School of Liberal Arts Reflections

A YEAR IN REVIEW

FA L L 2 0 1 3

SPRING 2014

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SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS

MISSION STAT EMENT

The School of Liberal Arts is dedicated to nurturing and promoting innovative scholarship, transformative research, and creative inquiry within the arts, humanities, and social sciences.

Based on a distinctive vision comprised of our interdisciplinary approach, dedication to place-based creativity, and commitment to service learning, the school provides students with an outstanding education founded on close working relationships with distinguished faculty. In our belief in interdisciplinary inquiry, our faculty reach beyond traditional academic boundaries; in our dedication to place-based learning, we engage with New Orleans and the greater Gulf region; in our pursuit of social innovation, we foster a life-long enthusiasm for service to the community and the world.

New Orleans, with its distinctive history, music, food, and architecture, plays a central role in the mission of the school.​

RYAN R IV ET

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP Professor of History and SLA Dean Carole Haber Associate Deans Mary Clark, Kevin Gotham, Jeremy Jernegan

W

elcome to the first annual SLA Year in Review. This

PAULA BURC H - C E LE N TANO

publication gives us the opportunity to look back on some of the achievements and events that have occurred in the past year. It allows us to examine how our unique vision, based on place, approach, and mission, has shaped the work of our faculty and students. As expressed in our mission statement, we believe that the School of Liberal Arts offers a unique educational experience through our dedication to New Orleans and the Gulf South, our belief in interdisciplinary exploration and our commitment to curriculum-based public service.

The Year in Review also gives us the opportunity to reflect on how these components not only serve to define the character of SLA but are deeply embedded in four themes that we have identified as strengths or emerging strengths of the school: Gulf South Culture; Crises and Innovations; Digital Arts and Humanities; and, Global Latin America. The pages that follow are organized around these themes, and focus on some of the exciting work being done in these areas.

And finally, the Year in Review allows us to recognize those individuals whose donations to the school have made the work of our faculty, staff, and students possible. Through their generosity, we have been able to create innovative programs, hire and retain outstanding teacher-scholars, expand our graduate programs, and support the work of our students and faculty. Speaking for everyone in the School of Liberal Arts, I thank you for supporting our distinctive vision.

CAROLE HABER

Dean, Tulane School of Liberal Arts

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DEANS ADVISORY COUNCIL Wilson K. Magee ...A&S ’77. . . Chair Paul H. McDowell ...A&S ’82 . . . Vice Chair John P. Argenti ...A&S ‘85 Curtis A. Baker...A&S ‘90 Matthew K. Breitman ...A&S ‘90 Michael A. Corasaniti ...A&S ‘87 Kenneth P. de Got ...A&S ‘85 Michael S. Field ...A&S ‘63 Andrew D. Fredman ...A&S ‘84 Howard J. Freedman ...A&S ‘67 Reuben I. Friedman ...A&S ‘68, L ‘71 Gina A. Genz ...NC ‘78, Parent LA ‘12 Constantine D. Georges ... A&S ‘77, L ‘80 Debra H. Gibbons ...Parent LA ‘13 and NC ‘09 Paul F. Gibbons ...Parent LA ‘13 and NC ‘09 Cathy Steinberg Glick ...Parent B ‘15 Craig S. Glick ...A&S ‘82, Parent B ‘15 James M. Horowitz ...A&S ‘83 Charlotte Beyer Hubbell ... NC ‘71 John A. Isakson ...A&S ‘92 Hans A. B. Jonassen ...A&S ‘63, Parent UC ‘94 Loryn C. Kass ...NC ‘87 Michael L. Kass ...A&S ‘87 Michael I. Keyes ...A&S ‘85 Dianne L. LaBasse ...NC ‘74, B ‘76 Richard I. Lane ...A&S ‘85 Alan W. Lawrence ...A&S ‘87 Carol S. Levin ...B ‘80, Parent LA ‘12 Maddalena Loeb ...NC ‘94 Albert T. Lojko, Jr. ...A&S ‘94 David J. Lonner ...A&S ‘84 Wilson K. Magee, Jr. ...A&S ‘77 Paul H. McDowell ...A&S ‘82, Parent LA ‘13 and LA ‘13, CS ‘16

Darrick U. McGowan ...TC ‘98, SW ‘99 Bruce E. Murray ...A&S ‘85 Russell S. Palmer ...A&S ‘71, Parent TC ‘03 Suzanne Mandel Palmer .. . NC ‘73, SW ‘76, Parent TC ‘03 Sanford B. Panitch ...A&S ‘89 Steven B. Pearl ...A&S ‘85 Christopher S. Petrikin ...A&S ‘88 Meryl Poster ...NC ‘86 Richard M. Rhodes ...A&S ‘83, Parent NT ‘18 Mathew S. Rosengart ...A&S ‘84 Richard L. Roskin ...A&S ‘87 Peter D. Russin ...A&S ‘85, Parent A ‘18 Kenneth R. Sadowsky ...A&S ‘84 H. Andrew Schwartz ...A&S ‘90 Mark L. Schwartz ...A&S ‘80, Parent B ‘07 Lawrence S. Sibley ...A&S ‘80 Julie Parelman Silbert ...NC ‘80, L ‘84 Andrea B. Snyder ...NC ‘06 John B. Strasburger ...A&S ‘86 Harold Sylvester, Jr. ...A&S ‘72 Travis A. Torrence ...TC ‘02 Eric H. West ...A&S ‘86 David H. Willis ...A&S ‘91 Mark Wladis ...Parent LA ‘14 Robert M. Wolfberg ...A&S ‘92 Jennifer Simon Wooster .. . NC ‘91 Evonne Marie Yonover ...Parent LA ‘15 John B. Yonover ...A&S ‘87, Parent LA ‘15 DEVELOPMENT STAFF Managing Director, Coordinated Undergraduate Giving Daniel Bozard Development Officer, School of Liberal Arts Lauren Phipps Program Manager, Coordinated Undergraduate Giving Laurie Pierce Martin Development Contact Information (504) 247-1375 • lphipps@tulane.edu

