Juliana James Residency Fund Brings Second Native American Scholar to Wells College

Professor Kevin White teaches on Iroquois culture; increases awareness

Kevin White has been named Wells College’s second Juliana James Native American Visiting Scholar for the 2006-07 academic year. White, of Oswego, is teaching “History & Culture of the Iroquois” this semester. The residency, established in 2004, brings a scholar from the Six Nations or Haudenosaunee to campus. 

Kevin White is a Mohawk of the Akwesasne tribe, located in northern New York. He received his B.S. in Philosophy from SUNY-Brockport and an M.A. from State University of New York at Buffalo. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate in American Studies at Buffalo; his dissertation topic is “An Understanding of Haudenosaunee Cosmologies.” 

White was selected for the residency based on his expertise and commitment to educating people about the Haudenosaunee and fostering relationships between peoples of various groups. He has taught a variety of Native American Studies courses at the State University of New York at Oswego, Brockport, and Buffalo, and was director of the Rochester City school district’s Native American Resource Center. In addition to numerous presentations and publications, he is the recipient of several awards and fellowships, including the Yale Travel Grant for Pathways 2006, graduate and teaching assistantships at SUNY-Buffalo, and Who’s Who in American Junior Colleges (Monroe Community College). 

The Juliana James Native American Visiting Scholar fund supports broader campus diversity initiatives such as Native American Day and the new First Nations and Indigenous Studies minor, offered for the first time last fall. While on campus, Mr. White will also be giving two lectures, which will be open to the public.

Juliana James (1913-2000) was an artist who lived much of her life in New Mexico and was widely respected as an advocate for women’s reproductive rights and social justice. Among her many contributions, she founded Santa Fe Woman’s Services, which focuses on serving minority mothers, and was a fundraiser for the Women’s Health Clinic. She was an anti-Vietnam War activist, risking her life to express her beliefs. James is the grandmother of Wells psychology professor Victoria Muñoz.

The Juliana James Native American Visiting Scholar may be an artist, musician, academic scholar, leader, or teacher from the Six Nations of the Haudenosaunee. Faith-keepers, Clan Mothers, educators, storytellers, and chiefs of the Six Nations are named by the donors as possible visiting scholars. The resident, depending on his or her areas of expertise, may offer workshops, lectures, art exhibits, or performances. The scholar may also offer a course for a full-semester or for a shorter period.

For additional information about Professor Kevin White’s residency and the Juliana James Native American Visiting Scholar fund, please contact Communications Director Kelly Tehan at 315/364-3260.

September, 2006

Dr. Leslie Miller-Bernal will now serve in administrative position; has taught at Wells since 1975

At Opening Convocation in late August, Wells College President Lisa Marsh Ryerson introduced the campus community to its new interim Dean of the College for the 2006-07 academic year. Dr. Leslie Miller-Bernal of Ithaca, long-time Sociology professor and senior faculty member at Wells, will serve in this capacity while the College conducts a national search. 

In her new role, Miller-Bernal will be responsible for administering the educational policy and curriculum of Wells College. She will oversee all academic components of the College, working with the President and faculty on academic planning and programming, curricular development, and implementing strategic initiatives. 

“In her 30 years at Wells, Dean Miller-Bernal has provided exemplary service in a variety of leadership capacities,” said President Ryerson. “In addition to her exceptional teaching and prior service as associate dean of the College, she has served as both chair of the division and chair of her department. She has been active on several faculty committees as well as on important campus-wide planning committees, and I am delighted she will be joining my senior administrative team in this role.”

One of the nation’s leading scholars in the field of women-centered education, Miller-Bernal is widely published in her area of expertise. She uses case studies, interviews and historical evidence to track the evolution of both single-sex and coeducational learning. Included in her extensive body of work are such books as “Separate by Degree: Women’s Experiences in Single Sex and Coeducational Colleges” (2000); “Going Coed: Women’s Experiences in Formerly Men’s Colleges and Universities, 1950-2000” (2004); and the upcoming “Challenged by Coeducation: Women’s Colleges Since the 1960s” (2007). 

Miller-Bernal received her B.A. and M.A. at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and her Ph.D. at Cornell University. She joined the Wells faculty in 1975 and was promoted to full professor in 1991. Her husband Martin Bernal is professor emeritus at Cornell University.

“Serving as interim dean of the College at this time of transition and growth at Wells is both an honor and a challenge,” said Miller-Bernal. “My long association with Wells as a faculty member has made me care deeply about the College's welfare. I hope to help Wells flourish in the 21st century as a gender-equal coeducational college.”

In addition to other honors in her field, Miller-Bernal held the distinguished Frances Tarlton Farenthold Presidential Professorship from 2000 to 2005. She is currently chair of the publications committee of the Eastern Sociological Society in Boston. 

Miller-Bernal succeeds former dean Ellen Wood Hall, who served Wells for 11 years.

For more information about Leslie Miller-Bernal’s appointment at Wells College, please contact Kelly Tehan, communications director, at 315/364-3260.

September, 2006

North Eastern Athletic Conference extends invitation

Wells College has received an invitation to join the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) beginning in Fall 2007, according to Wells College President Lisa Marsh Ryerson. The NCAA Division III conference currently has 12 members from New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.

“I am delighted that we have been invited to join the NEAC,” said President Ryerson. “It is a great opportunity for Wells students to compete in a conference whose members share a commitment to supporting talented scholar-athletes. I look forward to working with the other college presidents who make the NEAC such a strong conference,” Ryerson said.

The North Eastern Athletic Conference was founded by five original members in 2004 as a way for formerly independent institutions to provide better overall experiences for student-athletes and athletic staff. NEAC membership provides automatic qualification to NCAA Division III status. Currently, the NEAC is an NCAA-recognized conference with six members from New York (Bard, Cazenovia, D’Youville, and Keuka Colleges and Polytechnic University), five from Pennsylvania (Baptist Bible College, Chestnut Hill College, Keystone College, Penn State–Berks, and Philadelphia Bible University) and one from Maryland (Villa Julie College). 

In addition to Wells, two other institutions — Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pa., and Penn State-Harrisburg — were invited to join the NEAC starting in the 2007-08 academic year.

The NEAC and its member institutions operate intercollegiate athletics programs that are consistent with NCAA Division III philosophy. The NEAC recognizes that intercollegiate athletics are an integral and essential part of the collegiate experience and should operate in harmony with the educational mission of its member institutions, and uphold the highest ethical standards of athletic competition.

“I am thrilled to be announcing the addition of Wells College to the North Eastern Athletic Conference,” said NEAC Commissioner Candice Poiss Murray. “We are excited to have Wells join the conference because it brings strong leadership, quality women's programs with new rising men's programs, and an enthusiasm that can be heard clear across Cayuga Lake. We welcome them and look forward to their membership.”

This year, the conference will have automatic NCAA qualification in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, golf, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, and women’s volleyball. The conference also sponsors men’s and women’s cross-country and men’s volleyball.

Teams from Wells College that will participate in the NEAC include men’s and women’s soccer, softball, women’s tennis, and men’s and women’s cross-country. It will mark the first time that the Wells men’s teams have participated in conference play. The Wells field hockey, men’s and women’s swimming and men’s and women’s lacrosse teams will compete as NCAA Division III independents. Several of the women’s teams currently compete in the Atlantic Women’s Colleges Conference (AWCC), which will dissolve at the end of the 2006-07 academic year. The College is also considering offering men’s and women’s basketball beginning with the 2008-09 academic year.

“Wells is very pleased to accept the invitation to join the NEAC,” said Wells Director of Athletics Lyn LaBar. “The NEAC is fully committed to providing outstanding opportunities for student-athletes and fits very well within our geographical location.  The NEAC is a solid match for our expanding athletics program and our student-athletes will benefit on many levels as they will have the opportunity to compete for individual, conference, and NCAA honors. Wells looks forward to becoming a full member beginning in Fall 2007,” LaBar said.

For more information about athletics at Wells College, please contact Sports Information Director Christian Gondek at 315/364-3479 and visit the College’s Web site: www.wells.edu. To learn more about the North Eastern Athletic Conference, please contact NEAC Commissioner Candice Poiss Murray at 518/320-7354 or cpoiss@nycap.rr.com, and visit its Web site: www.neacsports.com.

September, 2006

The Wells College Arts & Lecture Series committee is pleased to announce this year’s schedule. Tickets for each performance will be available at the door the night of the show, or from the box office the week preceding the performance. Call 315/364-3456 to reserve.

Wells students    Free
Seniors, students, Wells community $6
General admission    $10

The Wells College Arts & Lecture Series features professional guest artists and performers who are brought to campus to enrich the cultural and academic components of Wells as a learning community. For more information, please call 315/364-3232.
 
 
 

Saturday, September 23, 2006 LEAH STEIN DANCE COMPANY 7:30 pm Phipps Auditorium, Macmillan Hall The Leah Stein Dance Company is a well-seasoned group of movement artists that creates dance works for the stage, outdoor landscapes, and unusual sites. With invention, humor and surprise, Stein’s improvisational, spontaneous and all-inclusive approach to dance sparks synergy between performers and audience, highlighting the interconnectedness of people, culture and the physical environment.
Friday, November 10, 2006 CASHORE MARIONETTES 7:30 pm Phipps Auditorium, Macmillan Hall Unmatched in artistry, grace and refinement of movement, the Cashore Marionettes define the art of European puppetry. Award-winning artist Joseph Cashore creates and manipulates these amazingly life-like marionettes in a performance entitled “Simple Gifts.” Appropriate for children 12 and older.
Friday, February 9, 2007 A LECTURE BY LEON BATES 7:30 pm Phipps Auditorium, Macmillan Hall World-class pianist Leon Bates speaks articulately and with an historical perspective on Brown vs. The Board of Education. A child when this landmark Supreme Court decision was handed down, declaring “separate but equal” as unconstitutional, Bates reviews the sweeping, far-reaching benefits to minorities, especially African-Americans. He will also perform on the piano.
Saturday, April 14, 2007 THE PRODIGALS 7:30 pm Phipps Auditorium, Macmillan Hall The Prodigals are one of the most successful bands to emerge from the East Coast Irish music scene. Their original songs, sometimes called “jig-punk,” blend a funky and anarchic energy that is pure New York with a genuine passion for the traditional music of Ireland. They have played throughout the United States as well as abroad in Canada, Germany, and Ireland, but remain firmly rooted in Manhattan.

September, 2006

WHAT: Galen Razzaq’s keen ability to transform an audience with the smooth, rich sound of his flute leads to the common conclusion that he is indeed a master musician. A former student of the Berklee College of Music in Boston and a graduate of Rutgers University - New Brunswick, New Jersey, Galen holds a master's degree in fine arts and education. He is an arranger, composer, director, educator, and writer.

Razzaq has performed with such artists as pianist Billy Taylor, Sonny Philips, Gwen Guthrie, Jimmy Heath, Melba Moore, Freda Payne and Sun Ra.  A New Jersey native who began playing the flute at the age of 10, Razzaq performs at more than 150 colleges and universities each year. 

For more information, please contact Alyssa Binns in the Office of Campus Involvement at 315/364-3428 or visit www.wells.edu.

WHEN: Friday, September 8, 2006
9:00 p.m.

WHERE: Wells College
Sommer Center, Smith Hall
170 Main Street (Route 90)
Aurora, N.Y.  13026
www.wells.edu

PRICE:  Free and open

MEDIA CONTACT: Kelly Tehan, Communications Director, 315/364-3260, ktehan@wells.edu
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August, 2006

Like the cherry atop an already exquisite sundae, Pleasant Rowland will give Dorie's to Wells

WIn a magnanimous gesture that tops her already extraordinary generosity, Pleasant Rowland will give Dorie’s – a charming Main Street luncheonette and soda fountain – to Wells College. 

“Wells College is once again the beneficiary of Pleasant Rowland’s singular generosity.  With the gift of Dorie’s we will be able to provide our students and Village visitors and residents with a unique dining experience, ” said College President Lisa Marsh Ryerson.

Ms. Rowland privately purchased Dorie’s – the former Mack’s Drugstore – in June 2001.  In addition to serving homemade soups, sandwiches, salads, fresh-baked breads, ice cream, pastries and desserts, Dorie’s is a popular Wi-Fi hotspot. 

Sodexho Campus Services will manage the operations of Dorie’s beginning October 1.  According to General Manager Gary Aubin, “Our expertise in serving college students allows us unique insight into what students want and what current trends in college dining are.  However, the menu at Dorie’s will be entirely different from all of our on-campus dining centers.  The Sodexho staff and I are really excited for the opportunity to have a presence on Main Street – especially now that the Village is so active.”

Aurora resident Winnie Murphy, who will stay on as Dorie’s manager, said, “From the time I managed the Aurora Inn to my time here in Dorie’s I’ve enjoyed working in the Village.  I’m sure this will be one more great experience. I’m looking forward to working with Gary and the folks at Sodexho – just as I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Pleasant Rowland and her team.”

“It has been my pleasure to help revitalize Aurora’s Main Street and the College’s beautiful historic properties,” said Ms. Rowland. “I am confident that the College and the Village will prosper as a result of our work.” 

“Pleasant Rowland has truly taken to heart the College’s motto ‘to have and to share,’ and she has more than graciously shared her creativity, her intelligence and her dollars to help our College and our Village thrive,” said President Ryerson. 

For more information, please contact Vice President Ann Rollo at 315/364-3416.

August, 2006

Dr. Cindy Speaker oversees experiential learning programs, assessment and planning

Wells College is pleased to welcome Dr. Cindy J. Speaker as its new Associate Dean of the College. Speaker brings to Wells broad experience as a faculty member in building curriculum, planning and assessment, organizational development, and working with students. As associate dean, she is responsible for seminars for first-year students, assessment and planning, and experiential learning programs. 

