Tulane School of Liberal Arts Magazine 2019: The Global Issue by Tulane University

TULANE SCHOOL OF

liberal arts MAGAZINE

THE GLOBAL ISSUE

SPRING 2019

A School of Liberal Arts student enjoys Tel Aviv as part of the Stacy Mandel Palagye and Keith Palagye Program for Middle East Peace. Photo by Peri Levine (SLA â&#x20AC;&#x2122;19).

FROM THE EDITORS For the past ten years, the School of Liberal Arts has kept our students, faculty, alumni, donors, and curious followers up to date on the happenings on Tulane University’s uptown campus and beyond through our digital newsletters and our annual review, Reflections. Now, we’re welcoming a new format for our print publication that focuses on in-depth coverage of our students and faculty to give you a broader perspective of the many aspects of what a liberal arts education looks like at Tulane.

Editorial Directors Brian T. Edwards Nicole Westerfield Writer, Editor Emily Wilkerson Contributors Gabriella Burns Mary Clark Brian T. Edwards Nora Lustig Riley Moran Monica Payne

The first issue of our biannual Tulane School of Liberal Arts Magazine, “The Global Issue,” focuses on both how the school imparts a global liberal arts education and how we teach a generation that has never known the absence of technology. Through a truly interdisciplinary approach across departments and programs, the liberal arts at Tulane has embraced the advances of the 21st century through research that impacts the world, while at the same time educates students to meaningfully engage with each other across the globe.

Art Director, Photography (unless otherwise noted) Arielle Pentes

This new magazine focuses on the school’s approach to larger questions and issues in the social sciences and humanities, faculty research and teaching methodologies, and student service and creative endeavors, exploring and celebrating the broader definition of a liberal arts education. We recognize the need to navigate the ever-evolving, technologically driven world, while at the same time imparting growth through traditional and nontraditional avenues. Whether offering curricula dedicated to understanding diverse cultures, perspectives, and peoples, or focusing on immersive language learning and study abroad, we keep the core of a liberal arts education at the forefront: learning to effectively write, communicate, and analyze. In doing so, our students gain a greater understanding of the local and global communities we participate in, and are able to draw more tangible connections in an increasingly virtual world.

Dean Brian T. Edwards

We hope you enjoy the inaugural issue of Tulane School of Liberal Arts Magazine and welcome your feedback. About the Cover Philosopher, author, educator, and inventor Buckminster Fuller designed a way to display the world all at once with the most accurate proportions through the Dymaxion Map. In Fuller’s words, “the Dymaxion Map reveals a One-World Island in a One-World Ocean,” prompting us to consider our shared resources, ideologies, and concerns, although they may differ slightly from one place to another. 2

Tulane School of Liberal Arts Magazine Issue 1, Spring 2019

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Graphic Designer Katrina Andry Tulane School of Liberal Arts Leadership

Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs Holly Flora Associate Dean of Graduate Programs, Grants, and Research Kevin Fox Gotham Associate Dean for Academic Initiatives and Curriculum Vicki Mayer The Tulane School of Liberal Arts Magazine is a biannual magazine published by the School of Liberal Arts Dean’s Office, 102 Newcomb Hall, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70118. Please send all magazine correspondence to the address above or libarts@tulane.edu. Material may only be reprinted with permission. To support the School of Liberal Arts, contact Kassie Cosgrove, Director of Development, at kcosgrove@tulane.edu.

TULANE SCHOOL OF

liberal arts

The Global Issue

MAGAZINE

SPRING 2019

GLOBAL EDUCATION FOR GENERATION Z

COMMITMENT TO EQUITY

CULTIVATING CHANGE

STUDY ABROAD

Nora Lustig explores how taxes and transfers can create more equitable societies, from Ethiopia to Argentina and Indonesia.

Tulane’s new complementary curriculum requirements incorporate diversity and inclusion, broadening students’ perspectives.

Dean Edwards examines how technology, travel, and trends are shaping new approaches to language learning.

4 LEARNING MORE THAN A LANGUAGE Liberal arts faculty teach more than how to read, write, and speak a new language.

A liberal arts experience in essence, studying abroad equips students with opportunities to learn more about themselves and the world around them.

Also In This Issue 8 �� ENGAGED SCHOLARSHIP 21 �� WHY TULANE? 26 �� FULBRIGHT AWARDS 28 �� DESTINATION NEW ORLEANS 30 �� MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE 34 �� PHILOSOPHY 36 �� BEYOND THE CLASSROOM 38 �� SACRED SPACE 40 �� A SHORT STORY

SPRING 2019

Professor of Portuguese Megwen Loveless (middle) and students at the “PORtrait of Brazil” event in October 2018, culminating Tulane’s International Education Week.

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LEARNING MORE THAN A LANGUAGE I

n the School of Liberal Arts, a dozen languages are offered across various disciplines and programs. From Spanish and Arabic, to Vietnamese and Swahili, the types of languages range from those spoken widely across the globe to regional and even dormant languages. Faculty throughout the school are exploring not only what it means to teach a language that students can speak, write, and hear, but they are also interrogating the implications of learning a language other than the ones students grew up speaking.

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Learning languages other than the one we are taught from birth provides a greater perspective of the world around us. Many argue that learning a second or third language prepares students for conversations that cross geographic and social boundaries, and makes space for them to learn more about themselves as they learn about others. Some languages require the student to adapt to a new organizational structure vastly different from how she or he may have written or read a sentence in their native tongue, while others require an even greater understanding of a history and culture. For students beginning their education at Tulane in 2018, a revised core curriculum requires proficiency in a second language to support the university’s goal to prepare the students for a Global education global world. So how does learning a encourages new language contribute to the idea students to of a global education? learn more Professor of Arabic Bouchaib than just language Gadir believes “a global education as language, continues to subsist outside of the but instead as classroom as a means of assimilating an experience culture and humanity to make embedded in the world a better place. Global culture. education encourages students to learn more than just language as language, but instead as an experience embedded in culture. Learning a language is acquiring a new identity, which allows students to better understand the world.” From learning about food, music, and everyday life, to creating dictionaries for sleeping languages, how professors and scholars across the School of Liberal Arts approach teaching varies widely, but each embraces the discipline with their own remarkable methodology.

SCAFFOLDING As an anthropologist and ethnographer, Megwen Loveless, a School of Liberal Arts professor of Portuguese, is dedicated to bringing culture into the classroom.

Oxlajuj Aj, Tulane’s Summer Kaqchikel course in Guatemala, learns to play the Maya ballgame, chajchaay. Photo provided by Judith Maxwell.

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Tulane students enrolled in Loveless’ Portuguese classes participate in a Telecollaboration program during which her students speak one-on-one with students in Brazil via Skype for an hour each week, beginning as early as the first week of class. Spending thirty minutes speaking in Portuguese and thirty minutes in English, the students utilize new and established vocabulary to talk about everything from food to what they’re watching on Netflix. As Loveless explains, “what they end up learning is that a day-to-day lifestyle in Brazil is not actually all that different from here; instead, they learn about nuances of culture that you might not learn otherwise.” Telecollaboration is just one way Loveless employs a scaffolding methodology and the “i + 1” method in her Portuguese classes. “While you start at ground zero,” she says, “you slowly build on vocabulary and grammar, but always push the students just a bit further than they might be comfortable.” For example, while the English-speaking students prepare a short biography to introduce themselves to the Brazilian students via Skype, they usually are left with another fifteen minutes to fill with conversation in Portuguese. The students begin engaging with YouTube, Google Translate, and a variety of other online tools and resources to keep the conversation going as they practice speaking in Portuguese and English while learning more about each other’s culture. Loveless also plays a song in Portuguese each day in class to give the students an opportunity to learn about music while practicing their vocabulary and conjugations. To try and break down more boundaries within the teacherstudent relationship and to engage more native-Portuguese speakers in the region, she also organizes events in the afternoons called Baté Papo, during which individuals share Brazilian desserts and speak casually. “The first thing I tell students is that we are not going to learn how to speak, we are going to speak to learn,” said Loveless.