I NS I DE

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4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gulf South Culture

20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Why We Give

8 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Crises & Innovations

21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Donor Honor Roll

12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Digital Arts & Humanities

24. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Looking Ahead

16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Global Latin America

25. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SLA by the Numbers

SLA students take their studies to the Grand Canyon.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JUDITH MAXWELL

SLA REFL ECT IO NS YEAR IN REVIE W A M a g a z i n e f o r A l u mn i a n d Fri e n d s o f th e S c h o o l o f L i b e ra l A rts V O L U M E 1, 2013-2014

Editor & Writer Mary Sparacello Editorial Advisory Board Daniel Bozard, Carole Haber, Linda Peal, Arielle Pentes, Lauren Phipps, Mary Sparacello, Nicole Westerfield Art Direction & Design Beth Aguillard Contributors Rachel Hoormann, Alicia Duplessis Jasmin, Ryan Rivet On the cover: Professor of Art Gene Koss; Timber, 1992; Sculpture in steel, oak, cast glass and neon

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GULF SOUT H CULTURE

Wherever we went that music was playing, there was hope. It was clear that the cure…was to keep the music alive.

Music W

hen famed music producer Bob Ezrin visited New Orleans 30 days after Hurricane Katrina, he had an epiphany.

“Wherever we went that music was playing, there was hope,” says

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Ezrin. “It was clear that the cure… was to keep the music alive.”

Together with U2’s The Edge and Henry Juskiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar Corp., Ezrin founded Music Rising to

The Hogan Jazz Archive on the Music Rising website offers a worldwide window to the soul of New Orleans jazz.

ARIELLE PENTES

Music producer Bob Ezrin with Tulane students

preserve the musical cultures of the Gulf South. Partnering with the School of Liberal Arts, Music Rising launched the first-of-its-kind website in April 2014. (musicrising.tulane.edu)

RYAN RI VET

Rising “I truly hope that this is only the beginning of an opportunity to provide future generations of students a chance to appreciate the colorful and dynamic musical history of this very special part of

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the world,” says The Edge.

The website is an “incredible resource,” says the New Orleans Center for the Gulf South Director Joel Dinerstein, featuring K-12 lesson plans, college curricula, original content, artists’ biographies, and instructional programs.

Music Rising at Tulane is housed in the New Orleans Center for the Gulf South and, in addition to the website, includes an interdisciplinary coordinate major through the School of Liberal Arts.

“The School of Liberal Arts aims to be a leader in the preservation of the Gulf South and community service,” says Dean Carole Haber.

“Music Rising at Tulane perfectly illustrates our mission.”

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GULF SOUTH CULTURE

T

ulane University and the Trombone Shorty Foundation are partners in teaching talented New Orleans high school students much-needed music business savvy.

“Growing up as a musician, at times I had to learn business lessons the hard way,” says Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews.

“The Fredman Music Business Institute will make it easier on the

Dan Rather interviews Andrews at Tulane with musical guest Cha Wa. PHOTO PROVIDED BY CHA WA

RYAN RIVET

THE

BUSINESS OF MUSIC

Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, center, works with high school students during a rehearsal at the Trombone Shorty Academy on Tulane’s uptown campus.

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next generation.”

The business institute is made possible by the generosity of Andrew and Kerin Fredman, long-time Tulane supporters.

“We’ve been excited about Tulane’s efforts to support the local community and its culture,” says Andrew Fredman, a 1984 Tulane graduate. “Providing students with strong mentorship and business acumen ensures a pathway to success. It’s our hope that they will pursue their dreams and then follow in Troy’s footsteps by giving back.”

Music business classes started in January 2014 and cover a wide range of business topics, including recording, production, marketing and event organization. Students are involved in production of the annual “Shorty Fest,” a benefit concert for the Trombone Shorty Foundation.

The business institute is the next logical step in the partnership between the New Orleans Center for the Gulf South, the Music Rising at Tulane initiative and the Trombone Shorty Foundation. The Trombone Shorty Academy was launched to teach young performers to carry on the unique musical tradition and heritage of New Orleans and the Gulf South.

The Trombone Shorty Academy received attention from the national press during the 2013-14 academic year, including an interview on ABC “World News With Diane Sawyer,” on NPR’s “All Things Considered” and an interview with Dan Rather.

She left us a dark gulf and salt-burned land.

She left us to learn to crawl.

She left us to salvage.

VOICES OF THE GULF SOUTH Adding to Tulane’s strength in creative writing, National Book Award-winner Jesmyn Ward joined the Tulane English Department on July 1, 2014 as a tenured associate professor and has been named to the first-ever Paul and Debra Gibbons Professorship.

Ward won the 2011 National Book Award for fiction for her novel, Salvage the Bones. The book follows a family in coastal Mississippi during the ten days preceding Hurricane Katrina and immediately following.

Themes of family and what it means to grow up black and poor in the South run through Ward’s work. “Jesmyn Ward…chronicles our American story in language that is raw, beautiful and dangerous,” Tayari Jones wrote in The New York Times in 2013.

Before coming to Tulane, Ward taught writing for 10 years, most recently at the University of South Alabama.

