Faculty News

Listed below is a sampling of faculty achievements.

  • Mary Diez, Ph.D., dean of graduate studies at Alverno, has been named a recipient of the 2010 United States Postal Service award, "Women Putting Their Stamp on Metro Milwaukee." Diez is honored for her outstanding achievements in the field of education.
  • Art professor wins best in show at Kohler Arts Center exhibition details
  • Valerie J. Christell, an art professor at Alverno College, recently opened a new art gallery called Merge. Christell is an artist and curator who exhibits both nationally and internationally. details
  • Art professor is featured artist in "Art in Wisconsin" magazine details
  • English professor's book on UK's Sunday Times Bestseller List details
  • Education professor cited in Harvard Education Letter details
  • History professor's essay published in The Journal of American History details
  • History professor published in "Treaties with American Indians: An Encyclopedia of Rights, Conflicts, and Sovereignty" details
  • APS accepts Behavioral Science Research Center submission details
  • Paper presented on Alverno's curriculum/politically engaged students details
  • Professor of education presents at conference on quality in higher education details
  • Psychology professor published in "Extreme Rocketry" details
  • Music faculty member published in new encyclopedia details

Art professor wins Best in Show in exhibition at Kohler Arts Center

Hide and go seek Dara Larson, professor of art, won Best of Show in the "Eight Counties" exhibition held at the Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wis. Her piece, "Hide and Go Seek/El Rio Abajo El Rio," is a myth about rivers. The river acts as a metaphor for memory, myth and movement. Over 1,500 works were submitted for consideration; about 150 were accepted to the show. https://www.jmkac.org/EightCounties

Art professor is featured artist in "Art in Wisconsin" magazine
Dara Larson, associate professor of art, is the featured artist in the May/June 2008 issue of "Art in Wisconsin." She teaches printmaking, fibers, global papermaking, artist's books, contemporary topics in art and international studies courses in Spain and Mexico. Larson's artworks have been exhibited and collected internationally. She works in drawing, printmaking, papermaking, digital imagery and artist's books.

English professor's book on UK's Sunday Times Bestseller List
Carole Barrowman has been a professor of English at Alverno College for over 20 years and a regular contributor to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writing about books, the arts and the occasional personal essay. She recently wrote "Anything Goes," a very entertaining autobiography about her brother, actor John Barrowman. The book has been on the UK's Sunday Times Bestseller List. Barrowman was featured on TMJ4's Morning Blend, discussing the book and her brother.
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Professor of Education cited in Harvard Education Letter
Mary Diez, education professor and dean of graduate studies, was quoted extensively in the article, "In Search of That 'Third Thing': Education programs strive to define - and develop - the professional dispositions that make a good teacher," July/August 2007, Harvard Education Letter. Read excerpt
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APS accepts Behavioral Science Research Center submission
The Association for Psychological Science (APS) has accepted the submission of Kris Vasquez, assistant professor of psychology, for its 2007 APS Annual Convention in Washington. Vasquez will present the paper, "How Body Concept Differs From Other Self-Assessments: Perceived Control and Moral Failing," along with coauthors Stephen L. Franzoi, professor of psychology at Marquette University and Laura Halley, a senior at Alverno. APS is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of scientific psychology and its representation at the national level; it is the largest organization of research psychologists in the country.

In addition, Vasquez is featured in the online article, "Weight-loss obsession can be hazardous."
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History professor's essay published in The Journal of American History
John C. Savagian, associate professor and chair of the History Department, wrote the essay, "Toward a Coherent Curriculum: Teaching and Learning History at Alverno" published in The Journal of American History, March 2009. details
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History professor published in "Treaties with American Indians: An Encyclopedia of Rights, Conflicts, and Sovereignty"
John C. Savagian, associate professor and chair of the History Department, was recently published in Treaties with American Indians: An Encyclopedia of Rights, Conflicts, and Sovereignty, published by ABC-CLIO in 2008.  His entry was on the Stockbridge Indian leader Hendrick Aupaumut.
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Paper presented on Alverno's curriculum/politically engaged students
Russell Brooker. associate professor of social science, and Glen Rogers, senior research associate, presented a paper on how Alverno's curriculum leads students to be more politically engaged. The paper was presented during a conference at the Office of Professional and Instructional Development in Madison.
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Professor of Education presents at conference on quality in higher education
Mary Diez traveled to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, to represent Alverno in a conference on quality in higher education. She gave a talk on "Developing Effective Assessment in Outcome-Based Curriculum" as well as two workshop sessions. While there, Diez met with faculty at Dubai Women's College.
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Psychology professor published in Extreme Rocketry
Paul Smith, associate professor of psychology, was published in Extreme Rocketry. His article, "Opportunity for Failure," discusses how rocketry projects with their distinctive "failure modes" provide perfect opportunities for students to problem solve, evaluate their own work, and become independent learners.
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Music faculty member published in new encyclopedia
Peter Roller, associate professor of music, was recently published in a new encyclopedia. His entry on Midwestern garage bands and garage rock is included in The American Midwest, An Interpretive Encyclopedia, published by Indiana University Press.
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