Dr. Mel Gray, Opus College of Business (Finance Department), recently gave a research seminar presentation, "The Arts as a Growth Engine? Evidence From Selected Metropolitan Areas," to faculty, students and community guests of the Mandel Center on Nonprofit Organizations at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.
Father Joseph Hurtuk, who has been an adjunct instructor in the St. Thomas Theology Department since 2007 and parochial vicar at the Church of St. Louis, King of France, in downtown St. Paul, travels to Rome this semester where he has been accepted at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) to complete his doctoral work and his dissertation, "The Resurrection of Jesus in the Christology of Gerald G. O'Collins." Hurtuk also will serve as a teaching assistant.
Dr. Paul Niskanen, College of Arts and Sciences (Theology Department), is the author of an article, "The Poetics of Adam: The Creation of Adam in the Image of Elohim," published in the Journal of Biblical Literature, No. 3 (2009), pages 417-436.
James Rogers, Center for Irish Studies, reports that while he was in Prague, Czech Republic, earlier this month, he attended as a guest of honor the opening sessions of the Politics of Irish Writing Postgraduate Conference at Charles University. Rogers, who is president of the American Conference for Irish Studies, delivered brief opening remarks to the conference, which was attended by graduate students from more than 20 countries in Europe and Asia.
Dr. Kevin Theissen, College of Arts and Sciences (Geology Department) and Dr. Kyle Zimmer, College of Arts and Sciences (Biology Department) are among the scientists whose research will be presented at the 2009 annual meeting of the Geological Society of America Oct. 18-21 in Portland, Ore. They are co-authors of a project, "Organic Carbon Burial and Dynamics in Prairie Pothold Lakes," with James Cottner and Leah Domine, of the University of Minnesota Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, and Shinya Sugita, of Tallinn University in Estonia. Theissen's poster session is titled "The Present is the Key to the Past: Identifying and Characterizing Isotopic Pattern and Process in Modern Ecosystems."
Dr. Martin Warren, College of Arts and Sciences (English Department), is the atuhor of an article, "Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection: Cook, Sandal-maker, Practitioner of the Presence of God," published in the journal, Himalayan Path: Journal of Yoga, Spirituality and Wellness (Vol. 9, No. 3). The article examines the commonalities between Brother Lawrence's spiritual practice and karma yoga, specifically the Eastern spiritual pratice of self-awareness (pratyabhijna). Warren also was a guest speaker Aug. 27 on a two-hour Spirit Quest Radio program, "Healing Journeys."