News Briefs
Undergraduate Research Paper Selected for Journal
A paper that got its start as part of an undergraduate research project is being published in an academic journal. “Raleigh-Cary: Best Metro for Women Entrepreneurs?” by Caitlin Dillon and Associate Professor of Business Tony Bledsoe, has been accepted by the “Journal of Business & Economics Research.”
The paper is a gender-specific investigation into what makes a certain city the best place for women entrepreneurs. The abstract describes the paper as “an account of an undergraduate student’s research attempt to verify best place claims for women starting a business. It includes obstacles and challenges she faced in developing a strategy for completing the research work.”
Dillon, a senior majoring in business administration and Spanish, will present her research as part of Meredith’s Celebrating StudentAchievement Day on April 23.
Lecture Focuses on Ecofeminist Philosophy
Theologian Rosemary Radford Ruether presented a lecture on “Ecofeminist Philosophy, Theology and Ethics” at Meredith on March 24.
Ruether said the term ecofeminism emerged around 1972 in France and was first used by French feminist Francoise d’Eaubonne. It’s an analysis of how the domination of women and nature are interconnected, historically, materially, culturally and conceptually. She then presented a comparison of two major ecofeminist thinkers, Vendana Shiva, of India, and Ivone Gebara, of Brazil.
Ruether is an internationally acclaimed church historian, theologian, writer and teacher specializing in the area of women and religion. She has served on the faculty of Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, Northwestern University and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif. Ruether has written more than 40 books and 125 scholarly articles, and she has edited numerous others texts.
The lecture was sponsored by the Mary Stowe Gullick Lecture Fund, in conjunction with the Women’s Studies Program and the Center for Women, Ethics and Public Life.
February Recycling Data Tops Charts
In February 2009, Meredith College community members recycled more paper and aluminum than any previous month in the 2008-09 academic year.
Meredith recycled 1,986 lbs. of paper and 138 lbs. of aluminum during the month of February, compared with 1,250 lbs. of paper and 68 lbs. of aluminum in January.
Sustainability Coordinator Laura Fieselman attributes the higher numbers to several factors including an increase in availability and placement of recycling bins. Meredith's Grounds Department and Sustainability Office have worked together to improve the placement of recycling bins in campus common areas. Educational efforts by the Sustainability Office have also helped clarify what recyclable items are accepted on campus.
Events such as the waste audit held in January and Meredith’s participation in a RecycleMania competition with Peace College are also factors in the increase.
Nutshell Notes
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Alumna Kari Blankenhorn Kirian, ’03, is one of 10 students chosen as “Pirate Profiles” for the East Carolina University web site. Kirian is a fourth year Ph.D. student in East Carolina’s clinical behavioral medicine program. In the profile, Kirian talks about her involvement in a project on psychosocial distress among ICD (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator) patients.
Kirian says, “The distress results from the experience of being shocked by the device. It’s like getting kicked in the chest by a horse. About 30 percent of patients have difficulty with shock anxiety, constantly wondering when it’s going to come. A lot of people get shocked during regular daily activities like riding a bike and as a result they stop that activity. That’s where psychology really comes into play. Because if patients begin to avoid things they love doing because of the ICD, their quality of life will quickly decrease.”
- Sophomore Becki Roebock and freshman Jordan Smith earned player of the week honors March 23. Roebock was named the USA South Softball Player of the Week and Smith was named USA South Softball Rookie Pitcher of the Week. Brooke Baird, who is a sophomore, earned the USA South Women's Tennis Rookie of the Week on March 30.
- Professor of Psychology Jack Huber is leading a workshop at Greystone Baptist Church concerning marriage. The workshop will be based on Theo Schoenaker's model of Encouragement Training. Schoenaker was the Kenan Visiting Distinguished Professor at Meredith in 2005. Huber trained with him here and in Germany and has translated his book on the topic.
- News Director Melyssa Allen is serving a two-year term as president-elect of the College News Association of the Carolinas (CNAC). CNAC is comprised of higher education public relations professionals from public and private school across North Carolina and South Carolina.
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“Something I tell others who ask what it is like to work at Meredith is that the College creates opportunities for students and staff to stretch themselves and try new things. Meredith made it possible for me to live in Australia, take music lessons, learn Italian, climb mountains, be a leader in my profession, and experience Bastille Day in Paris.”