TOTAL IMMERSION Judith Maxwell, a professor in the Department of Anthropology who teaches indigenous languages such as Tunica and Kaqchikel, spoken in Louisiana and Guatemala, respectively, practices total immersion in the classroom and in the community. Similar to Loveless’ scaffolding approach, Maxwell uses tools like storytelling in her total immersion methodology to build the students’ vocabulary in a new language. For example, when she works with young people in the Tunica-Biloxi Tribe in

southern Louisiana—the majority of whom do not know the indigenous language—she begins by telling a story in the Tunica language. Then, she and her team ask a series of questions in Tunica to see that the students understand what they’re saying through non-verbal responses or body language. Next, they move on to yes/no questions for the students, and eventually ask questions that require them to answer with existing vocabulary, then new vocabulary. In essence, the student hears the language five times before they are asked to speak it. Guatemala’s Universidad Rafael Landívar and Maya Wuj—a publishing house run by Kaqchikel entrepreneurs—have published Maxwell’s immersion teaching methodology, and she also teaches it to her students and other language teachers. Because of her work with students at Tulane and in the TunicaBiloxi community, the Tunica language, which was once a “sleeping language,” is now registered as “reawakening” by the language database Ethnologue. Between 1948 and 2010 the Tunica language had no recorded speakers; however, today, 85 tribal members and 52 affiliates speak Tunica. Maxwell’s scholarship and teaching also delves into the important work of understanding the relationship between language, power, and identity. In her course “Language Death and Revitalization,” Maxwell begins by “talking about the pressures that have led to the disappearances of languages and the kinds of consequences for heritage communities and the wider world communities.” Students study languages that the UNESCO, WorldCat, and Ethnologue databases rate as vulnerable or below on the endangerment scale, researching the language’s writing and speaking system, the communities in which the language is used, and what is being done to strengthen and save the language. For her work in Tunica, this also means reviving important cultural and historical practices such as the game of stickball and basket weaving techniques, as well as developing the language and vocabulary used for those activities. Similarly, Maxwell’s class works with the youth to build new vocabulary that wasn’t needed before the language began to fade. Students create words for computers and technology and get credited in their everevolving dictionary. As Maxwell states, “it’s important to see language beyond being purely instrumental. Learning more languages widens horizons. Doing so requires a shift in your basic intellectual mechanisms because you gain a different idea of what constitutes truth, a different idea of how reasoning takes place, a different idea of how the world is broken up into pieces, and a different idea of how people interact with the world and each other.”

COMMUNICATION-ORIENTED For Gadir, an all-inclusive approach allows students to gain a more holistic understanding of a language rather than learning one component of a language at a time. As Gadir describes, “unlike the traditional method in teaching language, which teaches the grammar of the target language in segments and blocks, my method seeks to teach the language as a ‘whole,’ developing A sleeping language four skills simultaneously in is one that no longer students—listening, speaking, has native speakers, reading, and writing.” but still has a heritage Communication-oriented community that identifies teaching allows him to with the language and the focus on the teacher-student culture it encodes. relationship and adjust his syllabus throughout the semester to meet students’ needs. Gadir teaches functional Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) in which he presents grammar through context, using supportive materials such as short stories, advertisements, newspaper articles, and inviting native speakers to class. Gadir often screens films for his students as a tool for them to engage with important historical, cultural, and political issues. By tying language to Arabic culture, he aims for each student to gain an understanding of the customs, forms of address, hospitality, table manners, dress code, ceremonies such as marriage, Arabic music, and Islamic holidays such as Ramadan. “The advantage of this is that it shows how religiously plural the Arab world is,” Gadir explains. Whether through films, storytelling, or Skype, Gadir, Maxwell, and Loveless each offer teaching methodologies that ask liberal arts students to broaden their approach to learning a new language. A global education—or, as Loveless would say, an education—“is all about opening doors and opening minds. We have to keep working to open these doors to become responsible citizens in this globalized world, and I think the only way past our current moment of tension is to learn more and increase our ability to communicate across barriers.” – Emily Wilkerson

SPRING 2019

FROM NEW ORLEANS TO NIGERIA: ENGAGED SCHOLARSHIP W

hen Taofeeq Adebayo, a doctoral candidate in the School of Liberal Arts’ linguistics program, graduated high school, he planned to study mass communication and pursue a career like popular Nigerian radio show host Gbenga Adeboye. However, one event led to another, and Adebayo found himself back in his home country of Nigeria last fall teaching science to seventh graders. Adebayo’s draw to mass communication evolved into studies of English, which sparked his interest in the systematic ways that languages are organized. “Reading works of Noam Chomsky, M.A.K. Halliday, and many others assured me that I did not want to study English to become a journalist or a radio show host. I wanted to contribute to our understanding of human language and how that knowledge can be used to improve the human condition and communities around us,” Adebayo explained. Making science more accessible to intermediate students is just how Adebayo is making this connection. Just over a year ago, Adebayo connected with four 8

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individuals specializing in linguistics, physics, chemistry, and microbiology to begin a new project. Together, the team of five translated old and new science textbooks from English to the native Nigerian Yoruba language over the course of eight months. And from November 2018 through this March, Adebayo and his team taught from the translated book in Oyo State, Nigeria, and gathered feedback from local teachers. Soon, the team will contract three teachers from the region to give additional feedback on the translation and teaching methods to make further adjustments. Their goal is to provide a clear, comprehensive science text written in both Yoruba and English.

Ph.D. student in linguistics and Mellon Fellow Taofeeq Adebayo (right) with Mellon Fellow Janan Jayawickramarajah (left), a professor in chemistry. Photo by Sally Asher.

Although Adebayo specializes in linguistics, his appreciation for technology has contributed greatly to his work today. “I’ve always loved science and technology, and especially how the knowledge we have gained from both fields has made our lives better than they were 100 years ago. However, Africa’s contribution to this modern advancement is relatively little, and one of the factors I think is responsible for that is language.” While many languages and dialects are spoken throughout Africa, most of the individuals studying science at the intermediate level grapple with a language barrier since the textbooks provided are often written in English. Since the introduction of the new textbook, students have been more excited to sit in their basic science class and participate in class discussions. Adebayo’s team found another way that the project is benefiting the students—helping them distinguish between “folk science” and “science.” For example, they’ve spent some time speaking with locals about chemicals, which are often referred to and treated as harmful in their communities. The team also works together to look for terms that the students are familiar with to avoid obscurity and misunderstandings in the translation. As Adebayo describes, “Yoruba is an extremely descriptive language which allows you to pack the meaning of a whole sentence into a single word. I wanted to For example, to translate ‘nutrition,’ contribute to our we adopted the term ìfońjėsaralóore, understanding of meaning ‘use of food to benefit human language the body.’” To further the students’ and how that opportunity to learn science and knowledge can be advance the field of technology in used to improve the Nigeria, Adebayo and his colleagues human condition will pursue funding to make this basic and communities science textbook available for free across the region. around us. Adebayo’s research and work are supported in part by the Mellon Graduate Program in Community-Engaged Scholarship, an initiative of Tulane’s Office of the Provost and School of Liberal Arts that was launched in 2017. Drawn to the linguistics program in the School of Liberal Arts for its flexibility, Adebayo began pursuing his doctorate

in 2016. While many other programs exist around the country and world, the interdisciplinarity of the Liberal Arts program allowed Adebayo to approach his scholarship in a meaningful way. “I work in theoretical linguistics while at the same time study the social dimensions that inform the use of language. And at Tulane, I have been able to create a synergy between being a formalist and functionalist linguist.” – Emily Wilkerson

MELLON GRADUATE PROGRAM The Mellon Graduate Program in CommunityEngaged Scholarship is an initiative of Tulane’s Office of the Provost and School of Liberal Arts. The program was launched in 2017 in conjunction with a 1.5-million-dollar grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Through the “Transforming Graduate Education through Engaging the Community” grant, Tulane builds on its strength as a campus rich in community-engaged faculty from a wide range of departments, as well as its strength as an institution with over six hundred established community partnerships in New Orleans and around the globe. Each year, 12 fellows are selected from incoming and current graduate students in the humanities and arts to participate in the Mellon Graduate Program. Throughout the program, Mellon Fellows work closely with four faculty members and four community leaders for two years on new scholarship that includes special coursework and projects in communityengaged scholarship. These projects resonate with graduate students’ personal and scholarly interests and are grounded in a sustained collaboration with a community partner. Fellows are provided a stipend and budget for their projects that includes compensation for community partners, additional mentors, travel, and supplies. SPRING 2019

GLOBAL EDUCATION FOR GENERATION Z By Brian T. Edwards

Dean, School of Liberal Arts Professor, Department of English

El Parque del Buen Retiro in Madrid, Spain.

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ast March, I was in Madrid. There had been storms, but now the weather was clear, so I walked over to one of my favorite places: el Parque del Buen Retiro. Arriving at an entrance, I found the gate locked. An announcement was posted: “Debido a las consequencias de las condiciones meterológicas y la urgencia de reparación e inspección del arbolado los jardines del Buen Retiro permanecerán cerrados. Sentimos las molestias.” You can imagine my disappointment. To my side were two college-aged students, speaking to each other in American-accented English. One aimed an iPhone at the sign. I glanced over at the screen, and what I saw amazed me. The display showed the gate, the sign, and the words. But the announcement was no longer in Spanish; it was magically transformed into English. “What is that?” I gasped. And that is when I was introduced to the optical function on Google Translate. For Generation Z, international travel and language learning operate in a profoundly different framework than for those educated before the digital age. Multiple histories intersected at the gate of Retiro Park, reframing the question of what a global education looks like as the second decade of the twenty-first century comes to a close. New technologies have collapsed distances between continents; translation machines

have erased some of the foreignness of foreign travel. The American students at the Retiro didn’t need to have Spanish proficiency to understand that winds had forced the park to close for urgent tree pruning. Many of us who lived abroad during the analog period wax nostalgic about the experience of dislocation we experienced, and wonder whether that sentiment has gone the way of the cabin payphone and the pocket dictionary. Homesickness is softened by Skype—family, friends, and advisors are merely a WiFi connection away. Yet even as technology appears to be flattening the world and screening out linguistic and cultural differences, global misunderstanding is on the rise. According to the Pew Research Center, international opinions of the United States are plummeting.

