2018 FALL LC MAGAZINE

31 www.lycoming.edu NEWS FACULTY & STAFF Robert Smith, Ph.D. , assistant professor of biology, received a $2,500 grant from the Washington Biologists’ Field Club to support summer student research for the Lycoming College Clean Water Institute. He was also named interim chair of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Society for Freshwater Science. Established through gifts to Lycoming College, endowed professorships are one of the highest honors that Lycoming can bestow upon a faculty member to recognize a career filled with exceptional teaching, scholarship, and service. The College is pleased to announce the reappointments of Gary R. Hafer, Ph.D. , John P. Graham Teaching Professor, Mehrdad Madresehee, Ph.D. , Robert and Mary Jackson Shangraw Professor, and Chriss McDonald, Ph.D. , Frank and Helen Lowry Professor, and the appointments of Sascha Feinstein, Ph.D. , Shangraw Chair in the Liberal Arts, Steven Johnson, Ph.D. , M.B. Rich Chair, and Sandra Kingery, Ph.D. , Logan A. Richmond Professor. “Metztli,” a collection of 22 short stories by Xánath Caraza, translated by Sandra Kingery, Ph.D. , and Kaitlyn Hipple ’18 , was accepted for publication by Capítulo Siete, a publishing house in Mexico. The translation was supported by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and by the Lycoming College Arthur A. Haberberger Chairman’s Endowed Student-Faculty Research Program. “Under the Walnut Tree,” by Leah Bedrosian Peterson , associate professor of film and video arts and department chair, is a stop- motion animation film based on the true story of a young boy, Shahan Natalie, who was displaced by the Hamidian Massacres after witnessing the murder of his family. The film, which was made in part with funds gifted through a Lycoming College professional development grant, was selected for screening at the Atlanta Shortfest, the Austin Spotlight Film Festival, and the Florida Animation Festival, where it won first place as the audience favorite. It was also chosen as a finalist with on-screen recognition in the DaVinci International Film Festival and as semifinalist at both Animayo (an Oscar-qualifying festival) and the Los Angeles CineFest. The 7th annual Howard C. Berthold Faculty Research and Information Competencies Award was presented to Todd Preston, Ph.D. , associate professor of English, on April 25, 2018. The award recognizes a Lycoming faculty member who actively supports student research by designing assignments that progressively develop strong research skills, participating in workshops and training sessions, collaborating with librarians, and contributing to the improvement of teaching research skills among professionals. Sara Scott ’12 , adjunct faculty and administrative assistant in the music department, was selected through national auditions as one of 26 to participate in the 2018 OperaWorks’ Advanced Artist Program held in Los Angeles. The four week summer program included classes and private vocal coaching, and concluded with a public performance of a fully staged opera. Kingery McDonald Johnson Madresehee Feinstein Hafer