arts&sciences magazine fall 2018

STATE OF THE U | TRAMPING THROUGH THE EVERGLADES | A DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI | FALL 2018

Passion for

A&S

It's all about engagement. p.16

FROM THE DEAN

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am excited to share this Fall issue of our magazine with you. We had another incredible semester, thanks to you, our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and donors. Each new academic year provides an opportunity to connect with new and returning students and to collaborate with faculty across all disciplines.

Together, we strive to prepare our talented students to successfully address real-world challenges as they take that very important transition step from education to career.

The College attracts students from various backLeonidas G. Bachas Dean, College of Arts & Sciences grounds and cultures across the nation and around the globe, and our faculty and staff also reflect this broad diversity. This academic year, we welcomed a very strong class of first-year students with high GPA and SAT/ACT scores who are motivated and eager to learn and grow.

Leonidas Bachas This issue of Arts&Sciences magazine brings you Dean, College of Arts & Sciences stories that highlight the remarkable contributions and breakthroughs our talented faculty and hardworking students are making. You’ll discover the cross-disciplinary work under way in the field of digital technology among faculty members across all areas of the College. And you’ll meet our 2018-2019 Dean’s Ambassadors, who represent an extraordinary group of multicultural, gifted, and academically diverse students.

These students exhibit a passion for the College and seek a deeper connection to their peers and the University experience while achieving leadership in their academic pursuits.

You’ll also read about the momentous event that took place on the Coral Gables campus last May: the groundbreaking for the new Frost Science Building, which will house one of the first Frost Institutes—the Institute of Chemistry and Molecular Science. The College is extremely excited about the beneficial impact the Frost Institutes will make on campus: elevating STEM research to new heights, giving our students opportunities to engage in a dynamic environment, and fostering major, collaborative contributions to scientific discovery.

I thank you as always for your support of the College. My best wishes for a wonderful holiday season!

Leonidas Bachas

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Your gift to the College of Arts & Sciences helps us support student scholarships and retain leading faculty. as.miami.edu/donate

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

FALL 2018 VOLUME 19 | ISSUE 2 COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES Dean Leonidas G. Bachas Senior Associate Deans Jennifer Ferriss-Hill Douglas Fuller Angel Kaifer Associate Deans Charles Mallery José Maria Cardoso da Silva Assistant Dean Leonard Clemons Executive Directors Dawn Reynolds Maryann Tatum Tobin Executive Director of Development Patrick E. Stewart Editor/Writer Deseraé E. del Campo Editorial Contributors Robert Jones David Menconi Richard Westlund Barry Williams Photography Jenny Abreu Andrew Innerarity Barry Williams Design and Layout Cowen Design, Inc.

Arts & Sciences is produced in the fall and spring by the College of Arts & Sciences Office of Communications.

Through the magazine, we seek to increase awareness of the College’s activities by telling the stories of faculty, staff, students, and alumni. Send comments, requests for permissions to reprint material, requests for extra copies, and change-of-address notification to: College of Arts & Sciences P.O. Box 248004 Coral Gables, FL 33124-4620 Telephone 305-284-2485 casmagazine@miami.edu All contents © 2018, University of Miami.

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Visit the College of Arts & Sciences online at as.miami.edu Past issues of the magazine are available online at: as.miami.edu/news/magazine

Inside

VOLUME 19 | ISSUE 2 | ARTS & SCIENCES | FALL 2018

FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

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AROUND CAMPUS

STUDENT DIGEST

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PASSION FOR A&S

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A|S NEWS

A|S RESEARCH

A&S programs welcome students of diversity and academic excellence to be active, positive members of the A&S family.

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CLASS SPOTLIGHT

BOOKMARKS

CREATURE COMFORTS

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A&S faculty and UM students partner with a local government agency to study the Everglades ecosystem.

FACULTY CORNER

CLASS NOTES

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A DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION A&S faculty use digital technology to develop exciting research and learning opportunities.

ARTS | SCIENCES

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Around Campus

WHAT’S IN YOUR BACKYARD? From broccoli, cauliflower, and kale to peppers and string beans, University of Miami students help prune and spruce the thriving organic and sustainable garden growing on the Coral Gables campus. The garden, with its perennial fruits, vegetables, and spices, is maintained by students enrolled in the A&S International Studies course, “Global Food: A Hands-On Approach,” taught by Professor Richard Weisskoff.

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A|S News LEADERSHIP@UM: (L to R) Jacqueline Travisano, CEO and executive vice president for business and finance; Executive Vice President and Provost Jeffrey Duerk; UM President Julio Frenk; Dr. Phillip and Patricia Frost; UM Board of Trustees Chair Richard D. Fain; A&S Dean Leonidas Bachas; College of Engineering Dean Jean-Pierre Bardet; Joshua Friedman, senior vice president for development and alumni relations.

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The College of Arts & Sciences’ Chemistry Department Takes a Major Step into the Future

or many decades, chemistry research and teaching have been conducted in selfcontained laboratories under the guidance of an individual professor. While this traditional model has led to remarkable discoveries in fields as diverse as medicine, building materials, and consumer products, collaboration is rapidly becoming the key to future breakthroughs.

Now the College of Arts & Sciences Department of Chemistry is moving into that bold new era following the May 3 groundbreaking of the Phillip and Patricia Frost Science and Engineering Building.

“The new Frost Institute will lead us on a path to new scientific discoveries, innovative teaching, and collaboration across disciplines,” said Leonidas Bachas, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. “Our talented faculty and students now have a place to develop interdisciplinary research across multiple fields and make new, groundbreaking advances in chemistry and molecular science.”

Reflecting on the vital importance of collaboration among 4

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chemistry and engineering faculty and students, Jean-Pierre Bardet, dean of the College of Engineering, said, “We have always been great partners. We now have a great opportunity to build a high-tech economy in South Florida through this collaboration between our two colleges.”

Noting the importance of the new building to the College’s science programs, Marc Knecht, associate professor of chemistry, said, “This is a great day for our department. It will help us reach the next level of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education and facilitate our collaboration with engineering, from the laboratory benchtop to developing new applications and taking them into the field.”

AN IN-DEPTH PLANNING PROCESS Planning for the new Frost Science and Engineering Building began several years ago, according to Angel Kaifer, senior associate dean for research and graduate education and professor of chemistry. “Our University leaders recognized the need for a new science facility that would foster multidis-

A|S News ciplinary collaboration,” he said. “Now we are translating that basic concept into a wonderful new facility that will provide a 21st century home for our University’s chemistry and molecular science programs.”

Kaifer noted that the new facility will help break through traditional academic silos, bringing together chemists and engineers with different viewpoints, skills, and insights.

“There is great value in fostering collaborative studies that may involve biochemistry, bioengineering, and biomedical research,” he said. “Scientists today work in teams, and our new building will support that approach.”

In a traditional laboratory setting, an instructor stands at the front of a classroom while students formulate hypotheses,

“Our vision is to become a powerhouse for scientific research, attracting world-class students and faculty while supporting new enterprises.”

-Julio Frenk

Assistant Professor Jean-Hubert Olivier

conduct experiments, and discuss the results and conclusions.

Professors and students work in a closed environment and leave it behind after the class or project is completed.

“If you walk into a new science building, you will see a very different design,” Kaifer said. “There are large open spaces with comfortable seats, movable chairs, whiteboards, and charging stations. That makes it easy for students to discuss their work with each other, and connect with their classmates on site or in different locations.”

Scientific laboratories are also changing to support collaborative teams. Glass walls, moveable partitions, and shared bench spaces bring different research groups closer together and provide more efficient use of instrumentation.

“We are seeing a dramatic shift in the culture of science and engineering,” Kaifer added. “Today’s students are used to working in groups, and being a good team member is an important skill to cultivate in both disciplines.”

UM President Julio Frenk

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A|S News IGNITING THE SPARK With its location just east of the Ashe building on the Coral Gables campus, the Phillip and Patricia Frost Science and Engineering Building will serve as a physical and symbolic link between the two colleges. It was made possible by a landmark $100 million gift from the namesake UM benefactors for the Frost Institutes of Science and Engineering.

“Today we ignite the spark that will ensure that the light of discovery and innovation will shine at the U far into the future,” said UM Provost Jeffrey Duerk at the groundbreaking ceremony. “Dean Bachas and Dean Bardet have been entrusted with leading their schools into this new era and implementing the Frosts’ vision of supporting scientific collaboration across disciplines.”