“I love teaching. I love reading and writing and talking about reading and writing with students,” Ward says. “I love working with student writers to help them revise and polish and transform their ‘‘I love watching work, and I love watching students find their students find their voices. voices. It really is very It really is very rewarding rewarding work,’’ says work.”

Associate Professor Jesmyn Ward.

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an Inside

ELLI OT COWAN

CRISES & INNOVATIONS

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View

The establishment of this program combines two of our deepest commitments—Tulane University and the search for peace in the Middle East.

STACY MANDEL PALAGYE

T

he Stacy Mandel Palagye and Keith Palagye Program for Middle East Peace at Tulane will select 15 undergraduate students to participate in a unique summer immersion opportunity beginning in 2015.

Following the close of spring semester, the students will take two weeks of intensive course work at Tulane. They will then travel to Israel for three weeks, where, through a partnership with the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace, at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, they will gain a first-hand view of the issues and individuals engaged in the peace process.

Stacy Mandel Palagye, a 1983 Newcomb College graduate, and her husband Keith Palagye are supporting the $1 million summer immersion program through the auspices of the Morton and Barbara Mandel Family Foundation. The pilot program, which will be free to participating students, is scheduled to run over four years.

“The Stacy Mandel Palagye and Keith Palagye Program for Middle East Peace reflects the unique nature of the School of Liberal Arts and its offerings,” says Carole Haber, dean of the school.

Professor Brian Horowitz, chair of the Tulane Jewish Studies Department, will teach a course about Israeli and Palestinian society on campus and accompany the students to Israel.

“The presumption that these are two disparate societies living one mile from each other but separated by many decades of historical alienation is false,” Horowitz says.

Professor Yigit Akin, a history professor who teaches about the history of the Islamic World and the Modern Middle East, will teach a course on campus in May 2015 about Israeli and Palestinian politics.

“In this program, we certainly hope to equip our students with the necessary skills and knowledge to navigate through the complex realities of the region and eventually to contribute to the development of peaceful relations between Israeli and Palestinian societies,” says Akin.

Speakers involved in many aspects of the peace process will talk to students, both on campus and in Israel.

“I would not be surprised,” Horowitz says, “if someday the Secretary of State of the United States is someone who graduated from this program.”

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CR ISES & INNOVATIONS

Finding Promise in Education $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to conduct a randomized trial on “promise Douglas Harris scholarships” given to low-income The Education ninth graders in Research Alliance for Milwaukee public New Orleans works schools. study on the reform in New to improve education Harris’ research Orleans, to understand what outcomes for lowon New Orleans has worked and what has income students. education reform not—and why. could have a real In developing the impact on public education policy Education Research Alliance for across the United States.

New Orleans, Harris is continuing “We think we need to learn his long-standing pursuit of ways from this incredible experiment,” to improve education outcomes he says. “Everybody is watching for low-income students in urban very closely.” schools. In 2013, Harris won a

CHASE HELTZEL

ARIE LLE PE N T E S

In the years since Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans public schools have undergone the most radical overhaul of any school district in the country over the past century, according to Tulane economics professor Douglas Harris.

“New Orleans is the only city to have completely upended the traditional school district model,” says Harris, who holds the inaugural Tulane University Endowed Chair in Public Education.

To study the dramatic changes in the New Orleans education landscape, Harris founded the Education Research Alliance for New Orleans. The alliance will conduct rigorous, objective and in-depth

Clint Johnson, Andrew Vaught and Brendan Bowen in The Complete Works of Shakespeare (abridged).

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PH OTO PROV IDE D BY MAGGIE DOW N E S

DEBATE FOR A DIFFERENCE You might say that Aristotle persuaded Maggie Downes (LA ’13) to become a teacher.

Downes was an admittedly aimless sophomore at Tulane University when she took the service-learning course, Aristotle in New Orleans, and started coaching debate at an underperforming New Orleans middle school.

The experience so inspired Downes that she joined Teach for America after graduation.

Tulane professor Ryan McBride says that “over the course of the semester Tulane students, like

TAKING A BOW: In recognition of its “outstanding contributions to the arts in New Orleans,” the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane was awarded a 2013 Community Arts Award from the Arts Council of New Orleans. Since it was founded in 1993, more than 66,000 theatergoers have attended performances of the professional Shakespeare company, one of the largest employers of theater artists in the city.

}

M ARI ANNE WAFER

The Luna Series: Part 1

Maggie, see the middle school debaters make immense progress—they help them learn to think on their feet, gain confidence in their intellectual Maggie Downes abilities, and start to find their own voices. And that’s debate program in New Orleans. extremely rewarding.”

Now, Tulane undergraduates The School of Liberal Arts offers work directly with students from the majority of service-learning local schools, and more than a classes at Tulane, and the school dozen middle schools compete partners with the Center for Public in Tulane debate tournaments.

Service to ensure that the debate Furthermore, the program is service-learning experience conbeing used as a model across the tinues. country. “Nobody’s done anything Before the Tulane Debate quite like we have here,” Society was founded in 2009, McBride says. there was no formal middle school

B ENJAMI N CARVER

{

Tulane Debate Society members with middle school debaters at Lafayette Academy Charter School, New Orleans.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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DIGITAL ART S & H UMANITIES

Focus in

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HE NEW ORLEANS-

BASED FILM INDUSTRY, NICKNAMED “HOLLYWOOD SOUTH,” IS QUICKLY BECOMING A MAJOR CENTER FOR FILM PRODUCTION. In 2013, more major-studio movies were filmed in Louisiana, with its generous tax breaks for movie production, than in California. It is not unusual to see major stars walking the campus or shopping at Whole Foods. Nor is it strange to see Tulane alumni working behind the camera, producing major films, or negotiating contracts.

