shamara Wyllie Alhassan, Evan Berry, Richard Amesbury and others you meet in these pages. Six SHPRS babies were born to four SHPRS families. Under the welcome leadership of Assistant Director Becky Tsang, who joined us in December, the stellar new hires and seasoned professionals on our staff have made SHPRS a place of warmth and trustworthiness for all members of our community. Joining the staff in our enterprise of mutual flourishing in 20182019 were our dedicated faculty heads Cheshire Calhoun, Eugene Clay and Catherine O’Donnell, our center and program directors John Carlson, Don Critchlow, Jim Rush and Hava Samuelson, our directors and associate directors of research, graduate studies, and undergraduate studies Alex Aviña, Volker Benkert, Gaymon Bennett, Jason Bruner, Huaiyu Chen, Peter deMarneffe, Aaron Moore, Angel Pinillos, Leah Sarat and Calvin Schermerhorn, distinguished scholars and superb faculty citizens all. Thanks to them, and to the support of The College and ASU Humanities, our incoming Director, Richard Amesbury, assumes the leadership of a fully solvent, hands-down successful and superbly functioning school. SHPRS is healthier, stronger and more united at the end of 2018-2019 that at any time in our history. I’m grateful to have been given a role to play in so fruitful a transition.
Tracy Fessenden Steve and Margaret Forster Professor Director of Strategic Initiatives, Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict Interim Director, SHPRS, 2018–2019
Mission The School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies produces innovative and distinguished research on subjects such as morality, rationality and ethics; race, citizenship and immigration; and the role of religion in public life. SHPRS faculty educate thousands of students every year and share knowledge with millions of people beyond the university through accessible media. SHPRS enables students and the public to make sense of complex issues that are of critical importance to Arizona, United States and the world.
94
1,701
total faculty
total students 1,397 undergraduate students 304 graduate students
483 total courses
$
Over
$805,943 total grants and fellowship awards
7 grants awarded totaling $716, 848 + 4 fellowships awarded totaling $89,094
SHPRS ANNUAL REPORT 2018–2019
SHPRS Leadership School Leadership 2018–2019
Calvin Schermerhorn
Leah Sarat
Gaymon Bennett
Assistant Director, Undergraduate Studies
Assistant Director, Graduate Studies
Assistant Director, Research
History
Philosophy
Religious Studies
Catherine O’Donnell
Cheshire Calhoun
Eugene Clay
Faculty Head
Faculty Head
Faculty Head
Alexander Aviña
Peter de Marneffe
Jason Bruner
Director, Undergraduate Studies
Director, Undergraduate Studies
Director, Undergraduate Studies
Aaron Moore
Angel Pinillos
Huaiyu Chen
Director, Graduate Studies
Director, Graduate Studies
Director, Graduate Studies
Professor Moore passed away in September 2019. His dedication to SHPRS, his research and students will be greatly missed.
SHPRS ANNUAL REPORT 2018–2019
Faculty SHPRS welcomes the new faculty joining us this month: Shamara Alhassan Assistant Professor Shamara earned her PhD in Africana studies from Brown University. Her interests include exploring questions concerning women, pan-Africanism, patriarchy, spirituality and transnationality on the African continent.
James Dupey Clinical Assistant Professor James recently earned his PhD in history from Arizona State University. His research focuses on religion in the early national and antebellum periods of the United States and uses this focus as a lens for examining broad themes in American history.
Kimberly Allar Clinical Assistant Professor Kimberly earned her PhD from Clark University. Her research looks at the recruitment and training of guards who worked in concentration camps and killing centers from 1933–1945.
Evan Berry Assistant Professor Evan earned his PhD in religious studies from the University of California Santa Barbara. His research examines the relationship between religion and the public sphere of contemporary societies.
Blake Hartung Instructor Blake received his PhD from Saint Louis University. His research focuses on Christianity in the late antique near Eastern and Western Asia, biblical exegesis and reception history, early Christian liturgical poems and homilies and archaeology and manuscript studies.
Kathleen Kole de Peralta Clinical Assistant Professor Kathleen is arriving from Idaho State University. She is a historian who integrates the history of medicine and environment on early-modern Iberia and Peru to investigate the relationship between environment and health and uses digital humanities to make open-access projects.
Lei Duan Lecturer Lei earned his PhD in history from Syracuse University. His research focuses on gun ownership in China from the 1860s to 1949. He also focuses on social violence and state power in China.
Peter Kung Associate Professor Peter earned his PhD in philosophy from New York University. His research focuses on thought experiments, which has led him to explore imagination and its connection to modality, as well as skeptical challenges in traditional epistemology.
We also say good-bye to faculty who retired. We are thankful for their many years of service!
Professor Linell Cady 35 years
Professor T.J. Davis 23 years
Professor Mark Von Hagen 12 years Mark passed away in September 2019. His tenure at SHPRS and ASU will be remembered for his years of service and warmth.