At the groundbreaking event, about 300 invited guests watched University of Miami President Julio Frenk and Patricia and Phillip Frost push down three “detonators” that set off fountains of orange and green foam shooting up into the air. They also got close-up glimpses of some of the innovative work being conducted in UM labs.

“Our vision is to become a powerhouse for scientific research, attracting world-class students and faculty while supporting new enterprises,” Frenk said. “This new building will be a striking addition to our beautiful Coral Gables campus that will put science on display and engage our entire community.”

THE POWER OF PHILANTHROPY The creation of the Frost Institutes, patterned after the National Institutes of Health, is the backbone of STEM@ UM, a transformational initiative designed to stimulate interdisciplinary research and promote Miami as a hemispheric innovation hub. Along with supporting the new building, the Frosts’ gift includes $30 million for the creation of at least 13 chairs in STEM fields, and $3 million for graduate student support.

Frenk noted that the Frosts’ gift will also facilitate collaboration between the University and the Frost Museum of Science, located in downtown Miami. In turn, Phillip Frost spoke about his support for the University, including serving as a trustee for 35 years.

“We are all visionaries,” he said. “It’s up to us to either give what we can or convince other people to get involved in good causes.” n 6

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(Top) UM Provost Jeffrey Duerk (Bottom) WEIRD SCIENCE: Scientists celebrate the groundbreaking by releasing green and orange foam in the air.

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI

COLLEGE of A|S News ARTS & SCIENCES

STATE OF THE Saying that the institution he leads is at a pivotal juncture in its history, President Julio Frenk outlined the strategies of the Roadmap to Our New Century initiative designed to transform the University of Miami into a top comprehensive research academy. He urged an audience of students, faculty, and staff to overcome the challenges that lie along the path to achieving that goal with “determination and collaboration.”

“We have an unprecedented opportunity to become a university not just of Miami, not just of this country, but also of the world,” said President Frenk, delivering his inaugural State of the U address from the Watsco Center, where, only three years ago during the infancy of his presidency he shared with the UM community a vision for the University’s future.

“Since then, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work,” President Frenk said. His address was augmented by a PowerPoint presentation playing on giant screens behind him and followed by both a discussion with NBC6 news anchor and UM alumna Jackie Nespral and a Q&A session with the audience.

In his remarks, President Frenk described UM as being on an “upward trajectory,” retracing its journey from a fledgling teaching school dependent mostly on tuition to a successful research university with a powerful athletics program and a strong impact on education, research, health care, and the broader community. “The state of the University is strong and rising,” said President Frenk.

UM’s ascent has been swift—the University will not celebrate its 100th birthday until the year 2025. To achieve the University’s primary goal of becoming a preeminent research

institution, President Frenk said that UM, like all universities, must overcome a number of obstacles, among them: the rising costs of higher education, a dearth in research funding, a massive shift in health care, and an attack on the fundamental values—mutual respect, the pursuit of learning, and the quest for knowledge and truth—upon which universities are based.

“These challenges require thoughtful determination and collaboration. They require big ideas and big ambition,” said President Frenk.

The roadmap, approved by the Board of Trustees earlier this year, will be the institution’s guide to reaching that goal, President Frenk said: “As ’Canes, we will move forward with action and intention.” To learn more about the Roadmap, visit roadmap.miami.edu. n

“We have an unprecedented opportunity to become a university not just of Miami, not just of this country, but also of the world.”

ARTS | SCIENCES

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A|S News

Keeping Their Stories Alive For eleven years, the Holocaust Survivors Student Internship Program (HSSIP) paired University of Miami students with Holocaust survivors to create an enriching, unique, and emotional learning experience for both the aging survivors, whose numbers are dwindling, and the students, who are helping to keep their stories alive.

For Jasper Lee, a UM graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Department, the program was life-changing.

“No words really do it justice,” Lee said. “I experienced a wide array of emotions when meeting with my survivor, from sadness and despair to hope and happiness.”

One of the most moving experiences, Lee said, was visiting the Holocaust Memorial on Miami Beach with his survivor, Edith Akerman. “Both she and I were overcome with emotion when we went there the first time.

It was difficult to see Edith confronted with images of the Holocaust—many of the images could have just as easily been of her.”

Now Lee’s story, among others, will be featured in a documentary entitled My Survivor, which recently received a Telly Award in the Online General Not-for-Profit category for the trailer. The Telly Awards recognize excellence in video and television production across a broad range of categories— and have been doing so for almost forty years.

The internship program was offered through the University of Miami’s Sue and Leonard Miller Center for Contemporary Judaic Studies and the George Feldenkreis Program in Judaic Studies in the College of Arts & Sciences. Unfortunately, the program ended two years ago because few survivors are left to share their stories.

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My Survivor examines the impact that the HSSIP had on a handful of its participants.

An impressive group of undergraduates, these young adults were inspired to become living bridges to the future, embracing their survivors’ imperative that the memory and the significance of the Holocaust live on.

“It was an amazing experience for the students, based on their feedback,” said Haim Shaked, professor of International Studies and director of both the Miller Center and the George Feldenkreis Program in Judaic Studies.

“But it was a great experience for the survivors as well, because they had an opportunity to connect with the next generation. It made them feel like they were sending the message into the future so people will not forget.”

Tentatively slated for completion in January 2019, the documentary is a production of the My Survivor Film Project, Inc., in partnership with Levine & Co. Creative Television & Film. The Greater Miami Jewish Federation is the fiscal sponsor for the My Survivor Film Project, a Florida not-for-profit corporation.

The documentary also receives support and cooperation from The Miller Center. n

Class Spotlight

M WHERE FINANCE MEETS MATH

odern industries are data-driven, and the business of managing flows of money is no exception.

So the College of Arts & Sciences’ Master of Science in Mathematical Finance (MSMF) program is an idea whose time has come.

The intensive, three-semester master’s degree program started up in the fall of 2016 with a class of 14 students, who graduated the following year.

“We emphasize contemporary quantitative tools because, increasingly, modern finance is more and more model-heavy and data-driven,” said Associate Professor Alexander Dvorsky, who is also the program director of MSMF. “We’re a science department, so we keep our emphasis on mathematical models and analytic tools. The program is still young, and we are assessing what works best for the program and its students.”

Studies in the MSMF program lean heavily toward probability, numerical analysis, and programming skills applied to the mechanics of financial exchanges and markets. Dvorsky, who has real-world experience working for a hedge fund, points out that it is a valuable course of study for the right kind of student.

“I think it’s is a very effective program for students from different backgrounds who want to do quantitative finance,” he said. “There are quite a few of them. We get people from physics and computer science who want to work in the investment field without going to business school, where they cannot really use what they learned in undergraduate

school. We try to enhance their math maturity.

“Specific knowledge is important, but so is mathematical intuition. We’re trying to build both in our students.”

One of those students is Calvin Yong, who will graduate at the end of the fall 2018 semester. A native of Parkland, FL, Yong earned a bachelor’s degree in math from the University of Central Florida.

For someone who loves probability and statistics, the MSMF program was a logical next step. Yong plans to pursue a Ph.D. in computer science and eventually do work with artificial intelligence.

“I want to be a researcher in AI, which is quite the hot topic these days,” he said.

“I want to focus particularly on deep learning, trying to get the machines to learn without being explicitly programmed.

“Studying mathematical finance gives me an array of tools useful for my goal.”

While the universal nature of mathematics allows Yong to use MSMF to boost his future AI career, most of the students in the program intend to pursue careers in the financial industry, using mathematical models to do algorithmic trading for banks or hedge funds.

“This kind of degree is very popular.

There is demand from big investment banks and trading firms,” said Dvorsky.

While the program includes a diverse student body of both Western and Asian students, most of the students come from mainland China, where a growing financial sector demands globally educated professionals. n

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Faculty Corner

Connecting with Historians

Mary Lindemann, professor and chair of the History Department at the College of Arts & Sciences, has been elected president of the American Historical Association (AHA) for a term beginning January 2020.