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THE DIGITAL MEDIA PRODUCTION COORDINATE MAJOR

The excitement surrounding the film industry in New Orleans is also apparent in the growth and activities of the Digital Media Production program. Nearly 90 students have recently declared the field as their coordinate

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major, seeking the knowledge and skills that will prepare them for careers in the entertainment industry. The interdisciplinary program offers courses in art, communication, English, theatre & dance, and music. In their senior year, students create short films during a two-part capstone course on advanced filmmaking and

ARIELLE PENTES

present them during the Digital Media Production Student Film Festival at Tulane. Some have had the films accepted at local and regional film festivals.

Mary Blue, director of the Digital Media Production program, says she is excited to see students taking what they learn and putting it to use beyond the classroom.

Recently awarded a $120,000 Louisiana Board of Regents Enhancement grant, she is creating a center for designing, composing and recording digital audio for film, video and multimedia. According to Blue, the grant, as well as a gift by an anonymous donor, will have a great impact on the program. “It will allow students to make even

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Students hone their camera skills during an Advanced Digital Filmmaking I course taught by Professor of Practice Mary Blue.

higher quality films with Dolby 5.1 surround sound and to score their own film.”

And the students clearly appreciate the education they are receiving. “I love television and I really want to be in this industry,” says Miaira Jennings, a 2013 graduate

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MARY BLUE

in communication who used her education in digital media at Tulane on the job as an intern on the set of the popular CBS entertainment talk show, “OMG! Insider.”

“In our digital media program, we work with two types of editing software,” says Jennings. “Avid is one of the programs we use, and it’s the same program used at CBS.” CAREER WAVE

Such opportunities were underscored at a recent Career Wave event on the Tulane campus. In April, more than 400 students turned out to hear an impressive panel of Tulane alumni and parents who travelled to campus to share their secrets for success in the entertainment industry. The alumni said their experience at Tulane— and liberal arts degrees—provided a good foundation.

“I credit going to this school with helping me find my inspiration,” David Lonner (A&S ’84) said.

Lonner worked as a talent agent for 25 years before founding his own management and production company, Oasis Media Group.

Meryl Poster (NC ’86), an English major, who is president of television at The Weinstein Company, advises students to get character-building experience in the real world as an entry to a job in Hollywood, but also to master the basics. “Knowing how to write is extremely important,” she said.

“Reading and writing should never be underestimated.”

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classroom—and out—prepared alumni for life in California.

Chris Petrikin (A&S ’88) majored in English at Tulane and now works as chief communications officer for 20th Century Fox. He grew up in St. Louis, Memphis and Tulsa and always saw Hollywood as “a club with a closed door.” At Tulane, he was exposed to many different people and cultures. “My worldview expanded,” he said.

Jack Sussman, a Tulane parent who is executive vice president of specials, music and live events at CBS, advised students to work with creative people with passions similar to theirs. “No matter what field you go into…it’s all about storytelling,” he said. “Get good at that; learn how to communicate. Learn how to tell stories that are unique.”

TULANE TO HOLLYWOOD

As Hollywood came to Tulane in April, for a select group of 14 students, Tulane went to Hollywood through a unique summer program that offered an understanding of the film industry as well as a first-hand look into its operation. Under the direction of Blue and Professor Connie Balides, director of the film studies major, the 6-credit program began in summer 2014 with two weeks of class at Tulane, a week in Los Angeles, and then a final two-week course at Tulane. During their week in California, students met with writers, producers, managers and studio heads and visited the studios of NBC/

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We want to give students a realistic experience of what they can expect if they choose a career in Hollywood.

MARY BLUE Director of the Digital Media Production program

Universal and Fox, as well as the USC School of Cinema. They also spent a day shadowing a professional in their chosen field.

“We want to give students a realistic experience of what they can expect if they choose a career in Hollywood,” says Blue.

In addition, the students met with recent alumni who majored in film studies and digital media production at Tulane and are already making their mark on the entertainment industry. They say the trip to Hollywood gives current students much-needed practical exposure.

Andy Cochran is a 2003 Tulane graduate who is a screenwriter in Los Angeles. He sold a screenplay to Paramount and MTV Films a year after his graduation from Tulane, where he majored in film studies and English. He wrote the script for “Adult World,” a movie starring John Cusack and Emma Roberts that was released in January 2014.

“It doesn’t matter how talented you are or how great your script or reel is. Trying to break in without understanding the landscape and how the business works is like trying to survive level 5 rapids without a paddle. Or a boat. Or even knowing how to swim,” Cochran says. “And the only way to learn how the business works is to be here and learn from the people already in it.”

DIGITAL ARTS & HUMANITIES

Preserving the Past B y M I C H A E L KU CZ YN S KI Associate Professor & Chair Department of English

Students pursuing Tulane’s popular Documentary Literary Studies certificate learn to handle and process such materials as medieval biblical manuscripts dating to the 14th century; oral and visual records of the fascinating history of New Orleans jazz; and the letters of prominent African-American poets from the Harlem Renaissance.

The Documentary Literary Studies certificate is one of the most successful areas of graduate study in the Department of English. Advanced undergraduates and Master’s students are given the opportunity to work

as interns in Tulane’s rare books and manuscripts archives, where they develop both physical and digital research portfolios and exhibitions of some of Tulane’s treasures.

One of Tulane’s treasures is a rare Pennyroyal Caxton Bible that Bruce and Suzie Kovner gave to the university in 2014. The deluxe two-volume edition of the King James Version of the Bible is bound in vellum, printed on handmade paper and adorned with intricate engraved illustrations.

