Blog@Case Topics: Authors

Science Wins Fight Over Evolution in Schools, Says Case Western Reserve University Author

2009-11-12T16:03:31Z

If you want to understand how evolution has played a role in challenging the constitutionality of the separation of church and state, Mano Singham from Case Western Reserve University provides a concise and chronological history in his new book, God vs. Darwin: the War between Evolution and Creationism in the Classroom (Rowman & Littlefield, 2009).

God vs. Darwin comes just weeks before the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin's landmark book, On the Origins of Specie s , which has been at the center of the debate over how the diversity of all living things came about. Did it happen largely through the mechanism of natural selection as Darwin proposed or, as religious fundamentalists believe, did some supreme being craft the universe about 6,000 years ago along with all the species we see around us, and in particular, design humans with higher thought processes?

Biblical Literacy by Timothy Beal Provides All-time Greatest Biblical Hits

2009-11-09T17:58:00Z

Common phrases like the apple of my eye, don't look back, let there be light, and the powers that be share a common origin—the Bible.

Case Western Reserve University's Florence Harkness Professor of Religion Timothy Beal writes about what he calls the Bible's "greatest cultural hits" in his new book, Biblical Literacy: the Essential Bible Stories Everyone Needs to Know (HarperOne, 2009).

Biblical Literacy provides readers with approximately 100 of the top Bible stories in a guide to understanding the Bible and its influence on social and popular culture.

Stephen Post to Share Reasons Why Good Things Happen to Good People on Nov. 13

2009-11-06T18:49:13Z

Stephen Post, author of "Why Good Things Happen to Good People," will share his philosophy about why doing good deeds results in good karma during a talk on campus next week.

" An Evening with Stephen Post" will take place at 6 p.m., Friday, Nov. 13, at Amasa Stone Chapel. Tickets are $20 per person and $5 with a student ID, with proceeds supporting emergency relief programs for global communities in need that are sponsored by International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) and Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF).

Baker-Nord Center for Humanities Focuses on "Green" For 2009 Humanities Week

2009-10-14T19:13:15Z

Climate change expert Andrew Light gives the keynote address, October 22

Andrew Light, the author of Environmental Values and an internationally recognized expert on environmental policy and ethics, will give the keynote address for Humanities Week 2009, sponsored by the Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities at Case Western Reserve University. His free, public talk begins at 6 p.m., Thursday, October 22, in Amasa Stone Chapel. Because seating is limited, online registration is required.

The week continues the humanities center's yearlong theme of "Culture of Green: Nature and the Environment" through numerous activities, films and special events, October 22-28.

Light serves as the director of the Center for Global Ethics at George Mason University where he is also an associate professor of philosophy and environmental policy. He carries on his environmental work as a Senior Fellow at the think tank American Progress, which explores national policy issues, such as global warming, that impact the quality of American citizens' lives.

A Recipe for Controlling Carbon Nanotubes

2009-10-05T18:27:41Z

Case Western Reserve Researchers Find Mixing Different Metals in a Catalyst Can Help Determine Structure, Function

Nanoscopic tubes made of a lattice of carbon just a single atom deep hold promise for delivering medicines directly to a tumor, sensors so keen they detect the arrival or departure of a single electron, a replacement for costly platinum in fuel cells or as energy-saving transistors and wires.

Single-walled carbon nanotubes, made of a cheap and abundant material, have so much potential because their function changes when their atomic-level structure, referred to as chirality, changes.

But for all their promise, building tubes with the right structure has proven a challenge.

A pair of Case Western Reserve University researchers mixed metals commonly used to grow nanotubes and found that the composition of the catalyst can control the chirality.

In a letter published in the Sept. 20 online edition of Nature Materials, R. Mohan Sankaran, an assistant professor of chemical engineering at the Case School of Engineering, and Wei-Hung Chiang, who received his doctorate degree in chemical engineering in May, describe their findings.

Art Historian Observes China's Growth in Art Museums During Fulbright-Luce Fellowship

2009-09-30T19:44:47Z

Reports in Curator magazine about art in China

As Art Historian David Carrier drank his coffee and tapped into the Internet at a Starbucks in Beijing, he thought about how the Western world has exported many things to the Far East, from fast-food hamburgers, coffee lattes and pizza to the cultural highbrow of the public art museum.