“I am particularly pleased and

honored to be chosen by the members More recently, Lindemann has develof the AHA as the future President of oped a project analyzing the impact of the Association,” said Lindemann. “It is early modern wars on the environment an honor and privilege to represent the and infrastructures. She remains deeply Massimiliano Galeazzi profession of history in all public arenas. committed to teaching and scholarship I look forward to reaching out to histori- and looks forward to continuing these ans no matter where they are or in what pursuits while President of the AHA. capacity they serve. Furthermore, I take Likewise, she will remain an active it as my mission to defend the humanmember of the faculty of the University ities vigorously without being defensive of Miami, her intellectual and academic about their value.” “home” since 2004. She previously Lindemann is a historian of early taught for seventeen years at Carnegie modern Europe, principally Germany Mellon University in Pittsburgh. and the Low Countries. Her thematic The AHA, with over 14,000 members, interests have included social, political, is the largest professional organization and diplomatic history. She is also a serving historians in all fields and historian of medicine and public health professions, and it is considered a who has participated in the construction trusted voice for history education and of programs in medical humanities. the professional work of historians.

THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ON CAMPUS EVENT, A UNIQUE ACADEMIC PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI, KICKED OFF AT THE SHALALA STUDENT CENTER BALLROOM IN NOVEMBER. THE TWO-DAY EXPERIENCE SHOWCASED NAT GEO EXPLORERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS AND VIDEOGRAPHERS, ALONG WITH UM FACULTY EXPERTS, WHO DELIVERED KEYNOTE LECTURES, PANEL DISCUSSIONS, AND HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS.

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NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC @UM

Faculty Corner “One thing studying the humanities will tell you is that humankind is always the same. Some things don’t change, the passions and anger and love. All those major themes are still with us. The humanities are how you understand it all,” said Professor and Classics Department Chair John Paul Russo.

STEM research (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) tends to get all the flashy headlines. Someone in a lab invents a better gadget, and it’s easy to see the direct influence of it. But even though the impact might be indirect and less immediately apparent, humanities research can be every bit as important.

Russo works with students on various collections, some of which he compiled himself. One is the I.A. Richards Collection, dedicated to the famous English literary critic who died in 1979.

“Richards specialized in what is called New Criticism in American education,” said Russo. “He did close reading of texts with a concentration on a poem or novel as a work of art without reducing it to the social context, history, or biography.”

Andrew Thompson, who earned an English degree at UM, worked on the Richards collection under Russo’s supervision, examining and cataloging papers. The fact that Russo and Richards actually knew each other gave the work an extra dimension and made it “a lot more than three credits and a summer job,” as Thompson quips.

“Richards and Dr. Russo were good friends and would exchange letters and drafts that Dr. Russo often edited,” said Thompson, now a first-year student at the law school of George Washington University. “Getting to do that kind of hands-on research directly with the materials is very

Academic Research in the Humanities

unusual, and it was great—very interesting to see the process.”

Another student of Russo’s did some writing for the John Paul Russo Collection of Italian-American Poetry and Prose website before going on to law school at the University of Virginia. The way Russo sees it, that was a perfect next step.

“Classics students rank number one in proportional achievement on the LSAT and MCAT,” Russo said. “That’s because of the emphasis on language and interpretation from close reading.”

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any students participated in workshops led by National Geographic contributing photographers, such as “Art and Purpose in Photography” with Robin Hammond, a New Zealand-born photographer known for highlighting human rights issues.

Students also attended the “What will Florida look like in 2100” lecture with Nat Geo conservation photographers Carlton Ward Jr. and Jenny Adler, who spoke about the importance of protecting Florida’s fresh water reserves and how overpopulation is negatively affecting Florida’s wildlife. Emmy Award-nominated National Geographic field correspondent and University of Miami alumna, Mireya Major, delivered a keynote address at the event. Her message to UM students: “Each of us can make a difference, even if it’s just by becoming aware and educated about the steps we can take to protect the environment and wildlife.”

Nicknamed “the female Indian Jones,” Major is a primatologist and anthropologist who has traveled the world, trekking through hazardous terrain to study primates in Africa, South America, and Madagascar. Her book, Pink Boots and a Machete, details her journey from NFL cheerleader to Nat Geo explorer.

University of Miami President Julio Frenk thanked National Geographic for its 130 years of “taking down walls and unmasking illusions through storytelling”—and inspiring all of us to make a difference.

“As our turbulent times have shown us objective facts—the truth—matters,” Frenk said. “National Geographic is the ultimate translator of complex scientific findings into eye-opening and often joyful storytelling. They have opened people’s homes and minds to our vast and celebrated differences and similarities across the globe.”

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Five Questions

Joshua Friedman Senior Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations

QUESTIONS

1. How essential are the roles alumni, parents, friends, and donors play in supporting and shaping UM?

The University of Miami is much more than its buildings, facilities, or campuses.

All of the people who are connected to the University of Miami are what make it a great academic institution, and we would not be who we are or get to where we are going without the strong and continued support of all our UM alumni.

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2. Where do you see UM in the next five years and what will it take to get there?

We are fast approaching our centennial in 2025, and this is a big inflection point for us. It means that we have become an institution we know will be here serving our community for generations to come.

3. Now that you are settled into your new role at the U, what has surprised you about the University?

I’m amazed by the capacity UM has to make positive change in the world. Though our size is relatively small, our waterfront is very broad.

The College of Arts & Sciences, for example, is a great example of that breadth, spanning the spectrum from cutting-edge, collaborative research to developing rich cultural initiatives.

4. How important is gratitude, especially among colleagues and donors?

We are truly fortunate to be the kind of institution that inspires passion from our faculty, staff, and students, but especially from the donors and community members who are equally impassioned by what is happening at the University of Miami. There is something wonderful about the idea that you can help change the world not just by giving to the U, but by giving through the U. 5. What book are you reading now?

The Push by Tommy Caldwell, an incredibly accomplished rock climber who was the first person to free climb the Dawn Wall in Yosemite National Park. I’m not a rock climber, and I’m actually afraid of heights, but I like this book because Caldwell inspires me to think about how to accomplish goals that others say are impossible. This book has taught me that you can do unbelievable things, not because you are superhuman, but because you unpack them and solve them piece by piece. n

Five Questions

Jennifer Ferriss-Hill Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs

2. What are your top priorities for this academic year?

My promotion to this position was unexpected but welcome. I’m excited for the challenge, but my main priority this year is to develop a better understanding of how everything works. I’m confident that once I’ve been at this position for a year, I’ll have a much better sense of what projects I would like to take on moving forward.

For me, my first year in the Dean’s Office is more about listening and learning.

QUESTIONS

1. How did you prepare for this new leadership role?

I’m an academic, so I prepared by reading books.

My husband, who works in business, recommended a book called, From Good to Great, and said that if I was going to read anything about management, it should be this. Most recently, Dean Bachas recommended that I read The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership, which is about the importance of nuance and not seeing things in terms of black and white.

3. How do you feel about working with students in a different capacity?

I am very passionate about teaching, and I miss being in the classroom, so I plan to teach at least one course next year. Since I care about our students a great deal, it’s actually quite exciting and gratifying to be in this new role where I can help them in a different way.

4. How will your background and your expertise in the humanities assist you in your new role?

The University of Miami fosters diversity, among other values, and we understand this broadly to mean diversity of background, life experiences, ideas, and perspectives.

It’s important to have a humanist in the Dean’s Office, so that, among all of us, we are able to provide different disciplinary expertise and solve problems together. At the same time, as a woman, I also provide another way of looking at things. Finally, I feel that my international background —I was raised in London and Madrid—serves me especially well at UM.

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5. Who has inspired you and why?

Horace, a Latin poet who lived in the 1st-century B.C. and is famous for coining the phrase carpe diem. He also says a lot of things that are important to live by, such as— and I’m paraphrasing—you can change the sky over your head, but you can’t change who you are inside, meaning that if you feel unhappy about a situation, then you need to change your attitude, not the situation. He also

talks about education.

Horace is very interested in what we call nature vs. nurture, but what the Greeks and Romans thought of as the tension between inborn talent and training. He believes that education can only succeed if you take people’s inborn talents —whatever they may be— and work very hard to cultivate them. n

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Student Digest

Earning a Doctorate One Bamboo at a Time Not many young scientists can say they’ve discovered a new species, but Ph.D. candidate Belen Fadrique can say she’s discovered 16 of them—all in the bamboo family. While continuing her research on the new species she encountered during a recent field-study trip in Peru, she’s thinking of the scientific names to give each one. “I am going to name one species after my grandmother,” Fadrique said.