SHPRS ANNUAL REPORT 2018–2019
SHPRS Shelf Life Unrequited Toil by Calvin Schermerhorn
Opting for the Best: Oughts and Options by Doug Portmore
Engineering Asia by Aaron Moore
Cambridge Companion to Sayyid Ahmad Khan edited by Yasmin Saikia
The Prophetic Dimension of Sport by Terry Shoemaker
Faith and Selfhood in a Changing Society: Autobiography and Orthodoxy in Russia from the End of the 18th to the Beginning of the 20th Century by Laurie Manchester
Elizabeth Seton by Catherine O’Donnell
Canadian Environmental Philosophy by Tyler DesRoches
From Catalonia to the Caribbean: The Sephardic Orbit from Medieval to Modern Times: Essays in Honor of Jane S. Gerber edited by Stanley Mirvis
Cultural History of Work in the Age of Empire, Volume 5 edited by Victoria Thompson
Jacqueline Romero Instructor Jacqueline recently earned her PhD in history from Arizona State University. Her research interests include the 19th century United States, women and gender, and American Catholicism.
Ryan WolfsonFord Lecturer Ryan earned his PhD in history from the University of WisconsinMadison. His research include the leo elite, palm leaf manuscript and intellectual, cultural and political history.
Richard Amesbury Professor/ Director Richard earned his PhD in religion from Claremont Graduate University. His research focuses on the intersection of ethics, philosophy of religion and political theory. He will be the school’s new director starting in the 19–20 school year.
SHPRS ANNUAL REPORT 2018–2019
Students in the News Meet SHPRS’ Fall 2018 Dean’s Medalist What do you do when school doesn’t work out for you? In the case of Jonathan Liechty, he gave it another try. He attempted to get his degree right out of high school, but he struggled to keep his grades up. He decided to come back to school after taking 20 years off. He returned through the Starbucks College Achievement Program and graduated as the Dean’s Medalist from SHPRS. Read more about Liechty here.
Meet SHPRS’ Spring 2019 Dean’s Medalist Alexandria Paterson’s desire to have a positive impact on the world goes back to when she was a young child and has continued to push her forward into becoming the Dean’s Medalist for SHPRS. After graduating from high school, Paterson studied abroad in South Korea through the U.S. Department of State’s National Security Language Initiative for Youth program. The program is part of the initiative launched in 2006 to improve Americans’ ability to engage with people from around the world. Read more about Patterson here.
The journey of lifelong learning: Online MA history student to earn sixth degree For Sister Donna Moses, a member of the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose, a certificate, an associate degree, two bachelor’s degrees, a master’s degree and a doctorate was not enough. She
had already studied English, German, education and religious studies and is now enrolled in the online history MA program in SHPRS. Her research has been compiled into a book, “American Catholic Women Religious: Radicalized by Mission,” which was published last year. The book was compiled based on both oral history and archival research collected from eight congregational archives. Read more about Moses here.
Philosophy major leaves legacy of opportunity for undergrads Nathanael Pierce spearheaded the development of the first ever Undergraduate Philosophy Conference in Spring 2019 where he got Noam Chomsky to be the keynote speaker. A history and philosophy double major, Pierce was an ardent proponent of involvement in academic pursuits beyond the minimum requirements and wanted to bring that opportunity to students at ASU. Read more about Pierce here.
History undergrad wins prestigious summer internship in Washington, D.C. Kristy Dohnel is now two and a half years into her undergraduate degree and has pushed herself to participate in the political community both on campus and off. Before attending ASU she had no prior experience in politics, just an interest in the topic. Her hard work in the political community is paying off: She was announced as one of two women in the country to win the Dorothy Andrews Kabis Memorial Internship. The prestigious internship will give her the opportunity to work at the National Federation of Republican
Women headquarters for the summer to gain valuable skills in political organization. Read more about Dohnel here.
ASU student travels abroad in pursuit of a future career, learns about family’s culture on the way Senior Monica Orillo has been tackling different parts of the world in her pursuit of a future career in international affairs. She is a double major in Southeast Asia studies and political science. Additionally, she is pursuing a minor in German and a certificate in teaching English to speakers of other languages. Orillo has spent the last academic year in the Philippines at a host university for her Boren Scholarship. She took interdisciplinary classes about Philippine art, foreign policy and Southeast Asian environmental history. Read more about Orillo here.
Navy sailor discusses impact of winning Friends of Religious Studies scholarship Adam Villanova, a recent graduate who earned degrees in religious studies and history, has a tendency to challenge himself. This Louisville, Kentucky native began his academic journey studying mathematics, but fell in love with the study of peoples’ beliefs after his first religious studies course. While pursuing his degrees, he was an active duty sailor in the U.S. Navy, so finding a school with the support and in-depth courses he craved was of utmost importance. At SHPRS, he experienced course work that pushed him to go beyond where he thought he could and was the recipient of the Friends of Religious Studies scholarship last year. Read more about Villanova here.