Students enrolled in the certificate program help to curate exhibits in Jones Hall, the home of Tulane’s Rare Books collection, and design electronic finding aids and online displays of digital surrogates of rare books and manuscripts at Tulane. These finding aids and displays entice local and global visitors to experience—on site and over the Internet—the wealth of Tulane’s ancient and modern archival holdings.

M IC HAEL KUCZYNSKI

A student doing research for the Documentary Literary Studies Certificate examines a fifteenthcentury printed book.

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GLOBAL LAT IN AMER ICA

Middle

American

Research

Institute

‘Faces of the Maya: Profiles in Continuity and Resilience’ — an exhibit of the renovated Middle American Research Institute celebrates the development of the Maya civilization from its beginnings in B.C. 1000 to the present.

H

is education at the Middle American Research Institute (MARI) so influenced Lt. Col. Clinton Effinger III (A&S ’49) that after his death his widow ensured his legacy would live on by making a gift to the influential center.

Founded in 1924, MARI is housed in the School of Liberal Arts and is one of the nation’s premier centers for research on the indigenous cultures of Mexico and

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Central America.

The institute stewards an extensive collection of textiles and artifacts, a large archive of letters, field notes, maps, and photographs from the scores of field projects it has sponsored. Furthermore, MARI continues to support a variety of anthropological, archaeological, ethnohistorical, linguistic, and ethnographic research projects.

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Yvonne and Clint Effinger shared a wonderful 38 years together, until he passed away at the age of 88 in February 2013.

Yvonne felt a gift to MARI, where Clint studied while he was at Tulane, would be a perfect way to honor her husband’s memory.

MARI fostered Clint’s lifelong love of archaeology, and he often described his experience at Tulane and how much it affected his life,

SLA students visit Tenorio National Park during an environmental studies semester in Costa Rica.

THE GLOBAL CLASSROOM

L AU REN P HI PPS

Yvonne remembers. “He loved Tulane so much.”

Yvonne’s generous gift paid for improvements to MARI’s storage area: shelves to store MARI’s valuable artifacts and filters to protect the precious objects from ultraviolet and infrared light coming through the windows, says MARI Director Marcello Canuto.

“With a gift of this size, we immediately decided to expand our storage facilities,” says Canuto.

“The upgrades this gift is permitting will enhance our stewardship of these artifact collections.”

A few of the Aleutian artifacts in MARI’s collection were originally donated by Clint more than six decades ago.

Yvonne saw the artifacts and toured MARI for the first time during the 2013 Thanksgiving holiday with her son and daughter-in-law. “It was a wonderful trip for us,” she says.

“All three of us felt like Clint was MARI Director, with us.”

Marcello Canuto, presents Yvonne Effinger with a memorial plaque.

PHOTO PROVIDE D BY C IAPA

PHOTOS BY ARIELLE PENTES

What better place to study the environment than in Costa Rica, a world-wide leader in eco-tourism and conservation?

Seven Tulane undergraduates spent the spring semester 2014 studying tropical and environmental studies at a Tulane-run campus in Costa Rica called Centro de Investigación y Adiestramiento Político y Administrativo (CIAPA).

“There is a whole infrastructure in place in Costa Rica for students to travel around the county and experience nature,” says Ludovico Feoli, executive director of the Center for Inter-American Policy and Research at Tulane.

The environmental studies semester at CIAPA was only one of the many offerings for college students at the prestigious academic research institution founded in 1974. CIAPA and Tulane have partnered to find solutions to Central America’s economic, political

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and social challenges.

Since 2000, Tulane has operated a summer study abroad program at the CIAPA campus. In 2009, Tulane started coordinating the center’s research program and managing its facilities, and in 2012, the center began offering study abroad opportunities yearround.

Study abroad at CIAPA can be a meaningful opportunity, one that students never forget. Currin Wallis, Class of 2016, spent the fall of her freshman year in Costa Rica, and is majoring in Latin American Studies and Spanish.

Wallis was thankful for the opportunity to take classes taught by professors from Tulane and the University of Costa Rica and then to be further engaged during excursions and field trips outside of the classroom: “CIAPA gives you a three-dimensional learning experience.”

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GLOBAL LATIN AMERICA

mately 1,000) than the rest of the world combined.

Why was this region a center for trepanation for over two thousand years? Why did the ancient Peruvians do it, and how good were they? Well, to answer the second question first, they started off with rather limited success (as can be assessed by healing of the PHOTO PROVIDED BY JOHN VERANO margins of holes), but eventually, during Inca times, could brag of a 75-80 percent survival rate—quite Anthropology professor John Verano is working on a book about a bit better, by the way, than ninetrepanation in Ancient Peru that is the culmination of many years of data teenth century neurosurgeons, collection at archaeological sites in Peru, where he’s been doing fieldwork who lost up to 90 percent of their since 1983, and in museums in Peru, Europe, and the United States. patients to infection and other complications. To answer the first question, there is good evidence