A student of biology, Fadrique obviously loves talking about bamboo. “It’s a super-interesting plant that nobody really thinks about,” she says. “People might have it growing in their backyards, but it doesn’t go much further than that. Also, most people associate bamboo as Asian, so they are very surprised when they learn about the abundance of bamboo in South America.”

Fadrique transferred to UM from Florida International University (FIU), where she began her Ph.D. under the guidance of Kenneth Feeley, who is now at UM as the College of Arts & Sciences’ Smathers Chair in Tropical Tree Biology.

“Professor Feeley is definitely a mentor, and he has been supportive throughout the whole process of my dissertation,” Fadrique said. “But there are many other professors and colleagues who play a very important role in my research, such as Lynn Clark at Iowa State University, Daniel Gann at FIU, and my lab mate, Catherine Bravo.”

Fadrique is originally from Spain—far from the Amazon rainforest. As an undergraduate, she participated in

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a study abroad program in Scotland. There, she joined a field expedition to Peru, and found her calling.

“Being in the tropics surrounded by so many different species of plants and animals was a life-changing experience for me,” she said. “You have no idea how dense and noisy the rainforest is until you’re there; it’s a completely different landscape than what I was used to. It was then that I knew I wanted to come back and conduct research in this part of the world.”

But Fadrique admits to having a love/hate relationship with the bamboo plants she so ardently studies.

“I find bamboo fascinating,” she said. “These bamboo species are native to the area, but they can have invasive behavior. If there is a landslide or a tree falls in the forest, the bamboo plants seem to aggressively take this opportunity to grow, and they do it much faster than any other plant. At the same time, some bamboos have very large thorns and form very dense stands, so it can be painful and difficult to walk around these forests.”

During the spring semester, Fadrique decided to take a chance and presented her research to strangers under pressure—by participating in UM’s 2018 Three-Minute Thesis Competition (3MT). Her presentation on her dissertation, “Defining Bamboo As a Key Modulator of Andean and Amazonian Forest Functioning,” earned her first place and a $500 prize. The 3MT cup bearing her engraved name now sits in the College’s biology department.

“I think it’s easy to think about your thesis, but when someone asks you about it, you tend to freak out because you don’t know where to start or how to give general answers,” Fadrique said. “There is so much information to talk about.

So I thought it would be helpful to participate in the competition and see if I could highlight the important parts of my thesis in a short amount of time.”

Fadrique is the author and co-author of six research papers and the recipient of numerous research grants from such entities as the Bamboo of the Americas, the Kushland Fund, the UM Institute for Advanced Study of the Americas, and the Programa Bosques Andinos, to name a few. n

Student Digest

Lights, Camera, Acting!

The stage is set for the 2018-2019 season at the Jerry Herman Ring Theatre, and for UM senior Rachael Gregoire, who plays the lead role in the play Boy Gets Girl, this season is the most memorable.

“There are so many moments that I will miss, but I will have to say blasting music and dancing in the dressing room, when we’re doing our hair and makeup before the show, is my favorite memory,” she said. “It always gets us energized and brings the cast together.”

“In Boy Gets Girl, I play the lead role, Theresa,” said Gregoire.

“She is a character most women and men can relate to in society today. I have encountered many experiences of stalking by just walking on the street or even in the work field. It does take away a part of your sense of freedom and keeps you on alert at all times, but the best thing to do is to go to someone for help and let them help take care of the situation.”

Tickets are still available for performances at the Ring, such as, The School of Lies (Feb. 21-March 2), which is a story about French society encapsulated by gossip, glamour, hypocrisy,

A Poetic Honor

and scandal; and The Wild Party (April 18-27), an exhilarating musical set in the roaring 1920s and based on the Joseph Moncure poem of the same name. n For tickets to the Ring Theatre, visit as.miami.edu/ringtheatre or call 305-284-3355.

Zaina Alsous, a second-year M.F.A. student, was awarded the 2019 Etel Adnan Poetry Prize for her collection A Theory of Birds. Alsous will receive a $1,000 award, and the University of Arkansas Press will publish her book in the fall of 2019.

This prestigious prize is offered annually by the University of Arkansas Press and the Radius of Arab American Writers (RAWI) for a poetry volume in English by a writer of Arab descent.

A Theory of Birds uses ornithology as metaphor, placing species naming and extinction in conversation with colonial “discovery” events and the gaze that assists imperial violence.

Alsous is a daughter of the Palestinian diaspora, born and raised in North Carolina. She currently lives in Miami while pursuing an M.F.A. in poetry and teaching undergraduate writing at UM. The Etel Adnan Poetry Prize is supported by the King Fahd Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Arkansas.

The prize is named for Lebanese poet, essayist, and visual artist Etel Adnan.

Since its founding in 1996, the Radius of Arab American Writers has celebrated and fostered the writings and writers that make up the vibrant and diverse Arab American community. n ARTS | SCIENCES

15

Passion for

A&S

The College offers undergraduate students a wide range of academic opportunities.

W

BY RICHARD WESTLUND

hen Kimberley Dodt toured the University of Miami campus as a high school student, she dreamed of one day becoming a ’Cane. Now a junior majoring in history and mathematics, Dodt enjoys her role as a Dean’s Ambassador for the College of Arts & Sciences.

“I have a lot of passion for our College, and I want to inspire others as well,” said Dodt. “It’s also a great way for me to get more involved with campus activities and learn more about student life.”

Dodt is one of 19 undergraduates serving as Dean’s Ambassadors this year, according to Leonard E. Clemons, assistant dean for student academic services. “We recently relaunched this important program to provide a greater focus on the exciting undergraduate experiences at our College,” he said.

In addition to representing the College on high school student tours, open houses, receptions, and other events, the ambassadors serve as a resource for first-year students.

Alexander Margetts, a senior majoring in neuroscience, plans to tell current and prospective students about the College’s varied research opportunities.

“I’ve been able to work at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis as a student intern and fellow, and have been part of a study whose results will be published this fall,” Margetts said. “As a Dean’s Ambassador, I can tell others about the benefits

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of my experience, and help them learn how to explore the opportunities here and how they can be applied to a future career.”

For Miles Pendleton, a sophomore from Oregon majoring in Africana Studies and criminology, serving as a Dean’s Ambassador is a way to make an impact on other lives. “When I enrolled here, one of my goals was to find a way to leave our campus in a better place,” he said.

“Now I can help build strong connections with high school students, and inform our current undergraduates about all the opportunities in our College. When I came to UM, I felt welcomed and now I can do the same for others.”

Born in India, Aloki Patel grew up in Central Florida and is now a sophomore majoring in biology and criminology. She enjoys medical research, peer tutoring, community outreach activities, and participating on Ujhoom, a competitive dance team. “I wanted to get more involved on campus, and becoming a Dean’s Ambassador was a great opportunity for me,” Patel said. “Now I can tell others about all the great things offered by our College.”

Dean’s Ambassadors need a GPA of 3.0 or higher, and must be current A&S students in good standing. “We look for student diversity in all its aspects so we can offer firsthand experience in the wealth of programs we offer,” Clemons said. “Our ambassadors are active, positive members of our team, and we are lucky to have them.”

LET’S MEET THE AMBASSADORS

DEAN’S AMBASSADORS 2018-19 Aneesha Balachandar Microbiology & Immunology Kimberley Dodt Mathematics / History / Int’l Studies Sydney Frame Political Science Isabelle Geller Computer Science Isis Gomez Economics / Political Science / Spanish Brent Lawrence Biology Alexander Margetts Neuroscience Mohammed Moosa Psychology Albany Muria Political Science Michael Nesheiwat Neuroscience / Biochemistry Sade Orejobi Psychology / Spanish Aloki Patel Biology / Criminology Neil Patel Neuroscience Miles Pendleton Africana Studies Sita Ramaswamy Biochemistry Margaret Sills Psychology Sumra Wahid International Studies / Chemistry Lola Whittingham Microbiology & Immunology / Public Health Ryan Yde Political Science

ARTS | SCIENCES

17

PASSION FOR A&S

Beyond the Book

M

ollie Cole, a junior majoring in Economics, Spanish, and Judaic Studies, spent last summer gaining hands-on international experience at Start-Up Chile, thanks to a “Beyond the Book” scholarship.

