Trans-discipline

First off, we mark the arrival of two new faculty -- Brian Burkhart (PhD, Indiana) in philosophy and Emerald Archer (PhD, UCSB) in politics and history -- and one new child, Gemma Lee Pederson -- Dr. Christine Carmichael has returned from sabbatical leave in Australia -- Eleven new junior fellows begin their transdisciplinary research seminar (see the Aug. 31 blog) -- We welcome them all -- Additionally, three senior fellows: Dr. Elisabeth Sandberg, Dr. Amy Pederson, and Dr. Rich Matzen, begin their projects in the Institute. Good luck to everyone this year.

Many of us are away this semester, but many are still around. - Dr. Christine Carmichael is on sabbatical in Australia. - Dr. Amy Pederson is on maternity leave. - Dr. Nageswar Chekuri returns from another research trip to India. Dr. Elisabeth Sandberg returns from teaching in Rome. - And there are other comings and goings as well. - Dr. Leo O'Hara is retiring at the end of the semester. - Two new faculty members will be joining us in the fall, one in politics, the other in philosophy. - And we are all in new offices in the Isaacs Faculty Center where the Institute finally has a secure home. Hooray!!

Welcome to a new academic year as may of our faculty return from studying and teaching abroad. - The peripatetic Dr. Nageswar Chekuri arrives fresh from a research trip to India as a national leadership fellow in the SENCER project. - Dr. Amy Pederson rejoins us after teaching architecture students about contemporary art in Berlin. - Dr. E. B. Gendel returns from leading a group of students through the garment industry of Costa Rica. - And Dr. Phil Pack comes back, not after travel, but after a sabbatical leave.

-Dr. Elisabeth Sandberg joins us, bringing her gifts in literary and interdisciplinary studies to our labors. - More transdisciplinary lunches on trans-history and study abroad lie ahead. -Dr. Rao Chekuri recently traveled to Morocco to present a paper on student reasoning in physics. -Dr. Amy Pederson went to Mexico to study Spanish and contemporary Mexican art. -Courses in urban studies, outsider art, and globalization are launched.