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In the past two years, our international standing has degraded further, exacerbating a downward trend. What’s worse, international audiences increasingly view the U.S. as a menace: 45 percent of respondents from 22 different countries now view “American power and influence” as a major global threat. Paradoxically, study abroad has never been more popular. According to the Open Doors 2018 report, 16% of students currently earning bachelor’s degrees in the U.S. will study outside the country during their undergraduate years. A 2014 survey of U.S. business executives found a “continuing need for international business education in the U.S., with increased emphasis on intercultural communication, foreign language skills and international experience.” As the lack of a pipeline of graduates with international skills and competencies becomes more pronounced, the climate for global understanding has gotten worse. In his new book Us vs. Them, Eurasia Group founder and Tulane graduate Ian Bremmer (A&S ’89) notes that the failures of globalism—the “belief in universal interdependence and international exchange that seemed to provide paths to prosperity”—have led to a widespread retrenchment, resulting in various forms of protectionism that provincialize citizens and societies. This isolationism runs counter to the utopian aspirations of the digital age. In 2011, when Facebook was being given credit for the Arab Spring and when young Egyptian Google executive Wael Ghonim was a candidate for a Nobel Prize, the promise of open access to the world’s information and the global expansion of social networks seemed to portend a different future. As the power of the digital has rapidly grown, however, the idea that intimate knowledge of different cultures and languages is valuable is harder to sell to many students, as it seems everything can be translated by a machine. The pressures on language learning are massive, and enrollments continue to drop sharply. In 2018, the Modern Language Association reported that college enrollments in world languages had fallen 9.2% between 2013 and 2016, following a similar decline over the previous four years. In the face of machine translation, many students ask, why would one put in the hundreds—or thousands—of hours necessary to learn another language? When you can study in Jordan, Paris, or the Czech Republic without learning Arabic, French, or Czech, and make your way 12

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around the streets of the tourist districts of the world using only English, why bother at all? Despite the 350 languages currently spoken in the U.S. (about 150 of them indigenous), a creeping monolingualism is taking over. What can we do about it? How might a global education for the digital age, tailored to the new generation, address needs in the workplace and the international sphere at once? I propose three pillars, all goals for the School of Liberal Arts: More attention to the transition between high school and college for language learners, and more options for students to develop advanced language skills in college—an embrace of language learning across the K-16 spectrum. A commitment to study abroad experiences that privilege immersion, with an emphasis on using as much target language as possible through home stays, studying in authentic language environments, and enrolling in courses at foreign universities. Expanded curricula that examine diverse international histories and societies, activate second language learning, and seek global competency, which I define as an understanding of the multiplicity, independence, and inter-dependence of peoples and cultures, both when they do and do not intersect with the U.S. Students and parents alike ask me frequently: Which language should I (my child) study? Where should I study abroad? What histories and societies should we learn about? I say: whatever interests you! Follow your interest and your passion, whether it be Ancient Greek or American Sign Language (ASL), Swahili or Brazilian Portuguese. College is the time to try a new language, or go further with the one you learned before you got there. For most Tulane students, learning a second language was a core course in high school, but it often drops off once they satisfy our language requirement, as if French, Spanish, or Latin was merely an entrance ticket to be discarded. But college is the time when students who have worked years to gain skills in a second language can finally start to do interesting things with them—study German or Italian film, follow Latin American media, use Frenchlanguage archives, engage with Russian peers. Or start one of the many languages we offer, from languages with massive numbers of speakers like Arabic and Mandarin

Chinese, to those of the Gulf South region, including Haitian Creole and the indigenous Tunica language. As we enter the century’s third decade, it’s time to ask anew what a global liberal arts education should look like. What values should we focus on—our universal similarity or the differences between peoples and societies? Most current definitions of global education focus on the common bonds that unite us. In the era of climate change, global health, and digital media, such interconnectedness is surely our reality. But there’s also value in appreciating disjuncture. Translation machinery may make it harder to recognize the differences in cultural systems around the globe. As inequalities across the world are exacerbated, and the U.S. takes an increasingly isolationist stance, what benefit is there in smoothing over the disparities and distinctions? One of the traditional justifications for a liberal arts education was that it prepares you to think, to be a solid citizen, and teaches you how to learn. As we update those learning objectives for the 21st century, let’s specify that by embracing a second language, students gain the opportunity to think in another system. Learn how to form vocabulary from the ten forms of a trilateral Arabic root or how to express yourself in the pluperfect subjunctive of Spanish or to employ politeness levels in Japanese, and you are not only building massive amounts of synapses but understanding systems of life and thought. Study abroad—fully embrace another culture, society, language, and mores. The productive sense of dislocation is itself the education. And compare other literatures and cultures against those of the U.S. in course work that puts

that which might otherwise seem “natural” in relief. One of my favorite words in French is “décalage,” which means both a gap in space and a disjuncture in experience. It’s the French word for “jet lag” too, that disorienting sensation of your mind being somehow out of sync with your present location. Recalling the scene that transpired outside Retiro Park, I did an experiment. I translated the first sentence of the previous paragraph into French, and then aimed my iPhone back at the screen. Google did fine until it got to the last word, “décalage.” It flickered back and forth between “shifting” and “gap,” as if Google wanted a hint from me how to render a word that can mean jet lag or shift or gap. How perfect an analogue for the shifting gaps in our global education today. At Tulane—located in an historic port city layered with a palimpsest of languages and national and ethnic traditions—we have the opportunity to explore those gaps and embrace a truly global education for the next generation. Brian T. Edwards is dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Professor of English at Tulane. His most recent book is After the American Century: The Ends of U.S. Culture in the Middle East (Columbia, 2016). In 2016-17, he served on the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Commission on Language Learning, charged by a bipartisan group in Congress to examine the state of language education in the U.S.

Digital tools such as Google Translate allow travelers to translate signs from one language to another in real time.

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Rocinha favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo by chensiyuan / cc BY.

COMMITMENT TO EQUITY: A TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECT By Nora Lustig

Samuel Z. Stone Professor of Latin American Economics Department of Economics

o many readers, taxes may seem a boring subject. However, taxes are a key instrument to combat poverty and inequity. In fact, the main sources for funding transfers, such as food stamps in the U.S., are taxes. In equitable societies, the combination of taxes and transfers, also known as fiscal policy, can increase access to education and healthcare, and can reduce inequality and poverty substantially.

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extremely difficult. This has fundamentally changed since Given its importance, my research in the past decade we launched CEQ. Initially focused on Latin America, has concentrated on assessing fiscal policy’s impact on the project began with pilot studies in Argentina, Brazil, inequality and poverty. As part of this effort, I launched Peru, and Uruguay. With the generous support of the the Commitment to Equity (CEQ) project at the InterBMGF, which has awarded CEQ $5.5 million in grants American Dialogue, a Washington-based think tank, since 2013, and fruitful partnerships, we have been able in 2008. When I joined Tulane in 2009, I brought the to study and analyze countries in all regions of the world project with me. With the invaluable input from Tulane’s (see graph). Center for Inter-American Policy and Research and the Today, the World Bank has mainstreamed our tool Department of Economics; generous support from the Bill and uses it in policy dialogues and lending operations & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMFG); and collaboration in more than 50 countries. Additionally, the CEQI from our partner organizations, the Center for Global collaborates with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Development and the Dialogue, CEQ’s scope expanded to assess the distributive impact of policy alternatives in significantly. In 2015, I founded the Commitment to their programs, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, and Equity Institute (CEQI). With more than one hundred also works with the Inter-American Development researchers throughout the world, the CEQI works to Bank, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation reduce inequality and poverty through comprehensive and and Development (OECD), and rigorous fiscal incidence analysis and active the United Nations International engagement with the policy community. Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). Rooted in the field of public finance, In order to reach the public more broadly, the fiscal incidence analysis is designed institute has partnered with Oxfam, which to measure who uses CEQ results to support their mission bears the burden to foster a more equitable world. This of taxes and who In many countries, remarkable expansion in country coverage receives the benefits Nora Lustig. Photo by the poor are made was often demand-driven. For example, of government Paula Burch-Celentano. poorer by fiscal after presenting results for Latin American spending, and policy. countries at an event in Washington in in particular, of 2013, an officer from the Indonesian Ministry of Finance social spending. The difference approached the World Bank and requested help to in inequality before taxes and implement such an analysis in his country. This gave rise to transfers and inequality after them joint projects in multiple countries with the World Bank, indicates the redistributive effort of including, of course, Indonesia. a particular country. In the U.S., for One of the key findings of our research is that although instance, taxes and transfers decrease inequality by about a fiscal systems reduce inequality—albeit little in most quarter, while in Guatemala they only decrease inequality developing countries—in many countries, the poor are by five percent. To make the fiscal incidence analysis made poorer by fiscal policy. The results indicate that, on methodology as widely accessible as possible, in 2018 we average, the poor in Armenia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, published the Commitment to Equity Handbook: Estimating Nicaragua, Tanzania, and Uganda pay more in taxes than the Impact of Fiscal Policy on Inequality and Poverty, a they receive in support. In Ethiopia, this unpalatable result multi-author manual that presents a step-by-step guide to has led to policy change. In January 2016, the Ethiopian applying fiscal incidence analysis. Thanks to the BMGF government expanded the coverage of its flagship cash Open Access policy, the online version of the handbook is transfer program to include poor households living in urban available free of charge. areas, and that July, the government raised the threshold While fiscal incidence exercises are available in of taxable personal income. While these policy changes practically all developed countries, analysis of the impact may not have been enough to completely eliminate the of fiscal policy on inequality and poverty in low- and problem, it was an important step in the right direction. middle-income countries was either not available or dated, While producing a tool that has been proven very which made comparisons across countries or over time 16

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useful for policymakers, CEQ studies have also been published in leading peer-reviewed journals and numerous book chapters. Within the CEQI, Tulane undergraduate and graduate students are able to sharpen their research and teaching skills, expand their professional networks, and travel the world. Our doctoral students have been trainers on The results indicate the CEQ methodology at the World Bank and other multilateral that, on average, organizations, participated in the poor in prestigious international conferences, Armenia, Ethiopia, and published even before they Ghana, Guatemala, graduated, giving them an edge in Nicaragua, Tanzania, today’s competitive job market. and Uganda pay When the CEQ was launched more in taxes than in 2008, our goal was to produce they receive in estimates of fiscal redistribution in support. Latin America. Ten years later, we have fulfilled that goal and are in the process of completing studies for an additional 50 countries from all regions of the world. The tool is being used by multilateral organizations and governments to assess the implications of tax and subsidy policy reforms. Our work proudly continues to influence the discourse and the policies in a rising number of places around the world.

Nora has increased the visibility of Tulane as a cutting-edge center for the study of inequality and poverty and how these are impacted by fiscal policies around the world. Nora has brought Tulane to high level academic circles with leading scholars on these subjects, including Thomas Piketty, Branco Milanovic, François Bourguignon, and Emmanuel Saez, to name just a few. She has also inserted Tulane into the core of the multilateral organizations that most matter for poverty and inequality around the world, like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, and the OECD. —Ludovico Feoli, Executive Director of Tulane’s Center for Inter-American Policy and Research Thanks to Professor Lustig and the CEQ project, I had the opportunity to work directly with the World Bank and also to present my research to the staff of International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), organizations that have a direct and active impact on reducing inequality and poverty globally. On the scholarly side, my involvement with CEQ project allowed me to author and coauthor four book chapters and also a forthcoming peer-reviewed paper in the Middle East Development Journal. My involvement with the CEQ project significantly contributed to my graduate education at Tulane University and strengthened my position in the job market.

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—Ali Enami (Ph.D. Economics, ’18)

THE CEQ INSTITUTE GOES GLOBAL

Countries covered by CEQ Assessments (cumulative, by region) 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Before 2014

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East Asia and Pacific

Europe and Central Asia

Latin America & the Caribbean

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Sub-Saharan Africa

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SPRING 2019

CULTIVATING CHANGE

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“

ow you talk about things actually says a lot about what you believe about them,” history professor Laura Rosanne Adderley explained in a recent conversation about the new set of core requirements for Tulane undergraduate students.

After years of discussions, the undergraduate core curriculum requirements were updated in 2018 for incoming students to include two new areas—“Global Perspectives” and “Race and Inclusion.” The majority of the courses Tulane offers fulfilling these requirements are housed within the School of Liberal Arts. This new set of requirements aims to do just what Adderley describes— speak loud and clear about the university’s values and the type of education Tulane truly believes in. In 2015, Tulane’s Black Student Union and Students Organizing Against Racism (SOAR) began coordinating rallies on campus. The students aimed to make their voices heard, calling for the administration to address the lack of diversity across campus on all levels, from students to faculty and staff. School of Liberal Arts alumna Angel Carter remembers this moment in her freshman year clearly. “Our class, the current graduating seniors, really spoke up about the level of diversity on campus being unacceptable when we came in,” Carter explained. “We didn’t necessarily start this discussion, but we’ve worked hard to get where we are today. We needed to propel the change.” Carter became a resident advisor on campus and began interning in the Admissions Office shortly after coming to Tulane. For three years, while studying anthropology and biology, Carter offered prospective students and their families tours of Tulane and visited other cities to speak about her education at the university. After graduating in December 2018, Carter accepted the position of Admission Counselor at Tulane in the Office of Undergraduate Admission. For Carter, each role transformed into one more space to contribute to a greater dialogue on more informed perspectives and inclusion across campus. In the Office of Admissions, she works closely with Satyajit Dattagupta, vice president for enrollment management and dean of undergraduate admissions at Tulane, doing just that. For Dattagupta, elevating current Tulane demographics has been a priority. “When I was hired, I was committed to bringing in the best and brightest students from all over the world and creating a classroom atmosphere that was more representative of this world,” he says. From

diversifying the Admissions staff to moving merit-based dollars to need-based dollars, the Office of Admissions is prioritizing diversity from the point of recruitment to the student’s first day of class. The establishment of the Center for Academic Equity (CAE) has also been a vital development in the university’s dedication to improving diversity by supporting students while they are enrolled at Tulane. Dattagupta came to the University in 2016, just as Tulane President Michael Fitts was creating a Commission on Race and Inclusion to examine the university’s statistics, climate, and curriculum. Adderley and other faculty, staff, and students were invited to join the process to bring diverse experiences and voices to the This isn’t only about table. Adderley became very active the United States, on the Curriculum Sub-Committee this is actually about of the new Commission on Race what kinds of minds and Inclusion. As she explains, “the we want humans ‘Global Perspectives’ and ‘Race and inhabiting the world Inclusion’ requirements were written in the 21st century by the same sub-committee at the to have. same time and viewed as hand-inhand requirements about how you create a broadly educated citizenry.” Sarah Montès, executive director and assistant dean of Academic Advising at Tulane, also serves on the Commission on Race and Inclusion. “The initiatives embodied in both the new curriculum as well as the CAE have informed our work in advising and helped us be clear with undergraduate students that the university values diversity as well as equity.” As an advisor, Montès works closely with students in the School of Liberal Arts throughout their academic career. She and other advisors have experienced a range of reactions over the first year implementing the new requirements: “Many students are excited about taking a course on a topic that they normally wouldn’t opt into, while other students have responded by saying that they feel they have covered these topics extensively in their college preparatory courses in

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Cultivating Change cont’d…

high school. Advisors have the privilege of challenging students to see the core curriculum as an important tenant of their education and to help them understand the curriculum was embraced and designed by the faculty as being an essential component of their Tulane degree.” Regardless of major, the new core curriculum requires students to complete at minimum one course with at least 60 percent of content that focuses on developing historical, cultural, and societal knowledge of an area beyond the U.S., and one course that focuses 60 percent of its content on race and inclusion in the U.S. These requirements are set along with public service hours and courses in writing, mathematics, and history, as well as creative arts and foreign language. The School of Liberal Arts offers courses across its 16 departments and 18 programs such as “Cultural Creolization” in the Department of Anthropology, “Art of African Diaspora, 1925 to Present” in Art History, “Critical Race Theory” in the Department of Communication, “Slavery and Public History” and “U.S. Labor and Migration” in the History Department, and “Race, Sex, and Power” in the Department of Political Science, among many others, meeting these requirements. While both the “Global Perspectives” and “Race and Inclusion” requirements were initiated at the same time, most of the attention has focused only on the “Race and Inclusion” requirement. Adderley asserts that “the

perception that this is mostly about the politics of anti-black racism is an anti-intellectual and dangerous perception.” Rather, she reminds us that these requirements are complementary: “This isn’t only about the United States, this is actually about what kinds of minds we want humans inhabiting the world in the 21st century to have.” And Being a victim of while students may be experiencing segregation or new perspectives through friendships, harassment is never in their work place, or in community someone’s fault. spaces, it is essential for them to learn That’s the fault about diversity and inclusion in the of someone else classroom as well. that needs to be Carter believes strongly in this educated. new curriculum. “You may not be experiencing discrimination right now, and you may never experience it in your life, but you will know people who will. And it’s important for you to be there to support them. Not to save them, not to speak for them, but to support them. Being a victim of segregation or harassment is never someone’s fault. That’s the fault of someone else that needs to be educated.” – Emily Wilkerson

The Center for Academic Equity (CAE) is a hub of academic support services for firstgeneration college students, LGBTQ students, students of color, and all self-identified underrepresented or non-traditional students. CAE fosters growth for these students through scholarships, grants, internships, workshops, conferences, and speakers. Tulane students can find additional resources and support for academics and campus life through the Offices of Institutional Equity, Multicultural Affairs, and Gender and Sexual Diversity. 20

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WHY TULANE: AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

hree international liberal arts students share why they chose to attend Tulane and live in New Orleans.

PRITIKA SHARMA (SLA ’20)

ALEJANDRA GONZALEZ VARGAS (SLA ’20)

New Delhi, India Studying Anthropology and Gender & Sexuality Studies

Monterrey, Mexico Studying Anthropology and Management

When I was looking at colleges, I made a list of five things that I wanted a university to offer: academic agency, great community, opportunities for service, connections to the city, and financially helpful programs for international students. Out of the schools I applied to, Tulane was the only one that had all these five things to offer. The academic system at Tulane is flexible—it is made for you, by you, and around you. The university is generous in providing scholarships to international students, and its connection to New Orleans is instrumental in creating a community of students who are culturally competent.

My anthropology studies focus on immigration and intercultural interactions, so New Orleans is a perfect case study for me. The more I learn about New Orleans’ history, the more I admire this city. People from all over the world of different backgrounds and beliefs have made a home for themselves in this city, and I’m glad to have had the chance to be one of them!

BATU EL (SLA ’22) İzmir, Turkey Studying Economics and Mathematics I found New Orleans inspiring in many regards. It is not a very large city in which students are going to get lost. At the same time, it has a complex cultural landscape, which makes living here an exciting experience. Beside the richness of its culture, New Orleans is a city that struggles with many societal issues. The connection between Tulane and New Orleans is remarkably profound, and Tulane’s School of Liberal Arts aims to teach students about the many aspects of the city. Some classes concentrate on the New Orleans community and the city’s history, and many offer public service opportunities to the students who want to be in direct contact with the community. SPRING 2019

Students enrolled in the Altman Program in International Studies and Business visit and provide community service in Vietnam for their Rising Sophomore Experience. Photo provided by the Altman Program.

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STUDY ABROAD: A LIBERAL ARTS EXPERIENCE “

’ve learned so much about myself, including the strength and mental clarity I somehow seem to find in stressful situations, and my ability to laugh at pretty much anything,” School of Liberal Arts senior Zharia Jeffries (SLA ’19) said when reflecting on studying abroad in Senegal and the Dominican Republic.

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Study Abroad: A Liberal Arts Experience cont’d…

GAINING A GREATER PERSPECTIVE When we leave our comfort zone, we’re challenged to see and experience things from a different perspective. As Annie Gibson, director of Study Abroad at Tulane, explains, moving out of one’s context helps develop what are often referred to as “soft skills”—our ability to adapt to a challenging situation, react to a language barrier, or respond to a new experience positively. She believes that “gaining these skills, understanding the ways things operate differently, are actually some of the most critical human skills to be a well-rounded adult—studying abroad is one of the most high impact experiences for students to hone these skills.” “We want to live in a world where people are empathetic, adaptable, understanding of difference, and able to understand their own values and meet people where they are,” said Gibson. Whether this happens as you are traveling to learn a language, for community service, or for work, studying abroad becomes a whirlwind experience focused on connecting with others, moving beyond your comfort zone, and understanding new, broader vantage points—a liberal arts experience in its essence. Jeffries is a senior in the School of Liberal Arts studying communication and has spent a summer in Africa and Latin America with Gibson. “These travels helped me gain a greater perspective and respect for cultures outside of my own, and I have developed an open mind. I road a camel through the desert, jumped off waterfalls, and learned a little bit of Wolof, French, and Spanish,” she says. “During my two trips I also stayed with local families in their houses, which was an additional adjustment to the culture. Studying abroad really deepened my college experience.”

Liberal Arts students explore Ireland during the Summer in Dublin study abroad program. Photo provided by Summer in Dublin program.

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Through more than 120 unique programs, Tulane offers study abroad opportunities for students to travel, and the numbers of students participating in programs abroad are steadily increasing. Between 2016 and 2017, more than 500 Tulane students studied abroad. Beyond the Office of Study Abroad, specific programs are also offered through majors such as French and Italian, as well as interdisciplinary programs such as Jewish Studies, to travel alone or in a small group.

INTERDISCIPLINARY PROGRAMS ABROAD With degrees awarded for the School of Liberal Arts and the A.B. Freeman School of Business, the Altman Program in International Studies and Business is a fouryear Tulane interdisciplinary program. Co-director of the Altman Program and professor of political science Casey Kane Love explains “the goal of the program is for the students to gain key cultural competency skills so that they can nimbly adjust their behavior and have a deep knowledge of the politics, economics, social structures, and history of the societies in which they’re operating.” The Altman Program accepts twenty students each year who begin their course of study as first year students. Altman students choose their own distinct majors in business and liberal arts and also study one or two target languages. Then, during their junior year they study in their choice of location where their target language is spoken, and are required to take classes in that language. Malcolm Grba (B ’19, SLA ’19), a senior in the Altman Program studying political economy and finance, spent his junior year studying in Bogotá, Colombia. “My year induced a rate of personal and academic growth more rapidly than any other experience I had been exposed to prior. Not only was my setting distinct, but I took a number of elective courses that challenged my perception of the world around me, and pushed me to look at my surroundings from a broader perspective.” While Malcolm’s academic focus is on finance and economics, his time abroad allowed him to approach his studies in creative ways—for Malcolm, diversidad humana (human diversity) and arte y ciudad (art and the city) are two areas that stand out in his experiences. “Studying different indigenous populations around the world, the former topic taught me to question the idea of a single, linear logic or reality, and to celebrate the wisdom

Students spend three weeks in Israel to conclude the Stacy Mandel Palagye and Keith Palagye Program for Middle East Peace, visiting sites such as The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Photo provided by program.

that our world’s diversity provides. The latter examined the role of art in public spaces, and how our transformation of space itself often reflects our social, political, and economic landscapes.” Since 2015, the School of Liberal Arts has also offered the Stacy Mandel Palagye and Keith Palagye Program for Middle East Peace, focused on investigating the ArabIsraeli conflict. Fifteen students participate in a five-week long summer experience that starts in New Orleans with three short courses on conflict resolution, modern Middle East history, and cultural representations of IsraeliPalestinian relations. The students then spend the last three weeks of the program in Israel, hosted by the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and together visit Jordan. The program is designed as a space for students to become more familiar with the regions and their deep histories rather than be asked to take a standpoint or ‘side’ in the current conflict. As Christina Kiel, a professor of political science and co-director of

Students studying abroad in Senegal. Photo provided by the Office of Study Abroad.

the program explains, “we’re not here to change anyone’s mind. We just want students to look deeper into the issue, to have a more sophisticated opinion. You don’t have to come out of it knowing all the answers.”

AN INTERCULTURAL EXPERIENCE AT HOME “I think you can have an intercultural experience in your local environment as well, which is very important to consider when conceptualizing the global dimension of the liberal arts experience at Tulane,” Gibson explained. “Global engagement is something that can happen online, in person, in your local community, and internationally. The experience of studying internationally is really about the growth you gain by moving beyond your comfort zone and seeing the nuanced ways of engaging in a different culture. These same exchanges happen in our local communities, as well as abroad.” Gibson also practices bringing global engagement into the classroom by urging students to consider who they cite in their research, and how the lens through which they understand and experience a subject might be vastly different from their counterpart in another region of the world. Both within the classroom as a physical place on campus and in the world at large, liberal arts students develop skills that nurture a global perspective instrumental to living in a changing world. As Grba continues to reflect on his time in Colombia, he realizes the impact will ripple throughout his life. “Before taking a step outside of my bubble, it was easy to passively accept certain ways of acting and thinking as the only way. Now, I understand that there is never an ‘only way.’” – Emily Wilkerson SPRING 2019

DOCTORAL STUDENTS RECEIVE FULBRIGHT AWARDS

hree School of Liberal Arts doctoral candidates won prestigious Fulbright-Hays awards to complete international research in 2019. The studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; field research will further their scholarship in history, Latin American studies, art history, and anthropology.

Anthropomorphic stone sculptures known as the tenon heads. Photo by Patricia Lagarde.

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MIRA KOHL

A doctoral candidate in history, Mira Kohl is studying the development and colonization of the Bolivian department of Santa Cruz, a border region between Brazil and Bolivia. Her dissertation highlights the many agricultural and infrastructural projects that occurred between 1935 and 1964, when individuals were approaching the area as a critical frontier for development and the key to implementing a new vision of citizenship, national identity, and pan-Latin American unity. Kohl will examine the construction of the Corumbá-Santa Cruz railway, the centerpiece of a proposed interoceanic railway that would have run from the Brazilian port of Santos to the Chilean port of Arica. While the region was the target of massive U.S. aid following the 1952 Bolivian Revolution, Kohl’s dissertation highlights prior Latin American development projects and how they shaped later U.S. involvement. With support from her Fulbright-Hays fellowship, she will travel to four cities in Brazil and Bolivia to research at their national and regional archives, as well as embark on a journey along the railway, examining how a project that was intended to bring people together re-entrenched regional identification and societal divides.

PATRICIA LAGARDE

A doctoral candidate in art history and Latin American studies, Patricia Lagarde will conduct research in Peru for seven months at Chavín de Huántar, a ceremonial center in the Andes mountains that dates to 1200500 B.C. She will focus on a group of anthropomorphic stone sculptures known as the tenon heads that were installed on the exterior walls of the temple. Her project will explore the formal characteristics, the assortment in material, and the overall viewer experience of the sculptures. Lagarde will be an affiliate with the Chavín International Research Center (Centro Internacional de Investigación de Chavín) where she will work with archeologists to examine what the sculptures’ roles were in the ceremonial and religious traditions at the time. While only one sculpture is still installed at the site, more than 100 existed, varying in shape and size. Studying their materiality, Lagarde hopes to gain a greater understanding of the ancient Andean peoples’ perspective of the natural landscape as animate— she’s interested in how specific stones were chosen, potentially representing specific regions, communities, or ancestors. This fellowship will support Lagarde’s goal to create a comprehensive catalog of the tenon heads at Chavín de Huántar.

JOHN WHITE

A doctoral candidate in anthropology with a background in plant science, John White has been visiting the Ecuadorian Amazon to study ethnobotany and a local indigenous language known as Kichwa for the past seven years. Working with the local Runa community of Mondayacu, White is exploring food crop domestication and diversification in one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth, the Upper Amazonian-Tropical Andean interface. For one year, White will collect ethnographic data, plant voucher specimens, and plant DNA, while creating species distribution models of crops and crop wild relatives. Using this data, White will explore Runa practices and perspectives concerning the origins and mechanisms behind changes to plant diversity over time. White’s research compares and contrasts indigenous theories and practices concerning plant diversification and domestication with those of the globalized scientific community. He pays special attention to how and why Runa knowledge may differ among individuals regarding variables such as profession, age, and gender. Through this research, White hopes to advance our understandings of the intersections between plant diversity, cultural worldviews, landscape modifications, and conservation.

The Fulbright-Hays Program is a Fulbright Program funded by a Congressional appropriation to the United States Department of Education. The program awards grants to individual U.S. K-14 pre-teachers, teachers and administrators, pre-doctoral students, and postdoctoral faculty, as well as to U.S. institutions and organizations. The awards support research and training efforts overseas, which focus on non-Western foreign languages and area studies. SPRING 2019

DESTINATION NEW ORLEANS: CONNECTING WITH VISITING SCHOLARS 28

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ach week another conference rolls into New Orleans. Among the more than 10 million tourists per year that visit our city, many of them are academics coming to town for professional conferences. This year, the School of Liberal Arts connected directly with three leading conferences, actively pursuing a new level of engagement.

“Before I took on my position as dean, I had been to New Orleans for several conferences, but I had not ventured further uptown beyond the convention center,” explains Brian Edwards, dean of the School of Liberal Arts and professor of English. “I want every academic and artist who comes to town for professional meetings to remember that New Orleans is home to Tulane University.” In an effort to increase engagement with the array of professionals visiting the city, the School of Liberal Arts has taken a variety of approaches to connect the school, faculty, and students with conferences in New Orleans. One such approach was through the New Orleans Center for the Gulf South’s (NOCGS) partnership with the local art organization Pelican Bomb to host the tenth annual Association for the Study of the Arts of the Present (ASAP/10) conference. NOCGS aimed to offer a platform for leading scholars in the contemporary art field to share their “scholarship and creativity to shed light on the formal, social, and political significance of the arts today.” The hosts organized a dynamic conference program last fall, each day concluding with a talk by profound artists such as Trevor Paglen and Dred Scott, and curator and scholar Daphne A. Brooks. NOCGS and Pelican Bomb also encouraged conference attendees to visit Tulane’s campus for these talks and other events. As participants remarked, the conference environment was one that supported workshopping new ideas and work in progress. ASAP/10, contemporary in its essence, became a springboard for creating exceptional contemporary artwork and scholarship. For Rebecca Snedeker, Clark Executive Director for NOCGS, ASAP/10 was a huge success. “We met our objective to place Gulf South and Tulane contemporary arts scholars and artists in an international spotlight, and invite members of the leading interdisciplinary contemporary arts association to learn from the brilliant and fertile arts communities here and exchange ideas.” She remarked that more than 500 guests experienced

Tulane University as the host of this gathering, forging relationships that have inspired new research trajectories. Shortly after the ASAP/10 conference, the School of Liberal Arts took a second approach to increase the school’s reach by creating space for comradery and conversation at the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) conference. ACTFL offers a platform for educators of all languages and levels to learn new tools to help them succeed in language learning. While Liberal Arts faculty and doctoral students presented in and attended the annual conference, the school also hosted a reception at the Tulane River and Coastal Center, adjacent to the conference’s home base, the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. During the reception, individuals representing each language program presented posters that highlighted special cirriculum, faculty, and programs, allowing many opportunities for conference attendees to learn about the school and its faculty. Presenting Tulane and the School of Liberal Arts in a prestigious, national context, the school took a third approach to engage with New Orleans-based conferences as a sponsor of the 2018 National Humanities Conference. Hosted by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, the conference provided a unique opportunity for practitioners and academics to share resources, new research, and challenges in an effort to strengthen the country’s humanities network. By supporting the conference, the school was able to share the university’s position as a humanities leader, energized by interdisciplinary convergences and enriched by global perspectives. Whether sponsoring, partnering with, or presenting national conferences, Tulane’s School of Liberal Arts understands the inherent value of New Orleans as a conference destination. By engaging with conference attendees that come to town, the university continues to grow as a leader in the discussion of creative and academic inquiry on both a national and international stage. – Emily Wilkerson

SPRING 2019

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GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE ON MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE By Mary Clark

Associate Professor, Department of Political Science Director, International Development Program

“

y father killed himself, and my cousin did too,” said the Uber driver taking me to the airport at 5:00 a.m. I often hear such revelations when people learn that I research suicide prevention policy. Almost all of us have a family member or friend who has attempted suicide, but talking about it still feels taboo. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), suicide takes about 800,000 lives annually and is the second leading cause of death for young adults in the world. Reducing this sense of stigma is one of the elements the WHO is recommending in its current campaign for suicide prevention. cont’d on next page… SPRING 2019

A Global Perspective on Mental Health and Suicide cont’d…

On an international scale, many countries are making suicide prevention a high priority. For example, Great Britain recently appointed a Minister for Suicide. And in Japan, where suicide was a taboo topic of conversation fewer than 20 years ago, civil society groups and government officials have joined forces to reframe it as a social problem that can be resolved. In the less wealthy countries of the Global South, numerous health problems compete for scarce resources. Researching if and how countries belonging to the Council of Health Ministers of Central America and the Dominican Republic adopt best practices in suicide prevention allows me to understand what conditions push mental health to the top of the health agenda and which policies are most adaptable. Although the Council prioritized suicide by founding an online platform for national data in 2013, not all of the nations involved have responded equally. Surprisingly, factors such as wealth, political openness, or a comparably high suicide rate do not automatically predispose a country to invest in suicide prevention. In Costa Rica, suicide became a public cause after the former fiancé of a major political figure jumped to her death in 2016. What is needed to actually design and implement a prevention strategy, however, is state capacity, particularly the ability to collect data about suicide attempts. Experts commonly estimate that there are 10-20 attempts for every completed suicide, so data on attempted and completed suicides provide important information on the age, sex, time, location, and means used by people attempting self-harm. If, for example, the ingestion of pesticides is a common method of inflicting self-harm, countries might pass legislation banning the most toxic of them as several Asian countries have done, including South Korea and Sri Lanka. Mandatory reporting of suicide attempts also tends to oblige health providers to take the problem seriously and provide treatment. Health systems all too often avoid gathering information from patients about problems they

cannot or do not want to treat, especially stigmatized conditions. Asking for information about a planned or attempted suicide implies—and warrants—that the patient will be provided mental health services. As in most of the Global South, psychiatrists are few and far between in Central America so countries must be willing to meet mental health needs through taskshifting, or the training of non-specialists to carry out jobs normally beyond their job duties. For example, the Belizian ministry of health has trained psychiatric nurses to provide almost all mental health care. Ultimately, an often-overlooked requirement for carrying out a suicide prevention policy is that the lead agency, normally the country’s ministry or department of health, have the clout to do so. The agency’s technical competence and political authority to head such a campaign must be recognized by other ministries and by medical associations. These qualifications are especially important in mental health where working with other human service agencies is vital to training teachers and police to treat people with emotional disturbances appropriately and humanely. In Costa Rica, the ministry of health cooperated with the ministry of education to produce a training manual for teachers explaining the nature of suicidal behavior and providing protocols for the situations they may encounter with students. Like many countries, American universities are increasingly concerned about student mental health. The WHO best practice guidelines and national policies mentioned here provide solid ideas about suicide prevention tactics that could be adapted to college campuses, such as designing responsive preventative interventions and training campus police, professors, and student-facing staff with protocols for students suffering emotional crises. Examining the government policies being put into place in the greater Global South, we can become better informed about how to respond at home.

MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES:

CAPS Counseling, Tulane University 504-264-6074

Suicide Prevention Resource Center 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

RAINN Sexual Assault Hotline 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)

Domestic Violence National Hotline 1-800-799-7233

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Trevor Project - LGBTQ Lifeline 1-866-488-7386

summerlyric.tulane.edu

SPRING 2019

PHILOSOPHY IN THE COMMUNITY What are the ethical foundations of leading a meaningful life?

raduate student Sabrina Leeds (M.A., Philosophy, ’19) used this question to guide a philosophy class she taught last fall at a local nonprofit in the greater New Orleans area. For two months, Leeds led weekly conversations on ethics and philosophy at Project Lazarus, a transitional housing agency for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Project Lazarus opened its doors to New Orleans in 1985 and is an independent, non-denominational, and non-profit organization sponsored by the Archdiocese of New Orleans. More than 1,000 men and women diagnosed with HIV/AIDS have stayed at Project Lazarus under safe housing with special care ranging from wellness and holistic services, to an outpatient substance abuse program and aftercare to support each resident’s livelihood beyond Project Lazarus. As Director of Programs Jessica Kinnison explains, the organization offers culturally responsive programming focused on the overall wellbeing of the resident. “The benefit to residents is immediate stabilization, improved health outcomes, a built-in support network, and assistance with long-term goal planning. The benefit to the community is an immediate reduction in the number of 34

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individuals who are homeless, who might be transmitting HIV without full knowledge of the virus and their health, are uninsured, or who might have untreated mental It helps our illness,” Kinnison said. students and Leeds’ philosophy class was part of their residents the organization’s Wellness University understand that program, which provides courses to philosophy isn’t residents such as HIV 101, Financial purely academic, Literacy, Life Skills, and elective and that many of courses such as creative writing, art therapy, psychology, and philosophy. the ideas we discuss For Leeds, this was a great opportunity in philosophy have a universal appeal. to gain teaching experience while completing her master’s degree in the School of Liberal Arts’ Department of Philosophy’s 4+1

that philosophy isn’t purely academic, and that many of the program, which allows undergraduate ideas we discuss in philosophy have a universal appeal.” students who graduated with philosophy Leeds turns to René Descartes’ approach to philosophy as a major to receive a master’s degree when reflecting on teaching in the community. “Descartes after one additional year. Through her wanted to make philosophy more practical and useful for studies, Leeds continues to explore the everyone,” Leeds explained, “and that continues to inspire ethics of human beings’ relationships with me to make philosophy more accessible.” She and Morris, technology through the lens of philosophy. along with Chad Van Schoelandt, an assistant professor “I didn’t finalize a specific structure of philosophy at Tulane, received a grant from Tulane’s for my class going into my first semester Center for Public Service at the close of the fall 2018 of teaching at Project Lazarus because semester to expand Leeds’ teaching into research focused I wanted the participants to really be a on effective pedagogy both in the particular context of part of creating that structure,” Leeds Project Lazarus and its residents, as well as in similar explained. Because Leeds was working contexts of community engagement. Leeds will continue with community members who were teaching at Project Lazarus until she graduates in May curious about philosophy, rather than the 2019 and will also continue working on her research traditional teacher-student relationship through the following year. of a classroom, she let creativity and flexibility be her focus throughout the class. “In my classes, I tried to focus – Emily Wilkerson on fostering conversation rather than lecturing. Typically, I would present on a topic for about 20 minutes and the rest of the class would be discussion. We also did a lot of stimulating activities and a few thought experiments.” By merely prompting discussions, conversations would ensue that helped participants identify what their own personal core values are, and how these do or don’t fit into certain philosophical frameworks. “This has been a great experience, especially given Sabrina’s interest in teaching and pursuing a doctorate,” said Kevin Morris, a School of Liberal Arts Sabrina Leeds (M.A., Philosophy, ’19) with Project Lazarus Director of Programs philosophy professor who serves as a Jessica Kinnison (left) on Project Lazarus’ campus where Leeds has been facilitator between Project Lazarus and teaching since August 2018. Tulane’s philosophy department. “It helps our students and their residents understand

The Department of Philosophy’s 4+1 M.A. program helps students develop a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of both contemporary issues in philosophy as well as the history of philosophy, better preparing them to seek admission into a competitive Ph.D. program. The program allows Tulane undergraduates who graduate with a major in philosophy to receive an M.A. in philosophy after one additional year. SPRING 2019

The residents of Gordon Street Plaza in New Orleans’ Desire neighborhood are asking the city to support their relocation from their neighborhood. Tests have shown residual chemicals in the ground and water in the neighborhood due to a former landfill at the site. Photo from Greenpeace.org by Charles Brown.

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: BEYOND THE CLASSROOM By Gabriella Burns (SLA ’19) Environmental Studies and Public Health

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When I tell friends, family, and talkative taxi drivers that I am studying public health and environmental studies, they often respond with a question liberal arts majors are all too familiar with: “What are you going to do with that?” They are generally dissatisfied when I simply respond that I want to help people. When further clarification is needed, I tell them about my research with professor Christopher Oliver and our advocacy work with the residents of Gordon Plaza. The former Agriculture Street Landfill, located in the Desire neighborhood just off of I-10, was one of New Orleans’ primary landfills until it closed in 1966. Nearby communities often complained about the dump, nicknaming it “Dante’s Inferno” due to the frequent fires that raged in the rubbish. After the landfill closed, the city covered it in ash and compacted the land. In 1969, the city of New Orleans built Press Park, a public housing development aimed at giving low income AfricanAmericans the opportunity to become homeowners, next to the landfill. In the late 1970s, the city broke ground on another project only blocks away, Gordon Plaza, with the same intention. The neighborhoods grew and soon they needed a school, so Moton Elementary School opened its doors in 1986, even though independent tests of the soil indicated abnormally high lead levels at the site. Over the next few years many children began to exhibit signs of lead poisoning, forcing the state and federal authorities to revisit the site’s contamination levels. Eight years later, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) declared Agriculture Street Landfill a Superfund Site—a government-designated location that requires environmental remediation—due to elevated levels of hazardous chemicals in the ground and water. The site was placed on the National Priorities List in 1994 after additional testing revealed that the soil was more toxic than previously believed. It was one of the most contaminated Superfund Sites, and while the EPA conducted some remediation, such as removing two feet of soil over ten percent of the neighborhood, it has not been sufficient. Since this remediation, many of the residents have been diagnosed with cancers or other illnesses that have been scientifically linked to the chemicals found at high rates in their neighborhood’s soil. Several residents have passed away, likely due to exposure to these chemicals. Thirty years later, the residents of Gordon Plaza are still fighting for the city to fully fund relocation from their homes atop the former landfill. Oliver, a professor of practice in the Department of Sociology and environmental studies at Tulane University,

began attending meetings with the residents of Gordon Plaza in the summer of 2016. After that, he started collecting data surrounding the issue from archival sources, the EPA, and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. After the residents of Gordon Plaza filed a new lawsuit against the City of New Orleans, he reached out to the community to see if he could provide any support. Since that time, Oliver has worked with a number of students as well as other My liberal arts local organizations, such as the education has New Orleans Peoples’ Assembly and given me an professor Molly Mitchell and her opportunity to students at University of New Orleans, make a difference in to help provide media exposure so people’s lives. that the public is aware of this fourdecade long environmental injustice. I had no idea that I would be so intimately involved in this effort when I signed up for Oliver’s environmental studies senior seminar course this past fall. He involved students in his work with the residents of Gordon Plaza on every possible occasion—we found ourselves at early morning rallies, mid-afternoon protests, and evening planning meetings. Rather than constrain our education to our weekly meetings, Oliver found ways to teach us how to apply what we learned in the classroom to an important environmental justice issue. Through our relationship with the residents, we were able to mobilize our skills and labor, and put our education to work for the community by attending rallies, archiving data, documenting the movement, and organizing a community forum at Tulane, which drew an audience of more than 200 people. Oliver’s course enabled me to transfer the knowledge I’ve gained during my four years at Tulane into real-world experience, and it allowed me to be part of an important environmental justice issue and a growing community movement. I met some of the most courageous and resilient people during my visits to Gordon Plaza— people who continue to speak truth to power after more than thirty years of fighting. My liberal arts education has given me an opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives, which is not something every undergraduate student can say. I am humbled to have an opportunity to be a part of the residents of Gordon Plaza’s battle for fully funded relocation. Gabriella Burns is a senior from Savannah, Georgia. She hopes to pursue a master’s degree in environmental journalism after graduating. SPRING 2019

SACRED SPACE By Monica Payne

Assistant Professor Department of Theatre and Dance

Monica Payne, a professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance, encourages her students to disconnect from technology through various practices that allow them to be more present on the stage. (Pictured: Miranda Kramer, SLA â&#x20AC;&#x2122;21)

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n a 2016 essay in New York magazine titled “I Used to be a Human Being,” writer Andrew Sullivan examines the effects of excessive screen time and discusses the results of a study on young adults and cell phones: “participants were using their phones five hours a day, at 85 separate times…technology has seized control of around one-third of these young adults’ waking hours.” Several years ago, as a theatre director and professor, I began to notice how disengaged my actors were as they entered the rehearsal room. A full day of phones, laptops, and other screen time had left them frazzled, talking too much, and very disconnected from their bodies and minds. In response, I began to develop a practice called Sacred Space, originally introduced to me by my colleague Kim Rubinstein at the University of California, San Diego. Although Rubinstein and I practice our own versions, the impulse is the same—to create a threshold that the students can walk across upon entering class, and to create a quiet, safe space on the other side, a space where students can drop in and prepare themselves for the creative journey ahead. Sacred Space is generally practiced in a warm, low-lit room, with a clean floor and plenty of open space. Students are asked to enter the room in silence, remove their shoes, find a place on the floor, and lie down. As the group assembles, they quietly work to find floor space and avoid talking or acknowledging each other while gentle music plays in the background. Once the group has assembled, I begin to cue them to check in with themselves physically, emotionally, and mentally. Long stretches of silence, guided relaxation, and breath awareness are integral to the entire experience. We begin in stillness, and soon work our way through gentle yoga stretches, primarily with the eyes closed, so that sensation is emphasized, rather than the external look of any particular pose. The work is very quiet and focused. As the actors begin to move toward standing, they open their eyes, and begin to incorporate their fellow ensemble members and the room around them into their

field of awareness. The goals of Sacred Space— to slow down, to breathe, to inhabit the body, to connect to the group—are all of dire necessity in the theatre. If we are charged with reflecting the human condition, we must first reconnect with our fragile human containers. Sacred Space becomes more external toward the end, with actors moving through non-verbal movement exercises together, emphasizing eye contact and presence. This is our ritual every day, from the first rehearsal through tech rehearsals and performances. Within this basic framework, Sacred Space may include yoga, mindfulness meditation, vocal exercises, theatre games, and even group singing, on occasion. The key element is the silence, and from that quiet void ultimately springs greater amounts of hard work, attention, and connection. There is so much about the theatre that appears external. Audience members often assume that actors are outgoing, jovial people, and sometimes that’s true; however, many actors are exactly like the general population: isolated, exhausted, and addicted to technology. For many years, Sacred Space has been my antidote to this dilemma, and I have seen remarkable results in my students, as well as in myself as the leader of the room—deeper focus; stronger emotional, physical, and mental connection; and a greater sense of ensemble and purpose.

SPRING 2019

Nevea Domingo A Short Story by Riley Moran (SLA ’19) Political Science

own to the churchyard went Nevea Domingo, all deep purple lipstick and a stillbroke wrist, shovel slung across her back like a warrior. The abuelita of your Cuban dreams, honest to Jesus. Nevea Domingo mastered the deft art of working one serving of lechon asado into dinner for twenty-two plus leftovers by the time her first kid was having his second. Skinny brujita of a lady, she’d work her santería fingers over everything and anything. Not that you believe in any of that. But still, when it came down to it, your not-believing wasn’t so strong that you wouldn’t show up on her doorstep hat-off and head-down, asking her to throw together a little somethin’ for your troubles. Remedies, they come to abuelas like gathering spit in your mouth. As is proper abuelita custom, Nevea Domingo loved her eldest grandson with the dedication of an apocryphal endtimer or a freshly indoctrinated medical professional in residency. Which is to say, for him—the world, plus seconds. For him, begrudging acceptance of the slow talking blondie he’d taken as a novia just months

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after his second divorce, and then a god-endowed spectacle of patience for her frivolous customs. For him, a guest bed with the good sheets to sleep on when the third wife’s peaches-and-cream disposition spoiled. He was going on marriage number four. That’s what brought her to the churchyard: wife number three and some buried bourbon. It was an old plantation tradition: bury a bottle of bourbon to ensure clear skies for the wedding day, and the matrimonial bliss to follow. A nonsense practice she was happy to revert; the failed talisman needed a proper, timely death. Nevea worked the hard ground over with her twisted wrist, remedying an avoidable situation brought to her respectable family by her good-for-nothing nieto, sangre de su alma, the hot blue center of the votive candle in her stomach. It could only be her. She was made an iyalorichá with creator hands, responsible for kneading life into new things. As Nevea Domingo struck true, she cursed the gringa tradition. Glass bottles of bourbon upside down and blue things and borrowing. Traditions of the tangible, each lacking la enjundia, prettier than they were purposeful. It left her all strung out. She was glad when her blade met a metallic ting, when she could pull the bourbon from the earth (upside down, why did it matter?) and bring her handle down repeatedly on the glass. Let the dirt drink that third wife’s dreams. Churchyard gate swinging, she felt the oncoming rain in her wrists, and hastened home. As far as the barrio was concerned, Nevea Domingo hotfooting it toward shelter was as good a weather warning as any. By the time the sky ripped open, the soil was good and drunk, and the neighbors dry on their porches.

MuchAdo About Nothing

Directed by Burton Tedesco June 14 -30, 2019 Lupin Theater

Hamlet

Directed by Clare Moncrief July 12-28, 2019 Lupin Theater

TH SEASON

Details and tickets at www.NewOrleansShakespeare.org (504) 865-5105 SPRING 2019

WELCOME OLIVIA BAILEY

Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy Olivia Bailey received her Ph.D. in philosophy from Harvard University in May 2018, and also holds a bachelor’s in philosophy from Oxford University. Bailey works in ethics, epistemology, and the philosophy of the mind, with a particular focus on the epistemic and moral significance of imagination, emotional understanding, and empathy.

KATE BALDWIN

Professor, Department of English Kate Baldwin specializes in 20th century comparative U.S. and Soviet literatures and public cultures. Baldwin’s past fellowships include the Pembroke at Brown University, a Mellon postdoc at Johns Hopkins University, and the Bunting Fellowship at Harvard University. Baldwin’s new book addresses women, race, and work, and her related articles have been published by Huffington Post, The Hill, Quartz, Global Post, and Truth-Out. She received her Ph.D. from Yale University and her B.A. from Amherst College.

ROBIN BARTRAM

Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology Robin Bartram has a Ph.D. in sociology from Northwestern University. She specializes in urban sociology and is working on a book project about municipal building inspection in Chicago.

CLAUDIA CHÁVEZ ARGÜELLES

Assistant Professor, Department of Anthology Claudia Chávez earned her law degree from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM), an M.A. in social anthropology from the Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores en Antropología Social (CIESAS) (both in Mexico City), and a Ph.D. in social anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin. Chávez specializes in the anthropology of law and the state, race, and ethnicity, political violence, and gender. She has done extensive ethnographic research in Puebla, Chiapas, and Mexico City.

BRIAN T. EDWARDS

Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Professor of English Prior to joining Tulane, Brian T. Edwards was the Crown Professor

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in Middle East Studies and professor of English and comparative literary studies at Northwestern University, where he was also the founding director of the Program in Middle East and North African Studies (MENA). Edwards’ research examines U.S. literature and culture in a global context, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. Edwards received his B.A. in English, and his M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D., all in American Studies from Yale University.

ELLIOTT ISAAC

Assistant Professor, Department of Economics Elliott Isaac’s fields of interest are public and labor economics, with a focus on the treatment of the family in tax and transfer systems, marriage and divorce decisions, and labor supply. His recent projects cover topics such as the effects of joint taxation on the labor supply of same-sex married couples, marriage and divorce responses to taxes and transfers, and the effects of college selectivity on women’s marriage and career outcomes. He received his Ph.D. and his M.A. in economics from University of Virginia.

New Tenure and Tenure-Track Faculty XIN JIANG

Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology Xin Jiang received her Ph.D. in sociology from Ohio State University. Before joining Tulane, she worked as an assistant professor in the Criminology and Criminal Justice Department at a state university in Pennsylvania and later at the University of Memphis. Her research areas focus on youth and delinquency as well as identifying how one’s position in the social stratifications hierarchies (e.g., race/ethnicity, immigrant status) interacts with structural features of school, family, and community to engender different likelihoods and levels of crime and social control.

MONICA PAYNE

Assistant Professor, Department of Theatre & Dance Monica Payne is a freelance director and the founder of Theatre Lumina, a company devoted to cross-cultural collaboration and international exchange. A former actress, Payne worked for many years in Chicago with various companies, including Steppenwolf Theatre Company, The Artistic Home, The Hypocrites, The Journeymen, and Famous Door, among others. She is a member of the 2008 Lincoln Center Director’s

Lab in New York, as well as the 2012 Director’s Lab West in Los Angeles. Payne has been a Meisner teacher for almost 20 years, and has taught workshops in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta. Her research areas include literary adaptations, ensemble work, and Polish drama.

and revolutionary politics. Terrefe earned her Ph.D. in English from the University of California, Irvine. Before coming to Tulane, she was a postdoctoral fellow in Black Atlantic Studies at the University of Bremen, Germany, in the department of English Speaking Cultures.

FELIX RIOJA

ENGY ZIEDAN

Scott and Marjorie Cowen Chair in Latin American Social Sciences and Associate Professor, Department of Economics Felix Rioja specializes in international macroeconomics, economic growth, and financial economics. His research has been published in leading journals such as Journal of Development Economics, Journal of Public Economics, and Journal of Economics Dynamics and Control, among others. Rioja has also worked as a consultant for the World Bank and on policy advisory projects for Brazil, Jamaica, Paraguay, and Russia. He has been interviewed and quoted by various news media including CNN.

Assistant Professor, Department of Economics Engy Ziedan is an applied microeconomist with interests in health and public economics. Her research focuses on the effect of changes in Medicare payments to hospitals and on hospital spending on inpatient care and patient outcomes. She received her Ph.D. in economics in 2018 from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

SELAMAWIT D. TERREFE

Assistant Professor, Department of English Selamawit D. Terrefe specializes in global black studies, gender and sexuality, psychoanalysis, continental philosophy, critical theory, and radical SPRING 2019

FROM THE ARCHIVES

The Middle American Research Institute houses a large collection of archaeological and ethnographic objects from across the Americas, including a growing collection of modern Amazonian ethnographic material. This "cara grande" or "great face" mask would have been worn by TapirapĂŠ people during important ceremonies in the Amazonian rainforest of Brazil. The piece was collected and donated by James R. Welch, who earned a Ph.D. in anthropology from the School of Liberal Arts in 2009.