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President: Tuajuanda C. Jordan, PhD
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King Honored for Longtime Contributions to Archaeology February 2018 St. Mary’s College of Maryland Professor of Anthropology Julia A. King was named the 2018 recipient of the Society of Historical Archaeology’s most prestigious award in recognition of her contributions to archaeology spanning decades. Established in 1981, the J. C. Harrington Award is named in honor of Jean Carl Harrington, one of the pioneer founders of historical archaeology in North America. The award is presented once a year for lifetime contributions to the discipline centered on scholarship. “I’m still pinching myself,” King said of having received the award Jan. 5 during the society’s annual conference held this year in New Orleans, La. She was nominated by longtime colleagues and friends Patricia Samford and Ed Chaney, director and deputy director of the Maryland Archaeological Conservation (MAC) Laboratory, located at the Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum in St. Leonard, Md. Along with Samford and Chaney, 77 scholars, professionals, and current members of the SHA endorsed the nomination. King’s contributions to historical archaeology date back to the early 1980s, but her interest in the discipline, she said, goes back to when she was in grade school. Her interest developed in part due to her father’s work in excavating construction and her mother’s work and interest in history. After more than 30 years in the profession, King’s interest in archaeology remains strong. “I wake up every day excited about archaeology and discovering new things with my students,” she said. Chaney said one of the things he and Samford emphasized in the nomination letter was King’s collegiality and her willingness to share data and work with others on projects. Samford said when it comes to her collaborating with others, it’s not just archaeologists but historians, descendant communities, Native Americans, students and many others in the community. King’s major publications include “Archaeology, Landscape, and
A newsletter for the community, faculty, staff and students.
Professor of Anthropology Julia A. King is the recipient of archaeology’s most prestigious award.
the Politics of the Past: The View from Southern Maryland” (University of Tennessee Press 2012) and the co-edited “Indian and European Contact in Context: The Mid-Atlantic Region” (University Press of Florida 2004) as well as more than 25 articles in edited volumes and national and regional peer-reviewed journals. “Archaeology, Landscape, and the Politics of the Past: The View from Southern Maryland” received an Award of Merit from the American Association for State and Local History in 2013. “Pathways to History: Charles County, 1658–1958” (a co-authored volume) won the Maryland Historical Trust’s Preservation Heritage Book Award in 2009. She has also written for journal and newsletter publications and has authored many archaeological site reports. King studied anthropology at The College of William and Mary on the advice of a professor at St. Mary’s College, which, at the time in the 1970s, did not have an anthropology program. She went on to complete her master’s degree in anthropology at Florida State University, where she worked in St. Augustine. She earned a doctorate in American Civilization with a focus in historical archaeology from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Prior to teaching, King worked at the Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum as the director of the MAC Lab. King began at St. Mary’s College as an adjunct professor in 1986. She came to St. Mary’s full time in 2006 as an associate professor, becoming a full professor of anthropology in 2013.
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Community Honors the Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. The 14th Annual Southern Maryland Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast took place on Monday, Jan. 15, at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. The program included remarks from Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), College Trustee Gail Harmon, and featured a keynote address by Nandi Crosby-Jordan ’91. Two community choirs and the Spring Ridge Middle School Rhythm Club performed, as did CSM student Gershawn Mason. After the program the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.©, Nu Zeta Omega Chapter, hosted a Day of Service for students and adults of all ages.
Faculty & Staff Recognized for Years of Service to SMCM
Bruce Wilson, prof. of English, receives a gift from Shannon Jarboe, director of human reources, in honor of his 40 years of service to SMCM.
On Friday, Jan. 19, 55 faculty and staff, as well as several recent retirees, were honored at the Celebration of Faculty & Staff Service Anniversaries event held in Daugherty-Palmer Commons. The event was hosted by the Office of Human Resources and co-emceed by Charles “Chip” Jackson, vice president for business and finance, and Michael Wick, provost and dean of faculty. President Jordan gave remarks and posed for photographs with each honored group from 5 to 40 years of service.
Retirees Bob Paul, Vivian Jordan and Ray Raley pose with President Tuajuanda C. Jordan at the Service Anniversary event.
Photos from the event are on the College Flickr gallery.
Q&A: Nairem Moran, Dir. of Athletic Communications Nairem Moran ’99 returned to her alma mater and joined the ranks of the St. Mary’s College athletic staff in January 2007.
What sports did you know the most about and the least about when you came onboard? How did you learn the unfamiliar sport? When I came onboard as the sports information director, I had the most knowledge about field hockey and women’s lacrosse. I played both sports competitively for eight years, including all four years at St. Mary’s College. Sailing was the sport I knew the least about since I’ve only been sailing once with a non-sailor and I was slightly terrified. I attended regattas and asked questions of Adam Werblow and Bill Ward to familiarize myself with the vernacular and the inner workings of the sport.
What are your responsibilities as director of athletic communications? Some of my basic responsibilities are to promote the College’s varsity athletic teams and attend to the athletic department’s social media platforms and website. A typical non-game day features answering emails, making preparations for the week’s contests, attending impromptu and scheduled meetings, interacting with studentathletes, etc. How did you go from biology major to a career in sports information? At the start of my sophomore year, I began working in the sports information office as a student assistant and retained the position for the remainder of my college career. Graduation came and went and I found myself applying to both jobs in the biology field as well as in sports information. I received the opportunity in early August of 1999 to be a sports information intern at Middlebury College in Vermont and jumped at it. Ironically, a week after starting at Middlebury, Chesapeake Biological Laboratories in Solomons called with an offer but I stayed committed to Middlebury and the rest is history. If you could choose the 20th varsity sport for SMCM, what would it be?