By J O H N V ER A N O Why make holes in your head? that ancient Peruvian trepanations Well, if you ask a neurosurgeon little explanation for those to were done for practical reasons: you’ll get some practical answers whom “trepanation” is not a to treat head injuries such as skull (they do this on a regular basis), household word. Trepanation (or fractures and penetrating wounds. but why would such a potentially trephination as it is also known) Many trepanations are located dangerous operation be done in is a procedure in which a hole adjacent to skull fractures. In other ancient times, with what were in is made in the skull by scraping, cases, however, it is unclear why most cases simple stone tools? drilling or cutting. It is the oldest holes were made, particularly in This is something I have pondered form of surgery known, dating skulls that have four, five or even for a long time, particularly beback to Neolithic times in Europe seven healed trepanations. Percause I do fieldwork and to at least the fifth century haps some patients returned in Peru, which has B.C. in South America. Trepanafor recurring symptoms the distinction of tion had a surprisingly wide disProfessor John such as headaches or having more pretribution in the past, and survived Verano works to dizziness? historic trepanned until recently in a few remote uncover Peruvian Unfortunately we have skulls (approxiareas of the world. medical history. neither medical records nor eyewitness accounts for these ancient surgeries, so we must rely on what the skulls can tell us. What I hope my book will accomplish is to call attention to a lost chapter in the history of medicine: the story of ancient Peruvian trepanners, who developed an indigenous tradition of skull surgery that flourished in the Andean region for more than 2,000 years.

HOLES IN THE

HEAD

PAU L A BU RCH-CEL ENTANO

A

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TULANE SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS

tulane.edu/liberal-arts

{

}

MODEL students: For almost a decade, Tulane students have been putting their expertise in foreign policy to the test at the Model Organization of American States in Washington, D.C. Ten Tulane students each year act out the General Assembly of the OAS, on behalf of the country they represent, and in March 2014, Tulane represented Brazil. Participating in the Model OAS is a meaningful opportunity that can pave the way to a

future career. “The events in D.C. are definitely transformative,” says Edith Wolfe, assistant director for undergraduate programs at the Stone Center

for Latin American Studies. “Many students recall the Model as one of the most important experiences in their undergraduate careers.”

PHOTO PROVIDED BY EDITH WOLFE

SLA students take a break from foreign policy to pose in front of the Washington Monument.

LEFT HAND OF THE SUN GOD

By MA RC E LLO A . C A N U TO , J U DI TH M A X W E LL, and

ARIEL LE PENTES

MA RC Z E N D E R

Not that New Orleans needs more rain...

This replica of Stela 14 in Dinwiddie Hall features Maya rain god Chahk.

Over a thousand years after he was first carved on a large stone slab (known as a “stela”), the great ruler of the ancient Maya city of Uxmal, K’ahk’ Pulaj Chan Chahk, has been erected once again for everyone to see in a main entryway to Dinwiddie Hall on Tulane’s uptown campus.

The replica of Stela 14 shows the king in about A.D. 900 dressed as the Maya rain god, Chahk. He wears a mask bearing the god’s otherworldly features as well as his characteristic widebrimmed hat. He also wields the god’s thunder-making instruments, including a conch shell trumpet, a stone axe, and an incense bag.

The ruler stands on a two-headed jaguar altar, diminutive duck-billed

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rain gods appearing below and in front of him, while clouds and rain gods fill the skies above. Below the altar, two deceased individuals are sprawled in a cave or sinkhole; they are likely sacrificial victims offered during the rainmaking ceremony. A hieroglyphic text runs along the left side of the scene, in front of the ruler’s face, that reads: “This is the image of K’ahk’ Pulaj Chan Chahk, Left Hand of the Sun God.” Carved monuments such as this one show how rulers were considered both divine and war-like.

The replica was made in the 1930s. After being exhibited at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1933, it lived in the shadows for years until the decision was made to place it in the entranceway in November 2013.

TULANE SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS

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we

WhyGive The support

of alumni and friends allows the School of Liberal Arts to give

students an innovative and transformative education.

Such generosity means we are able to recruit top faculty, offer resources for travel and research, bestow scholarships and awards on worthy students, bring renowned speakers and conferences to campus, and provide facilities for cutting-edge research and creativity.

DONOR HONOR ROLL

Tulane School of Liberal Arts is grateful to the following individuals, companies and foundations that gave gifts and made pledges or

Anne Abbott and Herschel Abbott, Jr. Libby Adams and Mark Adams Vicki Adkison and Wayne Adkison Thomas Ajubita American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise Anonymous Donors Jennifer Argenti and John Argenti Arts Midwest Laurie Bagan and Grant Bagan Hillary Baker and Curtis Baker Doris Barnett and William Barnett Marcia Barr and Cameron Barr Karen Ann Becker and Robert Becker Deborah Bell and Donald Bell Sandra Farrill Bennett Donna Kay Berger Louellen Berger and Darryl Berger Rose Bernstein and George Bernstein Sharon Bertrand and James Bertrand

pledge payments of $1,000 or more in fiscal year 2014.*

Fred Bronfin Edison Buchanan and Sally Corning Michael Buchanan Cahn Family Foundation Meg Carrico and Michael Carrico Kathleen Christian and Bruce Christian Margaret Colley and James Colley Aloha Collins and Robert Collins Valerie Corasaniti and Michael Corasaniti Ramona Cormier Crescent Crown Distributing, L.L.C. Lisa Cristal and Bruce Cybul Manda D’Agata and Ian Barnes Kathleen Danysh and Richard Danysh Christine de Got and Kenneth de Got Paul Distler Lisa Dobbs and Thomas Dobbs Bridget Eckerd and Rick Eckerd Ginny Edlavitch and Irwin Edlavitch

Joel Beyer

Catherine Edwards and David Edwards

Kelly Biesecker and Frederick Biesecker II

Yvonne Effinger

Estate of Les Blank

English-Speaking Union Robin Epstein and Steven Epstein

Hilary Blum and Peter Blum Benjamin Bohlmann and Ellen Kanner Edward Bonin and Rene Fransen Lisa Bopp and Eric Bopp Margaretta Bourgeois and Lionel Bourgeois III Bonnie Boyd and John Boyd Colleen Bracci and Michael Bracci

Why

Ferber Family of Houma Foundation Joan Feibelman and Julian Feibelman Roxanne Field and Michael Field Michael Fink Olivia Fischer and Harlan Fischer Kerin Fredman and Andrew Fredman Howard Freedman and Rita Montlack

Those of us who had a wonderful experience at Tulane have a duty to make sure that experience is enhanced and made possible for a new generation of students.

Bob Wolfberg, a 1992 graduate whose support made possible the refurbishing of the recentlyrenovated Jewish Studies House on Freret Street.

Constantine Georges Georges Lurcy Charitable and Educational Trust Katrina Gewirz and Steven Gewirz Debra Gibbons and Paul Gibbons Cathy Glick and Craig Glick Jennifer Goldberg and Jordan Goldberg William Goldring

Meredith Breitman and Matt Breitman

Marlene Friedman and Reuben Friedman

Shannie Goldstein and David Goldstein

Katherine Brewer and Lyons Brewer

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Susan Goldstein and Robert Goldstein

Sherwood Briggs

Gina Genz and Peter Genz

Anna Goodman and John Goodman

* Fiscal year 2014: July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2014.

giving.tulane.edu/sla

TULANE SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS

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we

DONOR HONOR ROLL

Suzanne Graham and John Graham

Timothy Johnson

Linda Green and Michael Brown

Pierce Jonassen and Hans Jonassen

Lucy Gussoni and Richard Gussoni

Mary Jung and Jerrold Jung

James Hart

Kathy Kanter and Lawrence Kanter

Alison Hartman

Loryn Kass and Michael Kass

Adrea Heebe and Dominick Russo, Jr.

J. Megan Kelly

Sandra Heller

Susan Keyes and Michael Keyes

Nelle Hill and Charles Hill, Jr.

Suzie Kovner and Bruce Kovner

Evelyn Hill and Robert Hill

Jane Kohlmeyer Lowentritt

Joi Horowitz and Jimmy Horowitz

Dianne LaBasse

Charlotte Hubbell and Frederick Hubbell

Lesley Lahm and Martin Lahm III

Why

Sandy was truly beloved by the department, and this was a way people felt they could honor her and keep her spirit alive.

Barbara Landry and Bud Landry

Maya Irimpen and Anand Irimpen

Teresa Cole, a professor in the Newcomb Art Department, referring to the Sandy Chism Memorial Award in Painting.

Chism, a talented painter and sculptor, taught at Tulane in the Newcomb Art Department from 1996 until her death from cancer in January 2013.

Betty Landry

Carolyn Iwrey and Howard Iwrey

Jill Lane and Richard Lane

Jewish Endowment Foundation

Judith Lapinsohn

Emmett Johnson

Laura and John Arnold Foundation MICHAEL PALUMBO

Alan Lawrence Cheryl Lazarus and Andrew Lazarus Betsy Curren Leavitt

Mary Loose and Leland Loose

Madeline Leone

Beverly Lore and Douglass Lore

Richard Lerner

Louisiana Board of Regents

Gloria Lessan and Juan Goni

Jacqueline Mabry

Margarita Lester and Hugh Lester

Hilary Magee and Wilson Magee, Jr.

Carol Levin

Magnolia Foundation

Donald Levy

Les Misérables ​opened Tulane Summer Lyric Theatre’s 47th season, made possible through the generous support of our donors.

Jonathan Marmelzat

Carol Levy and John Levy

Ruchirawan Meemeskul and Ralph Martin

Jaynee Lipman and Steve Lipman Martha Long and Phillip Long PAUL A B URCH-CELENTANO

The Newcomb Dance Company dazzles audiences at their annual spring performance, which is supported by the Jill Karp Newcomb Dance fund and others.

Eva Martinez and Andrew Martinez Tatiana Maxwell and Paul Maxwell Anne McCulloch and Ned McCulloch Susan McDowell and Paul McDowell Betty McHale and Charles McHale, Jr. Lillian McNamara Teresa Mendrys and Mark Mendrys Joyce Frank Menschel Julie Meyer and Michael Meyer Katy Miller and William Miller John Mintz Linda Mintz and Albert Mintz Dixon Montague Raul Montenegro

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TULANE SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS

tulane.edu/liberal-arts

DONOR HONOR ROLL

WhyGive

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation Anne Normann Cynthia O’Neill and Timothy O’Neill Roger Ogden and Ken Barnes

I believe very profoundly in the value of a liberal arts education.

There’s a world out there that I think our kids have to understand if they’re going to function in it. The only way to understand that world is by understanding the history, the culture, the context in which people operate.

George Bernstein, former interim dean of the School of Liberal Arts and current Professor of History.

Mozel Charitable Trust Mary Murphy and Frank Murphy Hilary Murray and Bruce Murray Music Rising Cynthia Nadel and Norman Nadel Wendy Nadel and Lawrence Nadel National Geographic Society National Park Service Melinda Neblett and Robert Neblett III Niña Nievens and Fancisco Estrada-Belli Jane Nelson and John Nelson

Kathleen Stassi and John Stassi II Paulette Stewart and Frank Stewart, Jr. Sara Stone

Andrew Orestano

Jean Stangways and Raymond Strangways

Stacy Palagye and Keith Palagye

Pam Strasburger and John Strasburger

William S. Paley Foundation

Jeffrey Taft

Suzanne Palmer and Russell Palmer

Cecil Talley

Kristen Panitch and Sanford Panitch

Estate of Thelma Toole

Margaret Parker and Thomas Parker

Travis Torrence

Christine Petrikin and Christopher Petrikin

Trombone Shorty Foundation

Douglas Pitkin

Patricia Truscelli and Emmett Ellis IV Gene Turner and John Turner, Jr.