A Fulbright-Luce Fellow, Case Western Reserve University's Champney Family Professor spent the spring semester in China. Between teaching contemporary Western art courses for the Department of Art and Design at Tsinghua University and the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Carrier visited art museums and archaeological sites.

An account of his observations of China's burgeoning art museums will appear in the article, "Some Museums in China, Macau, and Taiwan," in the October issue of Curator.

University Art Historian Offers DVD Lecture Tour on London's National Gallery

2009-09-16T19:28:56Z

Of the world's great art museums, the Louvre in Paris and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City had been explored and explained through The Teaching Company's DVD courses. The next great museum left in the "Museum Masterpieces" series was London's National Gallery.

"I passionately wanted to teach this course because of the quality and scope of 700-years of European paintings in the museum's collection," says Catherine B. Scallen, a Case Western Reserve University art historian.

Scallen's drive paid off, and The Teaching Company gave her the nod last year for her second course with the company.

Jamaica Kincaid Will Give 2009 Annual Anisfield-Wolf/SAGES Lecture

2009-09-08T18:38:36Z

Internationally acclaimed author and garden writer Jamaica Kincaid launches this year's humanities theme of Culture of Green: Nature and the Environment—a discussion probing humanity's relationship to nature—presented by the Baker-Nord Center for Humanities at Case Western Reserve University.

Kincaid, author of My Garden (Book) and Autobiography of My Mother, will give the annual Anisfield-Wolf/SAGES Lecture at 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, September 22, in Amasa Stone Chapel. The free, public event is presented by the humanities center, the Cleveland Public Library and the Anisfield-Wolf Book AwardsÂ®. Online registration is encouraged.

Prior to the lecture, the Baker Nord Center and the Cleveland Public Library will set the stage for Kincaid with a panel discussion at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15, at the Cleveland Public Library's Martin Luther King Jr. Branch, 1962 Stokes Blvd. in University Circle.

Three Cups of Tea Author to Speak at Case Western Reserve University August 26

2009-08-07T18:52:54Z

In his first university appearance in Ohio, the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling book, Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson, will speak about his philanthropic work: bringing peace to a region by building schools and educating children in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan.

He is the invited speaker for Case Western Reserve University's Fall Convocation at 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, August 26, in Severance Hall. The event is free and open to the public.

Mortenson, a mountain climber, will talk about the harrowing experience of his failed attempt to summit K2, the world's second highest mountain, and losing his way in the wilderness of this mountainous region in 1993.

History Department's Besse Fellow Expands Baseball History Entry for Encyclopedia of Cleveland History

2009-07-31T16:57:01Z

Two years after the National Negro Baseball League—the first official professional black baseball league—organized in 1920, Cleveland had its first League team, the Cleveland Tate Stars. The team moved from playing the sandlots to professional status in 1922 by becoming the first professional Negro League team.

But few people may know that during National Negro Baseball League history, the city had 11 League teams that took to the field when the umpire yelled, "Play ball!"

Baseball aficionados and Cleveland history buffs can now learn more about the League's past.

As the Ralph M. Besse Fellow in the Department of History, Stephanie Liscio has spent the past year updating entries and adding new ones for the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History and expanded offerings related to the city's Negro League baseball history.

Thrity Umrigar to Receive
Cleveland Arts Prize

2009-06-23T18:23:44Z

Since her first novel, Bombay Time, landed on bookshelves in 2001, Thrity Umrigar has received critical acclaim for her vivid portrayal of the diverse relationships, cultures and lifestyles related to India. Four books and one memoir later, Umrigar will be a recipient of a 2009 Cleveland Arts Prize on Thursday, June 25.

According to its Web site, the Cleveland Arts Prize "identifies, selects and publicly honors those creative artists whose original work has made Northeast Ohio a more exciting place to live, and whose accomplishments have set a standard of excellence to which other artists can aspire."

Umrigar, associate professor of English at Case Western Reserve University, will receive the Mid Career Award. Prior to joining the ranks of academia in 2002—where she has taught courses in fiction and non-fiction, journalism, creative writing, and African-American and 20th century literature—she spent 17 years as a reporter with newspapers such as The Akron Beacon Journal. Umrigar said she made the transition to teaching and writing novels because she was interested in new challenges.

The classroom fuels her creativity. "As a writer, people are always asking me whether I see myself primarily as a teacher or novelist."I'm lucky enough to not have to choose. Some days, I feel more like a writer than a teacher. The next day, that equation changes. But I do think of writing and teaching as basically part of the same continuum and I feel like my writing informs my teaching and the other way around."