What is the most complex sport to report on? I don’t know if complex is the right word but I find basketball to be the toughest sport to report on because it’s hard for me sometimes to find that key turning point in the game. I don’t want to overdo it in the story but I also don’t want to leave out an important element of the game.
It would be a toss-up between miniature golf and disc golf. Puttputt would be for selfish reasons because I love playing it. On the other hand, disc golf would have a strong tie-in to the College’s culture of playing Frisbee golf. Disc golf is a flying disc sport in which players throw a disc at a target, and is played using rules similar to regular golf. It is often played on a course of 9 or 18 holes, but other formats are common too.
What’s Happening in Sports Juwan Kearson ’19 garnered a coveted spot on the 2017 United Soccer Coaches (USC) NCAA Division III All-America Teams as announced by the organization the eve of the 2017 NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championship Tournament semifinals in Greensboro, N.C. Kearson, who was one of 46 men’s players to be recognized. In doing so, he becomes the first-ever All-American for the Seahawk men’s soccer program. The NCAA Division III All-Americans were formally
Juwan Kearson ‘19 is acknowledged Jan. 20 at the United Soccer Coaches a 2017 United Soccer All-America Luncheon at the Pennsylvania Convention Coaches NCAA Div. III Center in downtown Philadelphia. All-American.
Nicholas Tait ‘17, signed a rookie professional contract with the Baltimore Blast of the Eastern Division of the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL).
Nicholas Tait ‘17 signed with the Baltimore Blast.
Tait was an environmental studies major and double minored in history and Spanish. He left his mark all over the St. Mary’s men’s soccer record book having completed his career fourth all-time in game-winning goals (9) and fifth in points (88), goals (33), and assists (22). He is tied for first in games played (74), games started (73), and left SMCM as the record holder in minutes played with 5,715.
Students Network at Bookbag to Briefcase Reception About 100 students, alumni and community members came together for a reception Saturday, Jan. 13 for a portion of the annual Bookbag to Briefcase program hosted by the Career Development Center in partnership with Alumni Relations. During the reception, student participants had an opportunity to meet with professional men and women, many of which are graduates of St. Mary’s College, and discuss work life outside of SMCM. Bookbag to Briefcase was reimagined this year, moving away from a three-day conference format to a year-long program that provides TED Talk-style workshops, alumni panel
Kelsey Bush ’94 shares career advice with current students during the Bookbag to Briefcase reception.
discussions, and networking opportunities that are open to all students. The program also provides professional development discussions on topics including financial literacy, personal budgeting and establishing credit, understanding insurance policy language, and steps to job success. The Career Development Center also oversaw 85 student microinternships (job shadowing) during the winter break, up from 60 last year.
State of the College Address: We are Public Servants President Tuajuanda C. Jordan delivered her State of the College address on Jan. 19 to a full house in Auerbach Auditorium of St. Mary’s Hall. She closed thusly: “I believe very strongly that, as a public institution, we are public servants. Our mission is to provide an excellent education that is accessible and affordable. In my view, the experiences we provide should also be impactful and transformative. We are working very hard to continue to provide an excellent education that is
relevant in today’s world. As public servants, we must always remain cognizant of our responsibilities to educate and provide resources to those beyond our campus. Our greatest resource is our students. They represent the future and are the means by which we can create a more just and humane society for all. Let us do what is necessary to ensure that that which we believe to be the best way forward, is available to, and required of, all students. Let us continue our steady progress in developing and implementing Honors College 2.0.”
Kudos to... Ayse Ikizler ’07 (asst. prof. of psychology) is co-author of “Discrimination, religious, and cultural factors, and Middle Eastern/Arab Americans’ psychological distress,” in the Journal of Clinical Psychology. Louis Hicks (prof. of sociology) had his recent book, “The Civilian Lives of U.S. Veterans: Issues and Identities,” honored by Choice Reviews as an Outstanding Academic Title of 2017. David Kung and Susan Goldstine (profs. of mathematics) presented during the National Museum of Mathematics’ Math Encounters, a free public presentation series celebrating mathematics. Kung discussed “Mind-Bending Paradoxes & the Possibility of Changing Your Mind” in January; Goldstein presents “The Fabric of Symmetry: Connecting Mathematics and Fiber Arts” in February. Laine Doggett (prof. of French) presented “Cultivating Habits of Mind in a Course on Medieval and Early Modern Learning” at the Southeastern Medieval Assoc. conference in Charleston, S.C. in November.
Angela Johnson (prof. of educational studies) is part of a National Science Foundation funded multi-instutional study of women of color students who are thriving in STEM departments at predominantly white institutions. She was published in the Physics Teacher by the American Association of Teachers about challenges that women of color face. F.J. Talley (dir. of the DeSousa-Brent Scholars Program) has a second career as a mystery writer. In 2017, he published two books: “Take Hart: A Stephanie Hart Novel”and “Twin Worlds.” A third book, “Diaspora,” is set to print in 2018. José Ballesteros (prof. of Spanish and Steven Muller Distinguished Prof. of the Arts) published “Knocking on the Door of the White House,” an anthology of Latinx poetry. The Beltway Poetry Journal ranked it in its Top 4 Anthologies of 2017. Katie Gantz (prof. of French and assoc. dean of faculty) was an invited speaker at the conference “From Crisis Management to Innovation: Reimagining the Role of World Languages in the 21st Century.” The title of her talk: “Speaking Fluent Admin: Communicating the Value of World Languages in Times of Institutional Change.”