SHPRS ANNUAL REPORT 2018–2019
SHPRS in the News: The Year’s Top Stories ASU, National WWII Museum launch new master’s degree: World War II Studies
ASU and the National WWII Museum announced the launch of a new online master’s degree program, World War II Studies, beginning in January 2019. The fully accredited online Master of Arts degree will provide 30 hours of coursework taught by the world’s top WWII scholars from both ASU and the National World War II Museum. Read more here.
Why Arizona opts out of daylight saving time
ASU’s Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict celebrates 15 years
In the summer of 2002, Michael Crow set about restructuring the university in a way that eschewed the traditional siloing of educational departments and emphasized cross-disciplinary collaboration and inquiry. One of Crow’s first major presidential moves was the establishment of more than a dozen new transdisciplinary schools and largescale research initiatives — including the Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict in 2003. Read more here.
New Regents’ Professor is one of the nation’s preeminent history scholars
Regents’ Professor is the highest faculty honor and is conferred on full professors who have made remarkable achievements that have brought them national attention and international distinction. Less than 3 percent of all faculty at ASU carry the distinction. Donald Fixico was named one of four Regents’ Professors for the 201819 academic year. Read more here.
New ‘Sports, Cultures and Ethics’ certificate enhances student opportunities
Arizona Supreme Court justice to co-teach new course at ASU
The Copper State’s independence from the annual time change started 50 years ago. Multiple theories abound as to why: More daylight meant more heat and less sleep. It also meant soaring energy bills for businesses and schools, or anyone who owned an air-conditioning unit. History professor Calvin Schermerhorn discussed why Arizona is one of two states that do not participate in daylight saving time. Read more here.
Arizona Supreme Court Justice John R. Lopez believes college students interested in a law career don’t get enough face time with the judiciary and has availed himself through a new course at ASU. “Debating the Constitution” was co-taught by Lopez and history professor Donald T. Critchlow, the Katzin Family Professor at ASU. Read more here.
A new certificate was introduced: Sports, Cultures and Ethics. Clinical assistant hsitory professor Victoria Jackson, a former NCAA national champion and Nike-sponsored professional track and field athlete, and fellow faculty religious studies lecturer Terry Shoemaker and philosophy lecturer Shawn Klein banded together to continue an effort that began with former SHPRS Director Matt Garcia to build out the school’s sports curriculum, with courses focused on sport and society in three disciplines: religious studies, philosophy and history. Read more here.
Humanities made possible by you Because of donors like you, students like Jonathan Liechty graduate after experiencing quality online courses, research opportunities and a faculty that wants them to succeed.
SHPRS ANNUAL REPORT 2018–2019
Thank you to all who made an impact in the last year. Prof. Karen L. Adams
Ms. Myrna J. Harrison
Mrs. Linda Albert
Mr. Dean Hillhouse
Palo Verde Republican Women’s Club
Dr. John R. Ammon
Mrs. June L. Hillhouse
Mrs. Evelyn Patterson
Mrs. Patricia M. Ammon
Mrs. Barbara J. Horrigan
Pebblecreek Republican Club
Mary S. Anderson, OD
Mr. William P. Horrigan
Ms. Ashley N. Perry
Arizona Public Service Company
Victoria L. Jackson, PhD
Mr. Nestor A. Pinillos
Prof. Brad F. Armendt
Jim Chamberlain 2007 Trust
Mr. Larry A. Poese
Mrs. Cheryl A. Arner
Mr. Dennis A. Johnson
Mrs. Priscilla D. Poese
Ms. Gwen Arner
Mrs. Jeanne C. Johnson
Dr. Steven L. Reynolds
Mr. John D. Arner
Mrs. Amy B. Kaiman
Mrs. Amy Richman
Mrs. Parivash Y. Banko
Mr. Matthew Kaiman
Mr. Marvin Richman
Mr. Peter R. Banko
Mr. David Katzin
Mrs. Gail M. Rineberg
Ms. Hannah Barker
Mrs. Eliza Katzin
Thomas D. Rinehart, JD
Prof. Andrew E. Barnes
Mr. William Drew Kavan
Mrs. Laurie P. Rogers
Ms. Linda J. Brady
Agnes H. Kefeli Clay, PhD
Ms. Alyssa N. Romney
Ms. Elizabeth Brake
Mr. Cameron M. Keys
Mr. William W. Sage
Carleen Brophy
Ms. Corinne J. King
Dr. Leah M. Sarat
Daniel Brophy
Dr. Shawn E. Klein, PhD
Mrs. Kathleen J. Schanus-Gohl
Dr. Claudia G. Brown
Dr. Bernard W. Kobes
Prof. Jack L. Schermerhorn
Ms. Diana D. Burns
The Korea Foundation
Ms. Hannah L. Schmidl
Ms. Rachel E. Bunning
Mrs. Diane V. Lee
Ms. Susan Kay Schultz
Dr. Cheshire Calhoun
Mr. Derrick J. Leggett
The Seminar Network Trust
Mrs. Judith K. Caruthers
Mrs. Carolyn M. Lesnett
Terry D. Shoemaker, PhD
Mr. Matthew P. Casey
Dr. Theodore R. Lesnett
Dr. Jeffrey A. Singer
Mrs. Iris G. Cashdan-Fishman
Prof. Julian Lim
Mrs. Margaret Singer
Mrs. Bari Cavallo
Mr. Ryan S. Lindstrom
Mrs. Abigail Smith
Mr. John Cavallo, Jr.
