Faculty Almanac
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When Worlds Collide
Economics and philosophy seem, at first blush, to be
at opposite ends of the academic spectrum — one focused
on the concrete world of figures and percentages, the other
on the ephemeral world of theory and concept.
For students enrolled thissemester in a new class called "The Economics and Ethics of Gender in the Developing World," however, the disciplines merge to offer a perspective of the world never before viewed from Alcalá Park.
"We're
looking at the impact gender has had on third-world nations,
and asking if women are being left behind relative to men,"
says economics Professor Denise Dimon, who co-created and
team-teaches the class with philosophy Professor Harriet Baber.
"Then we're going a step further, and asking, if they
are, is it morally acceptable?"
Dimon says these topics have been addressed in developed nations, but the issues for the third world are startlingly different and more complex.
"There are access issues in developing nations that we take for granted — access to education and health care, the right to own property," she says. "We need to understand those kinds of things to understand how women are affected by the development process."
Although the class is in itsinfancy, Dimon was encouraged by the initial meetings.
"About a third of the class is male," she says. "That's encouraging, because while we focus on women, we are trying to explore universal issues that affect everyone. This class is not just for women."
The Ultimate Road Trip
It's one thing to tell students about Columbus sailing the
ocean blue. It's quite another to have them stand in the chapel
where the explorer prayed for a safe voyage, and to show them
the box of New World soil he brought back for Queen Isabella.
History came alive for 19 students who accompanied Arts and Sciences Dean Patrick Drinan and history Professor Iris Engstrand on a two-week tour of Spain in January. The "Reign in Spain" intersession class covered the Roman era through contemporary Spanish politics, and was taught in "classrooms" including Alcalá de Hernares, the infirmary where San Diego de Alcalá served, museums in Madrid and, of course, the University of Alcalá, USD's sister institution.
"It
was strange being there, because it really does look like
USD," says Ann Cimmarusti (far left), a junior
communication studies major. "The whole trip was amazing
to me because I'm a very visual learner, and to actually see
those places helped me better understand the things we covered
in the lectures."
The trip was hardly a vacation - students were required to attend lectures, write essays and keep a journal of their experiences. Engstrand says the voyage was the first of its kind for USD. Judging from the response she received from students, and from 10 alumni an friends who also made the journey, it won't be the last.
"It was wonderful to see curiosity in the eyes of the students," Engstrand says. "They really reacted to the sights and sounds of being there. We already have requests for next time."
New Design for Fine
Arts
Selami Can Bilsel knew USD was different from the beginning.
His interview for a position in the fine arts department,
unlike every other academic interview he experienced, was
not conducted in the sterile confines of a conference room.
Instead, professors Sally Yard and David Smith sat Bilsel
down in Colachis Plaza, in the center of campus, and traded
views on how to create a new vision for the department.
"That was a determining moment for me," says Bilsel, an assistant professor who specializes in architecture as public art. "I knew right away this was a collegial environment. I was very intrigued by the things they were saying, and had the feeling they were interested in what I had to say as well."
Smith,
Yard and Bilsel form the foundation for an added dimension
in USD fine arts, a new curriculum that will examine the role
of public art and how social spaces and physical spaces are
used in society. Bilsel (right), who trained as an
architect in his native Turkey, earned a master's degree in
architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
He was pursuing a doctorate from Princeton University and
working as a Getty Fellow in Los Angeles when the USD opening
caught his attention.
"I'm interested in architecture as public
art," Bilsel says, "and with David's background
as a sculptor and Sally's in art history, we're working to
create a unique academic approach to examining what the things
we build say about us. I don't know of anything quite like
it."