Craig Platt Joyce Post

Elaine Van der Linder and Bernard Van der Linden

Proskauer Rose, LLP

Kristen Victor and Steven Victor

Nancy Rebold and Matthew Rebold

Lauren Victor

Deborah Reily and James Reily

Rae Victor

Cheryl Rhodes and Richard Rhodes

Thomas Vining

Carol Rosen

Vital Projects Fund, Inc

Richard Roskin and Collette DartnallRoskin

Julia Wagner and Hunter Wagner, Jr.

Andrea Russin and Peter Russin Kenneth Sadowsky Sharon Schendel and Jerry Schendel III

Morton and Barbara Mandel Family Foundation

Allison Spielman

Laurie Schloss and Larry Schloss Andrew Schwartz and Amy Jo Goldberg

Maria Weber and Clifford Weber Carol Weida and James Mountjoy Marion Wiener Weiss Martha Wells and Max Wells Natalie West and Eric West Hilary Bell White and Hugh White, Jr.

Judith Schwartz and Mark Schwartz The Selley Foundation

Jane Wicker and Thomas Wicker Richard Wilkof Willard L. Marmelzat Foundation

Mary Shannon Anjali Sheffrin and Steven Sheffrin Leona Shlosman and Stanley Shlosman

Ginger Willis and David Willis Judith Windhorst Diane Wladis and Mark Wladis

Harry Shulman and Mary Haskins

Lynne Wolfberg and Robert Wolfberg

Wendy Sibley and Larry Sibley

Barbara Workman and Mark Workman

Francine Siegel and Jerald Seigel

Ann Yarborough and John Yarborough +

Julie Parelman Silbert and Scott Silbert Suellen Singer and Howard Singer

Estate of H. Colley Yoder + Deceased

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this list. Please contact Lauren Phipps at (504) 247-1375 or lphipps@tulane.edu with corrections or questions.

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LOOKING AHEAD

T

HE YEAR IN REVIEW GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO REFLECT ON A RANGE OF EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES THAT DEFINE OUR DISTINCTIVE VISION. BUT SLA IS HARDLY A SCHOOL TO REST ON ITS LAURELS. As we look ahead in the year to come, we are excited about many new programs and activities that will engage our faculty, staff and students. These include:

SLAMM — We are developing a School of Liberal Arts Management Minor that

will introduce non-business majors to an understanding of management practices and principles within the perspective of the liberal arts. As an interdisciplinary minor, it will incorporate courses throughout the arts, humanities, and social studies, as well as specially designed SLAMM classes focusing on leadership, ethics, law, public relations, marketing and strategy. Students completing the minor will acquire skills that may be applicable for future careers as well as an appreciation of the origins and implications of modern-day business methods and institutions.

Asian Studies

will begin its first year as a standalone major. In fall 2014, students can choose to major in Asian Studies as an independent major, opting to focus on Chinese, Japanese, or broadly defined Asian Studies. The transformation of Asian Studies from a coordinate major to a standalone major reflects the growing number of faculty engaged in the region, the increasing interest of our students, and the recent establishment of the Confucius Institute at Tulane, which will provide additional language teaching as well as numerous cultural activities.

Nora Lustig, the Samuel Z. Stone Professor of Economics, has just been

awarded a $581,162 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to study the impact of taxes and social spending on inequality and poverty in low-income countries, as well as develop strategies for building more equitable societies. Professor Lustig will head a team whose pilot project will implement analysis in Ghana and Tanzania. She will be joined in her work by James Alm, the chair of the Economics Department and PhD student Sean Huggins.

We look forward to reporting on these and other exciting initiatives in the 2015 Year in Review!

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TULANE SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS

tulane.edu/liberal-arts

S L A B Y T HE NUMBE R S In

1851 SLA was founded as the Academic Department of the University of Louisiana. It was formed as the School of Liberal Arts in

2006.

378

ST UDENTS

{

200 Tenure Track 63 Professors of

} # ♥

S C H O O L O F LI B E R A L A RTS IS

HEART OF

FA C U LT Y, U N D E R G R A D U AT E

STUDENTS, MAJORS/MINORS,

E X P E R I E N CE , W IT H...

$5.2 M GIFTS

&

PLEDGES

Programs

... T HE GREATEST NUMBER O F T E A C H I N G

T H E TU LA N E E D U CATI O N AL

2Kplus

& &16

18 Departments

24 Visitors 91 Adjuncts

ST U D E N T TO FAC U LTY

DONORS CONTRIBUTED

40 Majors 29 Minors

Practice & Lecturers

7:1 ratio

FY 2014 TOTAL GIFTS

unique CO U R S ES

FACU LTY

1,937 Undergrads 115 Masters 237 PhD

AT THE

4,000

A N D C O U R S E S TA U G H T.

>

2,289

Over

ANNUAL FU ND G IF T S 500 K 450 K

$455 K

400 K 350 K

$363 K

300 K 250 K 200 K 150 K

$473 K

$212 K

$248 K

100 K

{

2010

2011

2012

Av e ra g e 2 0 1 4 a n n u a l f u n d g i f t. . .

2013

$444.00

2014

}

SCHOOL OF LIBERAL ARTS 102 Newcomb Hall New Orleans, LA 70118

mission

VISION place

approach

504.865.5225

LIBARTS@TULANE.EDU

TULANE.EDU/LIBERAL-ARTS