Mrs. Theresa Lindstrom
Ms. Ingrid M. Sorensen
Mr. Huaiyu Chen
Thomas W. Lorig, PhD
Spike Ocotillo, LLC
Prof. John E. Clay
Mrs. Zona D. Lorig
Mr. Sam Stovall
Mrs. Anne E. Cook
Ms. Stephanie N. Mabee
Mrs. Anne E. Thomas
Mr. John F. Cook
Dr. Laurie Manchester
Dr. H. Stephen Thomas
Mr. Michael W. Currey
Mr. Andres Martinez
Mrs. Marissa R. Timmerman
Mr. Michael Cvelbar
Ms. Manisha A. Master
Dr. Hava Tirosh Samuelson
Mrs. Ellen L. Davis
Prof. Lauren McArthur Harris
Ms. Mary E. Trengove
Ms. Yvonne Delgado
Dr. Joan L. McGregor
Ms. Becky Tsang
Dr. Anne Feldhaus
Mr. John M. McQuillan
Dr. Tracy Fessenden
Ms. Mardelle E. Mikus
United Way of Tucson & Southern AZ
Mrs. Fumiko K. Foard
Mary Miller
Dr. James H. Foard
Roy Miller
Mrs. Betty M. Fournier
Mr. Donald Moffat
Mr. Thomas J. Fournier, Jr
Mrs. Kristine Navarro-McElhaney
Mr. Peter M. Gampper Mr. Richard C. Gohl
Mrs. Nora P. Neibergall, CPSM, CPSD, CPM
Ms. Leasa L. Graves
Nyle C. Neumann, Ret.
Andrew J. Wenker, JD
Mrs. Sheryl B. Gray
Mr. Philip K. Nordberg
Mr. Warren Williamson
Mr. James B. Gray
Ms. Sabra I. Nuel
Rev. John R. Wise
Mr. Robert F. Green
Dr. Catherine O’Donnell
Mrs. Gladys H. Wise
Mr. Daren Harris
Katherine O’Malley, EdD
Peter D. Van Cleave, PhD Jeffrey J. Watson, PhD Mr. William G. Way Mrs. Mary A.C. Way Mrs. Joyce L. Wechselberger Mr. Kenneth P. Wechselberger
As we enter into the last year of Campaign 2020, we reflect on the past years of the campaign that have brought a momentous opportunity to tell the compelling story of school’s successes and to invite philanthropic support to sustain and advance our reputation as a unit that produces innovative and distinguished research on humanities and enables thousands of students every year to make sense of complex issues that are of critical importance to the world. Whether you’re donating a couple dollars or a large sum, your gift is greatly appreciated. Any amount makes a difference for our students, faculty, staff, research and programs. Your charitable contributions enable our school to fuel our commitment to providing relevant education; to developing new knowledge, better ideas and workable solutions to a range of challenges; to transforming individuals, environments and communities; and to putting limitless dreams within reach. shprs.asu.edu/give
SHPRS ANNUAL REPORT 2018–2019
Welcome from 2019–2020 Director Richard Amesbury Greetings! It is a privilege and a pleasure to be joining ASU as the new Director of the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies. SHPRS is home to nearly 100 faculty, some 20 staff, and thousands of undergraduate and graduate students. We are one of the nation’s largest and most innovative transdisciplinary humanities institutions, recognized for excellence in teaching and learning, research, and community engagement. Our operations span the globe and are enriched by the diversity of their many participants. Despite the expansive nature of our programs and networks, we are foremost an intellectual community, collaborating across disciplinary boundaries to advance the frontiers of human knowledge in service to society. It is an honor to be working with you, and I look forward to an exciting year ahead! Sincerely,
Richard Amesbury Director of SHPRS Professor of Religious Studies
Stay in touch! School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies 975 S. Myrtle Ave P.O. Box 874302 Tempe, AZ 85287-4302 Phone: 480-965-5778 Email: shprs@asu.edu shprs.asu.edu
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