“I wanted to put my time and effort toward something that would make an impact in the real world,” said Cole, who is continuing her Latin American studies this semester in Buenos Aires. “Beyond the Book encouraged me to think about ways my intellectual pursuits could be brought to life and allowed me to develop an international perspective by being immersed in a new environment.”

Beyond the Book scholarships, which fund intensive learning and research activities for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, is one of the many special learning programs for undergraduates. For students like Cole, the College opens the door to new learning opportunities. n

Inspiration from the Renaissance Man

I

nspired by Leonardo da Vinci, the College’s da Vinci Program (dVP) allows first-year and second-year students to explore interdisciplinary connections among the arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences.

“We understand that many undergraduates have diverse interests and don’t want to focus only on one of the sciences or liberal arts,” said Program Director Catherine L. Newell, assistant professor, Department of Religious Studies, and advisor for the College’s Medical Humanities Program. “The da Vinci Program brings together the arts, sciences, humanities, and social sciences to meet the needs of individual students.”

This fall, about 30 first-year students were selected for the four-year da Vinci Program.

“We look for applicants with strong academic credentials who express an intellectual curiosity that isn’t contained within a single discipline,” Newell said.

Undergraduates take one da Vinci-only course with their

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entering cohort each semester for their first two years, said Jennifer Ferriss-Hill, senior associate dean for academic affairs. “It builds a nice sense of community, as they move into individual research or capstone projects in their junior and senior years.”

Newell says many studies have shown the benefits of building analytical and creative skills on “both sides of the brain,” along with the cross-pollination of ideas from the sciences and the humanities. “In today’s world, we benefit from having multiple perspectives, and our da Vinci scholars come up with some amazing ideas.” n

PASSION FOR A&S

A Stimulating Class Experience

“O

ne of the College’s signature offerings is the First-Year Seminar program, which allows advanced topics to be taught by distinguished faculty members,” said Ferriss-Hill.

“These courses engage and empower new students by creating a sense of community as well as providing a significant intellectual challenge.”

Around 100 first-year students take what would otherwise be advanced undergraduate seminars on topics like “Immersive Experience and Virtual Reality,” “Reconsidering the ‘Selfie,’” and “The Politics of Pain.”

Faculty members compete to teach these courses by submitting their seminar proposals each fall, and enjoy teaching stimulating topics often close to their current research, added Ferriss-Hill. n

Our Own Rosetta Stone

A

“I am very grateful for the professors and mentors who helped make this experience a possibility for me!”

nother of the College’s special undergraduate programs is the Directed Independent Language Study (DILS), which allows motivated students to study languages beyond the current curriculum, which includes Spanish, French, Italian, Ancient Greek, or Latin.

“If two or more students want to learn another language, Maria Kosinski, director of DILS, will work to find a native speaker who can help them develop conversational proficiency,” said Ferriss-Hill. The classes are free for the College’s undergraduates, and recent offerings among the 15-20 sections taught each semester include Swahili, Hindi, and Korean.

“Like Beyond the Book, the DILS program is one of our College’s hidden gems,” added Ferriss-Hill. “It’s another way we try to add something special and distinctive to our students’ undergraduate experiences.” n

- MOLLIE COLE

ARTS | SCIENCES

19

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Photo: Brianna Almeida

Creature Comforts A&S faculty and students explore South Florida’s wetlands.

By David Menconi

T

he Loxahatchee Impoundment Landscape Assessment (LILA) is not terribly long on creature comforts. But, in relative terms, the facility in the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is actually a cut above the accommodations that usually come with wetlands research.

“There’s a trailer on site with a couple of bedrooms and even a shower,” said Christopher Searcy, one of the research team leaders at LILA and assistant professor in the College of Arts & Sciences’ Biology Department. “So that’s better than camping in tents—not roughing it quite as much. But still—tramping through the Everglades, up to your arms in a swamp in the middle of the night—it takes a certain type of person who will find that exciting.”

Partnering with the South Florida Water Management District, University of Miami research teams at LILA are out in the Everglades tracking, studying, and measuring different aspects of the ecosystem. Searcy’s research focuses on some of the creatures that live there, such as various amphibians and reptiles.

“The metrics I look at are amphibians and reptiles as part of the Everglades’ total biodiversity,” Searcy said. “A lot of different species live there, and they’re all an important part of the overall food web.”

ARTS | SCIENCES

21

Hunter Howell, a second-year graduate student from Maryland, is one of Searcy’s key collaborators. He leads teams of undergraduates for several weeks at a time in the Everglades on workdays going from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., collecting specimens and data on a wide range of species. Much of the work involves wildlife that might give the average person pause.

“We do visual-encounter surveys, hike the islands, wade through swamps,” said Howell, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in biology. “I don’t think it’s dangerous—nothing has happened, anyway—but it does take a little bit of courage. Several projects I’m currently focused on involve the Everglades’ salamander community.”

Graduate student Brianna Almeida explores the Everglades with A&S faculty.

Assistant Professor Michelle Afkhami

“You don’t hear a lot about salamanders in South Florida, but they’re a really important component of the aquatic ecosystem,” he continued, warming to the topic. “They can get really large, over a meter long, and they look like eels, long and slender and slimy. They’re a ton of fun to work with.”

Fun though it may be, the work is grueling.

“I pretty much sleep for two straight days whenever I get back,” Howell said.

Whereas Searcy and Howell are studying Everglades wildlife in LILA, Michelle Afkhami’s research centers on the overall setting itself. She and her team study tree islands, the small islands throughout the Everglades. The work brings into relief the huge impact that humanity has had on the Everglades landscape over the years.

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“The obvious challenge for the Everglades is the way that its hydrology has been altered,” said Afkhami, an assistant professor in the biology department. “It used to flow north to south, but humans have created all these channels to direct water because of development. That makes sense if you want to construct homes and buildings and so on, but it creates issues for the health of the Everglades. We’re trying to understand what certain hydrological management decisions do to the ecosystem.”

Afkhami works in collaboration with colleagues from Florida International University to study microbiomes of tree islands, specifically the interactions between plants and

microbes on tree islands. Tree islands take up a relatively small percentage of the overall area of the Everglades. But they’re nevertheless important, especially for alligators and wading birds.

“Tree islands are nutrient hotspots with very high levels of phosphorous in an ecosystem that’s naturally low-nutrient,” Afkhami said. “We have them to study in LILA, which is a landscape-scale living laboratory with constructed ecosystems that mimic natural ecosystems. It enables us to ask all sorts of interesting biological questions.”

Students are involved, often doing field work over the summer. It is, Afkhami acknowledges, not the easiest time to be tromping around the Everglades. “There are nicer times of year to be out there,” she noted, “but we do science when and where it’s needed.”

One of those students is Brianna Almeida, a second-year graduate student who got her undergraduate degree from Florida International University.

“Within the Everglades are special ecosystems that are imperiled, including tree islands,” said Almeida. “The tree islands are in decline, but we don’t really know why. So we’re trying to find out. They hold a lot of nutrients, and when they decline and disappear, those nutrients are released into the water.”

These nutrient releases cause a lot of problems with algae, which can have devastating impacts on wildlife throughout the food chain.

“We want to figure out ways to maintain and restore the tree islands,” Almeida said. “If we investigate the soil from healthy tree islands, then we can find ways to restore the degraded islands with trees grown in healthy soil.” n

Photos: Michelle Afkhami and Hunter Howell

ARTS | SCIENCES

23

Unleashing the Power of Digital Transformation

BY RICHARD WESTLUND

New digital tools open the door to exciting research and learning opportunities.

T

racking the phrases used to describe women during the Renaissance, analyzing children’s interactions in a classroom, and tracing creative individuals’ “hot streaks” are among the many ways in which digital tools and applications are transforming research and learning in the College of Arts & Sciences.

“The digital world touches every one of our disciplines, creating exciting new opportunities for research and learning,” said Leonidas G. Bachas, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences.

“We are committed to staying in the forefront of the digital world and integrating these advances into our programs.”

For many years, the physical and biological sciences have been leaders in applying digital tools and applications like big datasets, predictive analytics, artificial intelligence, and 3D modeling in their fields, often with support from the University of Miami Center for Computational Science.

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Now the digital revolution is impacting the arts, humanities, and social sciences as well, making it possible to ask new scholarly questions and gain fresh insights on important issues shaping the study of the past, present, and future.