Toni Morrison Read-In Scheduled for Wednesday on Campus

2009-02-24T17:57:39Z

Marilyn Sanders Mobley, a Toni Morrison scholar, will lead the Case Western Reserve University community in a "Toni Morrison Read-In" from noon to 1 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 25, in Clark Hall, Room 206.

The inaugural event, in honor of the celebrated author's birthday, is free and open to the public. The community is invited to bring their favorite Morrison passages to read aloud. Refreshments will be available.

Baker-Nord Center/Cleveland Foundation Lecture Series Brings Anisfield-Wolf Book Award Winner
to PlayhouseSquare for Free Talk

2009-02-23T15:39:28Z

The Baker-Nord Center/Cleveland Foundation Lecture Series presents Mohsin Hamid, 2008 Anisfield-Wolf Book AwardÂ® recipient for his novel The Reluctant Fundamentalist, who will give a free public lecture entitled "Literature, Pakistan, Islam and 'The West'" at 6 p.m., Tuesday, February 24, at the Idea Centerâ„¢ at PlayhouseSquare.

Seating is limited and tickets are required for the event, held in partnership with the Anisfield-Wolf Book AwardsÂ®, Cuyahoga County Public Library, ideastreamÂ® and PlayhouseSquare, with support from Continental Airlines. For ticket information, contact the Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities at Case Western Reserve University at 368-8961 or e-mail the Baker Nord Center for the Humanities.

The lecture will also be streamed live and can be viewed for free on campus in Clark Hall, Room 206. Tickets are not required to attend this broadcast.

Public Policy Programming Sought for the University Channel

2009-02-17T17:19:13Z

With all of the public policy programming taking place at Case Western Reserve University, it's difficult for faculty, staff and students to catch every speaker or attend all of the events taking place on campus during the academic year. It's even more difficult for people outside of the Cleveland area to get to campus each time a favorite speaker comes to town or an intriguing topic is discussed on campus.

That's why campus members—and even a global audience—interested in thought-provoking public policy issues and discussions can stay informed through Case Western Reserve University's participation in the University Channel (UChannel), a collection of public affairs lectures, panels and events from academic institutions all over the world.

Campus departments and groups sponsoring public policy programming are encouraged to record and submit items to the channel so that the university community has an even larger and more robust selection to choose from. In addition to increasing programming content, submissions afford departments an opportunity to gain more exposure for faculty experts, events and academic endeavors on a regional, national and global level.

Biologist and Award-winning Writer E. O. Wilson to Give 2009 Distinguished Lecture

2009-02-12T19:03:00Z

Legendary biologist E. O. Wilson from Harvard University has been invited to give Case Western Reserve University's 2009 Distinguished Lecture on Tuesday, March 3, at 5:30 p.m. at Severance Hall, 11001 Euclid Avenue. This event is free and open to the public through the generous support of Drs. Jeanette Grasselli Brown and Glenn R. Brown. Additional funding is provided by the Office of the Provost and the College Scholars Program.

Wilson's talk, "From So Simple a Beginning: Darwin and the Future of Biology," is one of the university's notable events for its Year of Darwin and Evolution celebration, an exploration of how Darwin's ideas have influenced science and our understanding of the world around us.

Case Western Reserve Law Professor and Students Play Key Role in Preparation for "Killing Fields Trials" in Cambodia

2008-12-19T17:34:32Z

In just a few months, five leaders of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime will go on trial before the U.N.-established war crimes Tribunal in Cambodia (known as the ECCC). Case Western Reserve University School of Law's globe-trotting professor Michael Scharf and two of his students recently traveled to Phnom Penh to help the ECCC prepare for the historic "Killing Fields Trials."

Scharf, who directs the School of Law's Frederick K. Cox International Law Center and its War Crimes Research Office, has helped establish war crime tribunals in the former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Rwanda and Sierra Leone. He has beenassisted by third-year law students Margaux Day and Niki Dasarathy. The students spent six months (August through December) as legal interns at the ECCC.

The trials of the accused, allegedly responsible for the deaths of 1.7 million people, are set to begin in late January or early February.

Case Western Reserve Law Professors to discuss global fight against genocide, offer insiders' look at Saddam trial and execution

2008-12-02T22:28:24Z

Case Western Reserve University law professor Michael Scharf, co-author of "Enemy of the State: The Trial and Execution of Saddam Hussein" will host a pair of book talks and signings in Cleveland area.