Dr. Speaker comes to Wells from Elmira College, where she was associate professor of psychology. While at Elmira College, she also served as a member of a collaborative team that redesigned the Freshman Core Program, a set of two interdisciplinary courses that draw upon literature, the arts, and the natural and behavioral sciences. Speaker received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Simon’s Rock College of Bard, and her master’s and doctorate from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Prior to her term at Elmira College, Speaker held teaching positions at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and the University of Maine at Machias. At UM-Machias, she oversaw the restructuring of the behavioral science major and, as a member of the Women’s Studies Steering committee, developed a minor in that field. She also developed and re-designed web-based courses for the Behavioral Science External Degree and Integrated Liberal Studies programs for the University of Maine system.

“I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to join the Wells community, and I am especially looking forward to working on the assessment initiative,” said Associate Dean Speaker. “Engaging in assessment allows us to ensure that all of our students are successful throughout their Wells experience.”

For more information about Cindy Speaker’s appointment at Wells College, please contact Communications Director Kelly Tehan at 315/364-3260.

August, 2006

Wells College Hires Women’s Field Hockey, Softball Coach

Kimberly Faust of Syracuse will strengthen programs

Wells College Athletics Director Lyn LaBar is pleased to announce that Kimberly Faust of Syracuse will be the College’s new field hockey and softball coach beginning immediately. 

“I'm pleased that Kim has accepted our offer to coach at Wells,” says LaBar. “She brings a great deal of enthusiasm to this position and is excited about further developing the field hockey and softball programs.”

Kimberly Faust earned a B.S in Health Fitness magna cum laude from Frostburg State University, and received an NCAA Women's Enhancement Postgraduate Scholarship for Careers in Athletics to Syracuse University; she is in the process of completing her M.S. in Exercise Science from SU. While at Frostburg, she was an exceptional scholar-athlete, participating in field hockey, basketball and lacrosse. She also served as assistant coach for Frostburg’s field hockey team.

Kim has earned numerous academic honors, including being named to the National All-Academic Squad by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association and selection to the Allegany Mountain Collegiate Conference All-Academic Team.

“My primary goals are to bring to both teams my enthusiasm and knowledge, and to help the players grow into a solid team whose members support one another both on and off of the athletic field,” said Faust. “I admire the traditions of Wells and hope to maintain the spirit of the school in both programs so we can represent the school well in our athletic competitions. Throughout each season we will grow as individuals and will become one unit working toward common goal.”

For more information about athletics at Wells College, please contact Athletics Director Lyn LaBar at 315/364-3410.

August, 2006

Michael Eighmey of Geneva to recruit, build new program

Wells College Athletics Director Lyn LaBar has announced that Michael Eighmey of Geneva, N.Y. has been hired as the College’s men’s lacrosse coach. Wells will introduce men’s lacrosse as an intercollegiate sport in 2007-2008.

“In order to develop this new program and get it fully up and running in a successful manner, it was necessary for us to bring aboard someone with unyielding energy and enthusiasm; we’ve found that someone in Mike Eighmey,” said LaBar. “Mike has coached and played at a variety of levels, and understands that this area is a hotbed for men's lacrosse. With his initiative, perseverance, character, and solid leadership skills, I'm confident that Mike will do a great job of building the lacrosse program and serving as an excellent role model for the young men on the team.”

Eighmey is recruiting student-athletes who are interested in entering Wells in Fall 2007 and playing on the inaugural team.

“It is a distinct honor to be chosen as the first head coach for the Wells College men’s lacrosse program,” said Eighmey in a recent interview. “I cannot envision a better time to bring men's lacrosse to the student-athletes at Wells. The great game of lacrosse is finally surfacing as a premier sport in collegiate athletics, enjoying amazing growth and widespread popularity throughout the United States. It is my goal to build a program that mirrors and enhances the existing pride and tradition of Wells College as it grows and competes in NCAA Division III athletics.”

Eighmey was a standout lacrosse player while at Penn Yan Academy. He graduated from Finger Lakes Community College, and is currently enrolled at SUNY Empire State College pursuing a degree in Business, Management and Economics.  He has served as assistant coach for Hobart College’s club lacrosse, coached in the Geneva Youth Lacrosse Program, and participated on the Crooked Arrow Lacrosse Club in Boulder, Co. and the Norwalk Lumberjacks (U.S. Club Lacrosse Association) in Norwalk, Conn.  He was a Department of Defense deep sea diver for ten years in Naval Special Warfare Operations.

July, 2006

New science facility moving along on schedule

In mid-July, LeCesse Construction Co. used an enormous crane to erect the first of many steel beams at the science building site. Pouring of the concrete footers and foundations is more than 90% complete, and the rest of the site has been fully excavated with the exception of the loading dock area. 

Regular updates will be posted here in the coming months. Construction of the new Wells College science facility began in March 2006 and an official groundbreaking ceremony took place on April 28. The center is expected to open in time for the beginning of classes in Fall 2007.

July, 2006
 

Wells College News Archive

Last updated 01/03/2007