“Tools like text mining and geographic information system (GIS) applications allow us to conduct historical studies in new ways,” said Hugh Thomas, professor of history and director of the College’s Center for the Humanities. “But it’s important to understand how to match these techniques to one’s projects and have realistic expectations for the results.”

In his studies of medieval history, Thomas has used GIS tools to map violent incidents and explore the impact of a civil war in 12th century England. “While you have to be aware of the limitations of your sources,” he said, “having the right digitized material allows you to examine the data in new ways and explore different kinds of connections.”

Susanna Alles, assistant professor of Modern Languages and Literatures, is using similar tools, like electronic text analysis, to study 15th- and 16th-century texts from Spain and Italy.

“My goal is to discover patterns and answer questions, such as how are women depicted and what words are used to praise or to judge them,” she said. “It’s an example of how we can explore new ways to do research relating to our literary and cultural heritage.”

New insights in the humanities From podcasts to webinars to virtual language classes, the digital revolution is sweeping through the humanities, according to Lillian Manzor, associate professor, Modern Languages and Literatures.

In her role as founding director of the Cuban Theater Digital Archive, Manzor has advanced the use of data mining and other tools to spur collaborative multimedia student projects and open new lines of scholarly inquiry. “Students can be active contributors to the archives, creating reports and articles about their own theatrical companies and communities,” she said.

In teaching Spanish cultural topics, Allison Schifani, assistant professor of digital humanities, uses today’s technology in a variety of ways. This semester, for instance, Schifani is having her students produce digital story maps and films. “There are many more avenues to approach cultural materials today than in the past,” she added.

Another example of using big datasets in the humanities is the “WhatEvery1Says” collaborative project, funded by a grant from the Mellon Foundation. “We are studying the public discourse about the humanities since the 1980s, conducting a statistical and computational analysis of 750,000 articles about the liberal arts,” said Lindsay Thomas, assistant professor of English. “The findings may shed light on how conversations about the humanities have changed through the years and inspire potential strategies to support the humanities in the 21st century.”

In the social sciences Advances in digital applications, models, and sensors connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) also support multidisciplinary studies in the social sciences. For instance, Chaoming Song, assistant professor of physics, is applying statistical methods and models from physics to understanding human dynamics and interactions at various scales.

“Our ability to create data-driven models has expanded exponentially in recent years,” said Song, who was co-author of a collaborative study, “Hot Streaks in Artistic, Cultural, and Scientific Careers,” published recently in Nature.

Tracing the artworks, films, and scientific publications by individual artists, film directors, and scientists, the researchers found that each career was characterized by “bursts of high-impact works” occurring in sequence.

“These results deepen our understanding of patterns that govern individual ingenuity and success, and may have implications for identifying and nurturing individuals whose work will have lasting impact,” said Song.

Researchers in the Department of Psychology are using digital recording devices and vests with embedded GPS sensors to capture data from young children and analyze patterns for insights into developmental delays, language acquisition, and other issues.

“We want to learn more about how children build language skills and apply those findings in classroom settings,” said Lynne Katz, research associate professor and director of the University of Miami’s Linda Ray Intervention Center. “Our team is using new technology to see how children interact with their peers and teachers.” (See page 27 for more about this research.)

Reflecting on the importance of collaborative digital-based research, Katz said, “We can look at one variable at a time, adjust our models and keep learning new things. The integration of technology, data collection, and real-world applications has huge implications for all the social sciences, not just psychology.” n

Our ability to create data-driven models has

expanded exponentially in recent years.

ARTS | SCIENCES

25

Encouraging Scientists to Collaborate on the Tropics

T

imothy Perez, a biology Ph.D. student, left snowflakes behind to pursue his dream of becoming a tropical botanist in the Sunshine State. His latest study, “The changing nature of collaboration in tropical ecology and conservation,” recently published in Biotropica, investigates collaboration among scientists, researchers, and other experts whose work advances the field of tropical ecology.

“A lot of tropical ecology and conservation science is actually published by scientists who are outside of, or not from, the tropics,” said Perez, an alumnus of the University of Vermont. “One motivation for this study was to see if scientists outside of the tropics are starting to collaborate with scientists within the tropics.”

Perez’s study does not dismiss the hard work that remotely based scientists do in the tropics, but rather seeks to determine if that work is happening in a bubble. If so, he notes, important information could go unshared.

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“Collaboration with local scientists ensures that any science produced is more effectively translated into conservation policy or management plans,” said Perez.

“Given that there is a global interest in tropical conservation, linking the work that scientists do in labs all across the globe to those on the ground with an intimate knowledge of tropical environments is key.”

For his study, Perez reviewed years’ worth of articles to look for changes in the number of authors contributing to individual publications. In another important variable, he documented the authors’ country of affiliation. Biotropica and the Journal of Tropical Ecology, the quintessential tropical conservation and ecology research journals, were the sources of the raw data that the study analyzed.

Perez and his co-author, J. Aaron Hogan at Florida International University’s Department of Biological Sciences, reviewed hundreds of articles published between 2000 and 2015 to reach their

conclusions.

Overall, international collaboration, including collaboration between tropical and non-tropical authors, is increasing.

In part, this is good news, because more scientists from tropical countries are being represented in the scientific literature.

“The trend across science that there are going to be more authors per paper indicates increased lines of communication,” said Perez. “Science should be inclusive by nature, and I think our study shows we are moving in the right direction in tropical ecology.”

Although this study is a diversion from Perez’s main research—investigating how tropical rainforests respond to climate change—it is very relevant to his daily work. For starters, the study could be a bellwether for conservation efforts that affect his field. “A paper,” noted Perez, “is just one way that people can collaborate and do science that will hopefully translate into policy on some level.” n

A|S Research

Language sets the stage for how children grow, and examined how language use and development develop, and learn. University of Miami Assistant in 2- and 3-year-old children was influenced by Professor of Psychology Lynn what they heard from their Perry, whose research focuses on teachers and their peers. language and cognitive develop “Previous research on ment in children, says a child’s language development looked early years of language mostly at the role of development are critical for parent-child interaction the fundamentals of school within a home setting or readiness, such as literacy a lab environment, which skills and social and means we’re missing a big emotional growth. part of a child’s everyday In a recent study publife—the classroom,” said lished in the journal PLOS Perry. “We know that parOne, Perry and a team of ent language is important fellow researchers examfor children’s developined child speech interacment and their academic tions over the course of a achievement, but we don’t year at the UM Linda Ray have much research on Intervention Center. what happens in the day “For two decades, the care or preschool setting.”

Linda Ray Intervention Using a device called

FOR TWO DECADES, THE LINDA RAY Center, a research proa Language Environment INTERVENTION CENTER HAS FOCUSED ON gram in the Department of Analysis (LENA) recorder, THE DEVELOPMENTAL NEEDS OF VULNERABLE Psychology, has focused on Perry collected hundreds of CHILDREN AGES 0 TO 3 WHO ARE the developmental needs of hours of audio recordings COMPROMISED BY CHILD MALTREATMENT vulnerable children ages 0 at the center. Children wore to 3 who are compromised the LENA recorder in a AND MATERNAL SUBSTANCE ABUSE. by child maltreatment and pocket on the front of their maternal substance abuse,” said Director Lynne Katz, who T-shirts once a week. LENA software then assessed whether is also a research associate professor at UM. “Critical to that the recorded audio was speech or not. research is understanding the communication experiences in After studying hours of the audio data, Perry found that the classroom between children and their teachers, as well as the speech children heard from other children was positively peer-to-peer interactions.” related to their own language use. Children who heard the The study, “A year in words: The dynamics and consemost from their peers learned more new words and vocalized quences of language experiences in an intervention classmore during the course of the year. n room,” measured language experiences in a childcare setting

ARTS | SCIENCES

27

Bookmarks SPRINGER BRIEFS IN GEOGR APHY

R E C E N T A & S FA C U LT Y P U B L I C AT I O N S Kathleen Sullivan Sealey Ray King Burch P.-M. Binder

Will Miami Survive?

The Dynamic Interplay between Floods and Finance

Mortgages and Climate Change KATHLEEN SEALEY BIOLOGY Will Miami Survive? The Dynamic Interplay between Floods and Finance (Springer). This SpringerBrief uses a complexity perspective to integrate risk, finance, and ecological issues in Miami. It focuses on how the modern financial system, particularly the mortgage market, perceives and manages the risk of climate change. It offers the case study of South Florida to illustrate how landscapes can be either repurposed to function ecologically when residents relocate or rebuilt to reduce the threat of future flooding, the tools needed to make these decisions, and how financial systems view and influence them.

123

DEBRA LIEBERMAN PSYCHOLOGY Objection (Oxford University Press). In Objection, psychologists Debra Lieberman and Carlton Patrick examine disgust and its impact on the legal system to show why the things that we find stomach-turning so often become the things that we render unlawful. Shedding light on the evolutionary and psychological origins of disgust, the authors reveal how ancient human intuitions about what is safe to eat or touch, or who would make an advantageous mate, have become co-opted by moral systems designed to condemn behavior and identify groups of people ripe for marginalization.

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MAUREEN SEATON ENGLISH Sweet World (CavanKerry Press). Sweet World is a new collection of poems by Seaton.

American fiction writer and poet Laura Kasischke said, “I haven’t read anything that moved and amazed me (all this play, and invention) and made me like poetry so much in a long, long, long time! Not forgettable, not for cowards, and not a poetry you want to leave this world, sweet or otherwise, without reading.”

JOSEPH USCINSKI POLITICAL SCIENCE Conspiracy Theories and the People Who Believe Them (Oxford University Press).

In Conspiracy Theories and the People Who Believe Them, Uscinski has gathered forty top researchers on the topic to provide both the foundational tools and the evidence to better understand conspiracy theories in the United States and around the world. Each chapter is informed by three core questions: Why do so many people believe in conspiracy theories? What are the effects of such theories when they take hold in the public? What can or should be done about the phenomenon?

Combining systematic analysis and cutting-edge empirical research, this volume will help us better understand an extremely important yet relatively neglected phenomenon.

VIVIANA DIAZ BALSERA MODERN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES. Guardians of Idolatry (University of Oklahoma Press). Guardians of Idolatry tells a compelling story of the robust presence of a unique form of post-classic Mesoamerican ritual knowledge, fully operative 100 years after the incursion of Christianity in south Central Mexico. Through close reading of representative incantations from the collection—for safe travel, maguey sap harvesting, bow-and-arrow deer hunting, and divination through maize kernels—the book shows the nuances of a Nahua spiritual world populated by intelligent superhuman and nonhuman entities that directly responded to appeals for intercession by men and women in need.

GUARDIANS of IDOLATRY GODS, DEMONS, and PRIESTS in Hernando Ruiz de Alarcón’s Treatise on the Heathen Superstitions Viviana Díaz Balsera

Bookmarks

The Philosophy of Mathematics

OT Á V I O B U E N O taught in California and

South Carolina before moving to the University of Miami, where he is now Professor of Philosophy and Chair of the Philosophy

OTAVIO BUENO PHILOSOPHY Applying Mathematics: Immersion, Inference, Interpretation (Oxford University Press).

What has been called “the unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics” sets a challenge for philosophers. Some have responded to that challenge by arguing that mathematics is essentially anthropocentric in character, whereas others have pointed to the range of structures that mathematics offers. Otavio Bueno and Steven French offer a middle way that focuses on moves to be made in both the mathematics and the relevant physics in 1 order to bring the two into appropriate relation. unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics’ sets a challenge for philosophers.

Some have responded to that challenge by arguing that mathematics is essentially anthropocentric in character, whereas others have pointed to

of science, of mathematics, and of logic, epistemology, and philosophy of art, and is the author of many books and articles. He is Editor-in-Chief of Synthese.

Applying

which to frame their theory, it is there to hand? What has been called ‘the

M AT H E M AT I C S

How is it that when scientists need some piece of mathematics through

Department. He works in the philosophies

ST E V E N F R E N C H taught at universities in

Brazil and the USA before moving to Leeds in 1993, where he is Professor of Philosophy of Science. He is the author of numerous books and papers in the philosophy of science and is Co-Editor-in-Chief of The British Journal for

the range of structures that mathematics offers. Otávio Bueno and Steven

into appropriate relation. This relation can be captured via the inferential conception of the applicability of mathematics, which is formulated in

A L S O P U B L I S H E D BY OX F O R D U N I V E R S I T Y P R E S S

terms of immersion, inference, and interpretation. In particular, the roles of

idealizations and of surplus structure in science and mathematics respectively

are brought to the fore and captured via an approach to models and theories

T H E ST RU C T U R E O F T H E W O R L D

that emphasizes the partiality of the available information: the partial

Metaphysics and Representation

structures approach. The discussion as a whole is grounded in a number

Steven French

of case studies drawn from the history of quantum physics, and extended

the Philosophy of Science.

BUENO & FRENCH

French offer a middle way, which focuses on the moves that have to be made in both the mathematics and the relevant physics in order to bring the two

Applying

to contest recent claims that the explanatory role of certain mathematical

I D E N T I T Y I N P H YS I C S

A Historical, Philosophical, and Formal Analysis Steven French and Décio Krause

structures in scientific practice supports a realist attitude towards them.

Otávio B U E N O Steven F R E N C H

M AT H E M AT I C S

The overall conclusion is that the effectiveness of mathematics does not

seem unreasonable at all once close attention is paid to how it is actually applied in practice.

ISBN 978-0-19-881504-4

9 780198 815044

IMELDA MOISE GEOGRAPHY AND REGIONAL STUDIES Public Health, Disease and Development in Africa (Taylor Francis). The closure of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015 prompted the need for a book of this kind. An interdisciplinary group of global health scholars contribute to the understanding of the emerging and fast-growing problem of the dual burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Africa. This book is timely, as the international community has moved from the MDGs to adopt the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as the blueprint for a new human development agenda.

CATALINA QUESADA GOMEZ MODERN LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES Cámara de eco.

Homenaje a Severo Sarduy (México: Fondo de Cultura Económica). This book brings together a series of essays to help the reader approach the legacy of Severo Sarduy (Camagüey, Cuba, 1937-Paris, 1993). In recognition of the relevance and validity of his work today, this book discusses a wide range of issues, such as the links between Sarduy’s literary and plastic production, as well as its dialogue with scientific thought, astrophysics, psychoanalysis, and Buddhism.

M. SCOTT HEERMAN HISTORY The Alchemy of Slavery: Human Bondage and Emancipation in the Illinois Country, 1730-1865 (University of Pennsylvannia Press). In this sweeping saga that spans empires, peoples, and nations, M. Scott Heerman chronicles the long history of slavery in the heart of the continent and traces its many iterations through law and social practice. Arguing that slavery had no fixed institutional form, Heerman traces practices of slavery through indigenous, French, and, finally, U.S. systems of captivity, inheritable slavery, lifelong indentureship, and the kidnapping of free people. By connecting the history of indigenous bondage, Heerman shows how French, Spanish, and Native North American practices shaped the history of slavery in the United States.

2

Jacket image: Hans Vredeman de Vries, Perspective, 1604.

Science History Images / Alamy Stock Photo

Immersion, Inference, Interpretation

2

MITSUNORI OGIHARA COMPUTER SCIENCE Fundamentals of Java Programming (Springer).

Making extensive use of over 180 code examples and 250 exercises, this textbook on Java programming teaches the fundamental skills for getting started in a command-line environment.

It is meant to be used for a one-semester course to build solid foundations in Java.

ARTS | SCIENCES

29

Class Notes

AND WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Paul J. D’Angelo, B.A. ’63, was recognized as a distinguished alumnus by the UM Band of the Hour Alumni Association, and he was inducted into their “Hall of Fame” during UM’s Homecoming in November. D’Angelo also recently co-authored the book, Sounds of the Circus. A Tribute to Richard Whitmarsh and the South Shore Concert Band, with Jon C. Mitchell.

The book serves as a combination of well-researched information about music from the Golden Age of the American Circus and, at the same time, chronicles the history of circus music and circus band composers.

70s Bari Deutscher Amadio, A.B. ’70, is the CEO of the Greater Rochester Arts and Cultural Trust. She was the recipient of the Mayor’s Medal of Honor for Arts and Culture, in Rochester, as well as the Rochester Civic Theatre’s Lifetime Achievement award. Amadio loves education so much that she went on to pursue four more degrees. She is also working on her sixth degree in Fine Arts and Design. In her spare time, she is a medical actor for the Mayo Clinic Rochester and is an associate producer for the upcoming film Seed of Doubt.