Scharf will offer a never-before-seen look at one of the most important and chaotic trials in history. The book was co-written with Vanderbilt University's Michael Newton.

On December 10, Scharf will share in a conversation with colleague and former Nuremberg prosecutor Henry T. King, Jr., Jr., moderated by WCPN's Dan Moulthrop, titled "High Crimes and High Drama" at the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage (2929 Richmond Road, Beachwood) beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets for the discussion are $10 for the general public and $8 for museum members and can be ordered by calling (216) 593-0575.

The acclaimed international law experts will discuss the worldwide fight against genocide in the 60 years since the United Nations' adoption of the Genocide Convention. Scharf will also talk about his recent role as special assistant to the prosecutor for the upcoming Khmer Rouge trials in Cambodia and his work helping the government of Uganda set up a domestic war crimes tribunal and truth commission.

Scharf will also hold a book talk and signing for Enemy of the State, January 27, at Joseph-Beth Booksellers at Legacy Village, (7-8 p.m., 24519 Cedar Road, Lyndhurst). That event is free and open to the public.

Case Western Reserve University study examines patterns in how 1,118 married couples transition into retirement

2008-11-14T17:02:22Z

Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences research shows retirement paths are changing

When retiring, men are more likely than women to move directly from work to retirement, but overall the retirement patterns for dual-income married couples are complex and call for additional considerations in planning for the future, according to a new study from the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University.

"It's no longer the reality that retirement is a straight path from working to retiring for many people," said Angela Curl—the lead author, a Case Western Reserve graduate and assistant professor of social work at the University of Missouri. "People can go in and out of retirement, and women may leave the workforce at an earlier age than men for a variety of reasons, including caring for a sick family member."

Curl and Aloen Townsend, associate professor of social work at Case Western Reserve, examined data from the National Institute of Aging's longitudinal study called the Health and Retirement Survey about life as older American approach retirement and retire. They gathered information about how 1,118 married couples with dual incomes came to retire.

The researchers' findings were published in the article "Retirement Transitions among Married Couples" in the recent Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health . It will also appear in the forthcoming The Older Worker and the Changing Labor Market, published by Haworth Press.

Findings About Homo Erectus Overturn Prior Thinking About Human Brain Evolution

2008-11-13T19:03:30Z

Scott W. Simpson from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and researchers report in Science

Between 900,000 and 1.8 million years ago, Homo erectus made an evolutionary leap to develop brains closer in size to the large brains of modern-day man at birth.

Paleontologist Scott Simpson, professor of anatomy at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, is the lead author of research describing a nearly complete female of a 1.2 million-year-old H. erectus pelvic fossils found in the region of Gona, Ethiopia.

Simpson along with Jay Quade (University of Arizona), Naomi Levin (University of Utah/California Institute of Technology), Robert Butler (University of Portland), Guillaume Dupont-Nivet (Utrecht University) and Melanie Everett and Sileshi Semaw (Stone Institute) describe the importance of this pelvis in the article, "A Female Homo erectus Pelvis from Gona, Ethiopia," in the current issue of Science.

Making obstetrical measurements and comparing them to prior published specimens, Simpson determined that the birth canal in the pelvis had adapted to deliver a baby with a brain almost comparable to a modern-day baby at about 36 weeks and weighing approximately four pounds.

Case Western Reserve University professors call for regulation of Electronic Health Records

2008-10-30T15:02:19Z

Sharona Hoffman and Andy Podgurski set to publish one of the first scholarly studies on EHR regulation

Cost and security concerns about bringing health care record keeping into the 21st century through electronic health records (EHR) have led to a call for an effective regulatory and oversight system from a pair of Case Western Reserve University professors.

"Electronic information can be illicitly accessed from anywhere and transmitted across the globe quickly, cheaply, and with little risk of detection," said Sharona Hoffman, professor of law and bioethics at the School of Law. "EHR systems could transform health care in the U.S., but their potential will be realized only with careful oversight."

Hoffman, along with her husband, professor Andy Podgurski from the Case School of Engineering, are responsible for one of the first scholarly studies to assess the need for federal regulation of electronic health record systems. "Finding a Cure: The Case for Regulation and Oversight of Electronic Health Record Systems" (Harvard Journal of Law and Technology, forthcoming 2009) comes on the heels of two previous publications by the two on security and privacy issues of EHRs and critiques of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule.