Three CAS editors of scholarly journals joined editors from other ISU colleges on March 28 in a panel discussion entitled “Writing for Publication,” sponsored by Research and Sponsored Programs. Participating were Clifford Dykstra (Chemistry), editor of the Journal of Molecular Structure, T.Y. Wang (Politics and Government), editor of the Journal of Asian and African Studies, and Lynn Worsham (English), editor of JAC, an interdisciplinary journal of rhetoric, writing and politics. The panelists, all highly successful in writing for publication and in shaping the literature in their fields, discussed how to increase the chances of getting scholarship accepted in top-tier journals. The session was moderated by Scott Sakaluk, Director of RSP and Distinguished Professor in Biological Sciences, who also edits the journal, Ethology. Click Read More for more photos.

 

James M. Skibo, Professor of Anthropology, provides a comprehensive discussion of Behavioral Archaeology in his new book, People and Things: A Behavioral Approach to Material Culture. The core of archaeology is the relationship between people and things. Left without informants and in many cases textual data, archaeologists strive to reconstruct past life through the window of artifacts: things made, used, and modified by individuals while participating in the activities of everyday life. According to behavioral archaeologists, our ability to understand the relationship between people and things in the present is the foundation for archaeological reconstruction of the past. With co-author Michael Schiffer, Skibo demonstrates the ability of this theoretical approach to illuminate the archaeological record through its application in six diverse case studies, ranging from prehistoric North American ball courts and smudge pits to nineteenth century electromagnectic telegraph technologies. This is Skibo’s eighth book on archaeological theory and method. Click Read More for more photos.

This spring, the College office is continuing to hear from various constituencies as it hosts forums for administrative-professionals, civil service employees, instructional faculty, and tenure-line faculty. The forums were created to open up lines of communication and as a means to draw on the collective wisdom of faculty and staff to discover ways to help the College operate more effectively and efficiently. The administrative-professional forum was held on March 27, followed by the civil service forum on April 3. A forum for faculty is scheduled for April 8. Click Read More for more photos.

Marion C. Willetts, Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, received her Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Florida in 1997. A prolific researcher and writer, Willetts is the author of numerous publications. She has published in journals such as the Journal of Marriage and Family, Journal of Family Issues, Journal of Divorce and Remarriage, Sex Roles, and Research on Aging, in addition to publishing several book chapters and encyclopedia entries.  She is a 2004 recipient of the Outstanding Sociology Teacher of the Year from the Student Education Association and a 2005 recipient of the College Teaching Initiative Award from the College of Arts and Sciences. She also has received numerous research grants from ISU, including a New Faculty Initiative Grant, a Pre-Tenure Faculty Initiative Grant, a Research Enhancement Award, and a Summer Faculty Fellowship.