Submit your own class note, book, or news as.miami.edu/alumni/class-note casmagazine@miami.edu

60s Leon Hoffman, A.B. ’61, is a former cellist with the Miami Symphony Orchestra and maintains his life-long, loving connection to chamber music.

He maintains an enjoyable, fulfilling psychology practice in Chicago, specializing in individual and group psychotherapy and supervision, consultation, and coaching with individuals and organizations.

He frequently writes on diverse topics in lay and professional publications. Hoffman is eager to continue contact with his UM colleagues. He encourages all who are interested in any of his writings to research Leon J. Hoffman, Ph.D., online.

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Les A. Goldsmith B.S., M.S., V.M.D., Ph.D. ’72, earned his bachelors degree in biology and chemistry from UM in 1972 and left Miami with his future bride, Constance A. Perine, B.A. ’71, to attend the University of Rhode Island, where they both earned master’s degrees. Goldsmith earned his Ph.D. in pharmacology and toxicology, then earned his doctorate in veterinary medicine, from the University of Pennsylvania in 1980. He also did both clinical medicine and safety evaluations of new compounds until he joined one of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies in 1985. Goldsmith advanced to become the V.P. for Safety, Regulatory, and Medical Affairs as well as a Board Member of McNeil Specialty Products Company.

He was the key medical and safety scientist responsible for the pubication of the

study results on Splenda, the no-calorie sweetener.

Goldsmith retired from J&J in 2005, and he and Connie purchased their dream farm in rural Virginia. He also was able to return to the veterinary hospital he started 25 years earlier to work part time and enjoy life.

Class Notes Ann Mannheimer Matthews, M.A. ’75, lives in California, just north of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. After leaving her career as a marketing executive, she began a new career path as a writer. Her first book, Body of Knowledge, was published

by Piggyback Press in July. The novel is set in the San Francisco area’s vibrant biotechnology industry. Prepublication and early reviews have been excellent. The book is in print and eBook formats and available online and for special order at bookstores. Matthews and her husband, Randy Matthews, enjoy an active life in Northern California. They have two daughters who work and live nearby in San Francisco. She would love to hear from classmates and friends. You can visit her website, www.AMMatthews.com, for her contact information, or her Facebook page, fb.me/ BookBodyofKnowledge.

Ruth L. Harrison Cohen, B.E.D ’76, co-authored the children’s book Lyon of the Tiger. The book was written in memory of her sister. She lives in Scottsdale, AZ, and has been happily married for 42 years to William L. Cohen, B.S ’72, M.D. ’76.

90s Maria Alexandra Rodriguez, B.S. ’98, is a full-time interventional cardiologist at the Montefiore Medical Center in New York. She is also an Assistant Professor in Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Previously, she specialized in GeneralCardiovascular Disease at Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia and subspecialized in Interventional Cardiology.

She received her medical degree at Creighton University and completed her residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital.

She is happily fulfilling her lifelong passion for medicine.

Rodriguez resides in Connecticut with her physician husband, Steve, and two children, Carlotta and Alejandro.

00s Keiana Desmore, B.A. ’08, is an alumna of the Psychology Department. She also earned a Master of Arts degree in Educational Leadership from Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU).This past May, Desmore achieved her dream when she graduated with an Ed.D. from Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU). She is the first African American woman to graduate with a doctorate of education degree from FGCU. She will serve as the Assistant Dean in the College of Education at FGCU and is responsible for student services and graduate student advising.

Christina Hajj, B.A. ’08, is the Manager of Public Policy for DTE Energy, a diversified energy Fortune 250 company based in Detroit. After receiving her bachelor’s in International Studies with a minor in English Creative Writing at UM, she worked for the Florida Legislature, then joined the Peace Crops where she served in China for two years. Throughout her career, she’s worked on a wide range of issues across local, state, federal, and foreign domestic spheres including electric generation, education, defense spending, and financial management, among others.

The education Hajj received at UM established her political framework and taught her to engage critically with policy across international and domestic landscapes. She still talks about the three classes she took with Professor Richard Weisskoff and how formative they have been for her professional and personal life.

Nicolas David Schaad, A.B. ’08, is an epidemiologist working in the Center for Global Health at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). After leaving UM, he chose to pursue his Master’s in Public Health and has been working in global health for CDC ever since. Sherri Porcelain’s INS classes and field experiences were major reasons why Schaad chose to pursue public health as a career.

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Class Notes Charles David Hanna, A.B. ’09, graduated in 2009 Cum Laude and received a Master’s of Arts from the University of Oregon in Folklore. He is happily married and has two children.

Massiel Leiva, A.B. ’17, is in her first year at Harvard Law School. She graduated in May 2017 and worked for a year at ConnectFamilias, an organization that provides wrap-around case management and advocacy training for families in Little Havana, many of whom are Spanish -speaking immigrants. She also helped plan workshops with partner organizations around topics like financial coaching, HIV/STD prevention, legal services, and more.

Leiva enjoyed her time at UM and is looking forward to her next chapter.

In Memoriam DAVID HERTZIG The Department of Mathematics is deeply saddened by the passing of colleague and friend David Hertzig, 85. Hertzig was a distinguished algebraist who earned his Ph.D. in 1957 from the University of Chicago under the direction of Professor Andre Weil. He also served as Chair of the Department of Mathematics at UM during the 1970s. A very talented and versatile individual, Hertzig obtained a J.D. from the UM Law School in 1978, and thereafter practiced law here in Miami while still teaching at UM. Hertzig passed away on September 29, 2018 after he was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver while riding his bike.

He is survived by his four children and 12 grandchildren.

GIOVANNI FRANCESCO ACCOLLA The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures mourns the loss of Giovanni Francesco Accolla, 56. He taught two upper-level Italian literature classes and had a great reputation with students because of his energy and passion for poetry, painting, politics, and history. Thanks to his experience as a journalist and in the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he immediately had an impact on the Italian community in South Florida.

FRANK STUART Frank Stuart passed on August 23, 2018 at his home in Colorado, where he lived since retiring from the University of Miami. Stuart, a member of the Department of History from 1969 to 2002, was an extremely lively and admired teacher who taught a series of immensely popular courses on Reformation Europe and modern British History.

ROBERT HEALY The English Department mourns the loss of Robert Michael Healy, 65. As a senior lecturer with more than twenty years of teaching experience, Healy was a highly accomplished and universally admired instructor who taught dozens of undergraduate courses in literary studies and writing, analyzing a wide range of literary topics and texts such as Shakespeare, Virgil, and Dante. He passed away on July 21, 2018.

Encouraging Kids’ Creativity...

Old-School Style Meghan Owenz, a University of Miami alumna (Class of 2013) who graduated with a master’s degree in Psychology, and her husband, Adam, developed a game designed to encourage creativity in kids. The game is called Starting LinesTM and the concept is simple: everyone gets the same starting line, a category card tells them the general theme, and then they have two minutes to transform that starting line into a drawing and caption it. All the drawings are then judged by one of the players. “My favorite part of the game is seeing how everyone started with the same line, but created totally different designs using it—and the captions, because they can make a drawing hilarious,” said Owenz. “We would love to see this game become a part of the movement towards recognizing the importance of creativity.” For more information about Starting Lines, visit www.startinglinesgame.com.

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WHAT WILL YOUR LEGACY BE? We want to feature stories of donors who have made a legacy gift to the College of Arts & Sciences. If you have included the College in your estate plans, let us know. You could be featured in our next issue.

Consider a planned gift to the University of Miami’s College of Arts & Sciences.

Learn how your legacy can impact generations to come.

There are a number of ways to make a gift to the College: • Appreciated Securities • Will or Trust Bequest • Charitable Gift Annuity • Charitable Remainder Trust • Retirement Assets • Life Insurance • Real Estate (Retained Life Estate)

Angie Gonzalez-Kurver Director of Development University of Miami College of Arts & Sciences 305.284.4638 | ajgonzalez@miami.edu Cynthia L Beamish, Executive Director University of Miami Office of Estate & Gift Planning 305.284.4342 | cbeamish@miami.edu

www.miami.edu/plannedgiving

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PRETTY IN PINK To recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, the University of Miami Women’s Commission and the UM chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority co-sponsored the Think Pink Cobb Fountain Lighting ceremony in front of the Donna E. Shalala Student Center.

(Photo credit: Michael Montero)