2004 News
French on the Mediterranean
December 15, 2004
A new January term immersion program has been launched! French 299 (3 credits) combines intermediate-level language class, extracurricular excursions, and a family stay in Montpellier in the south of France.
Study Abroad Program Details Institut Linguistique Adenet
Lecturers Honored by Provost
November 22, 2004
On behalf of a grateful campus, Provost Destler recognized the University's lecturers in a special ceremony held on November 22 in the Adele H. Stamp Student Union. Lecturers with service to the campus of more than five years received an invitation to the event and certificates of recognition.
At the request of the School's Advisory Council, Professor Bob Ramsey met with the senior lecturers and asked them to choose their own representative. On the spot, they unanimously selected Stefania Amodeo, Lecturer in Italian. Stefania joined lecturers from English, Music, Mathematics, Journalism, Curriculum and Instruction, and Kinesiology in representing the more than 300 employed by the campus.
Lecturers play a critical role in the undergraduate educational mission of the University, a role that is especially important for the School of Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. Besides teaching many of our crucial language and literature courses, lecturers also advise students, direct outreach activity, lead students on Study Abroad trips, serve on important committees, and much more.
Pictured (Back row, left to right) Maria Fleri (Italian), Kazuo Yaginuma (Japanese), Tomoko Sano (Japanese), Nili Levy (Hebrew), Karen Remson (Spanish), Carmen Roman (Spanish). Front row, left to right: Etsuko Yamakita (Japanese), Anzai Shinobu (Japanese), and Stefania Amodeo (Italian) Not pictured: Tony Barilla (Spanish), Nicole Minnick (French), Jung-Jung Lee (Chinese), Bill Brown (Chinese)
Persian Studies Center official ribbon cutting
November 5, 2004
Friday night marked the official opening of the new Center for Persian Studies (CPS) at SLLC. On hand for the reception were over sixty guests, mostly leaders of the Iranian-American and Persian speaking communities, but also a good number of colleagues from SLLC and elsewhere on campus. Dr. James F. Harris, Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, opened the evening function by welcoming the guess. CPS Director Professor Ahmad Karimi-Hakkak shared his vision for the CPS and prospects for Persian/Iranian studies at the UMD, and several participants, among them His Excellency Mr. Hamrohkhon Zaripov, Ambassador of the Republic of Tajikistan, and Mr. Hekmat Karzai, First Secretary of the Embassy of Afghanistan, wished the new Center and the University of Maryland well. President Mote then led the guests in officially opening CPS by sharing the ribbon cutting with CPS Director.
Department of Asian & East European Languages & Cultures celebrate Tenure awards
May 11, 2004
In the afternoon of Tuesday, May 11, the Asian and East European faculty held a reception to celebrate the promotions of Professors David Branner, Jianmei Liu, and Lindsay Yotsukura. We honored Lindsay, Jianmei, and David for their achievement, and we congratulated them by raising glasses in a heartfelt toast to their success. Their promotions represented the first time three successful bids for tenure had ever come from within our unit in the same year.
Submitted by Bob Ramsey, Chair
The Spanish Department also welcomed two newly tenured faculty members to the School: Professors Eyda Merediz and Ana Patricia Rodríguez. All newly tenured faculty were treated to a luncheon hosted by Director Mike Long as well as being recognized at our end of the semester celebration.
Five SLLC Faculty Members receive Instructional Improvement Grants
May 6, 2004
We received word that Professors Lindsay Yotsukura, Peter Beicken, Ana Patricia Rodriguez, Elke Fredericksen, and Katrin Komm have each been awarded an Instructional Improvement Grant from Undergraduate Studies and the Center for Teaching Excellence, with matching funds from the College.
Russian grad receives University's Distinguished Service Award
May 3, 2004
Rick Harner, a Graduate TA in the Department of Asian and East European Languages, and Mentor of the Russian Cluster in the Language House has won the University of Maryland Graduate Student Distinguished Service Award yesterday. He has also received the Center for Teaching Excellence's award for Distinguished Teaching Assistant for his wonderful contributions to undergraduate education as a TA for Intermediate Russian for the past two years. The entire School, thanks Richard for his outstanding contributions.
140 Fifth Graders visit Maryland!
April 2004
The Community Outreach Program of the Department of Spanish & Portuguese invited 140 Fifth graders to visit the University of Maryland. On Wednesday, April 14th 70 fifth graders came to St. Mary's Language House to partake in the Spanish 306 class of Prof. Román, and another 70 students came on Monday, April 19th. The purpose of this activity was to introduce the idea of higher education as feasible and within reach of everyone.
The students from Prof. Román Heritage Language Class acted as teachers to the Veirs Mill students, planning lessons and activities in geography, history and culture of Latin America. The Veirs Mill students were also treated to a mini tour of the campus. A good time was had by all involved.
Former SLLC Director awarded National Humanities Center Fellowship
April 23, 2004
We received excellent news about Professor Jim Lesher. First, he has agreed to serve as our Commencement speaker on May 21st. Second, he has been awarded a National Humanities Center fellowship for the coming academic year. Here is the announcement of the award. National Humanities Center Names Fellows for 2004-2005
James Lesher, professor of philosophy (Arts & Humanities), receives a National Humanities Center fellowship for the coming academic year to study "Knowledge and the Gods: Religious Aspects of Early Greek Theories of Knowledge." Among many other honors, Jim has held an ACLS Fellowship at Harvard, a Visiting Research Fellowship at Princeton, and been a Junior Fellow at the Center for Hellenic Studies in Washington, D.C. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa as an undergraduate at Virginia and to Omicron Delta Kappa as a faculty member at College Park. He currently serves as a Senior Fellow of the Center for Hellenic Studies and a member of the Editorial Board of the journal Ancient Philosophy."
Our warmest congratulations to Jim.
Read the Full Article (Ascribe, April 22)
Maryland Distinguished University Professor awarded Premio Pablo Neruda
March 24, 2004
We are thrilled and honored to announce that Distinguished University Professor José Emilio Pacheco of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese in the SLLC has just won another prestigious literary prize in Spanish and Latin American letters, the Premio Pablo Neruda.
Professor Pacheco is the first to receive this honor, which was specially created to commemorate the 100th year anniversary of the birth of the Chilean Nobel Laureate. José Emilio learned of the prize directly from the President of Chile, who called personally to congratulate him.
José Emilio will receive the Premio Pablo Neruda on July 12, 2004 and will also give a series of talks in Chile at that time.
See Mexicano ganó el premio "Pablo Neruda" for additional information published in the Chilean newspaper El Sur, one of many articles about Pacheco's award.
Faculty Publications
March 17, 2004
Congratulations to Alene Moyer on the publication of her new book, "Age, Accent and Experience in Second Language Acquisition: An Integrated Approach to Critical Period Inquiry." Published in the UK by Multilingual Matters.
Peter Beicken's latest book, "Wie interpretiert man einen Film?" (66 illustr., 215pp.), was just published (January, 2004) by Reclam (Stuttgart) in their "Literaturwissen" series. Congratulations to Peter.
