Cliff Clark, Professor of History and M.A. and A.D. Hulings Professor of American Studies, was quoted in the Aug. 15 Star Tribune’s article, “Porch Revisted.” The story delves into how porches have evolved in the American home and enjoyed a resurgence of late. “The porch is an interesting symbolic space in the sense it’s a formal place where neighbors can sit and chat. It’s also a signal that this family is friendly,” Clark says in the story.

Deborah Appleman, the Hollis L. Caswell Professor of Educational Studies, was quoted in the Aug. 13 edition of the Pioneer Press on a story entitled “Anoka-Hennepin school district stands by gay ‘neutrality’ policy.” The policy forbids teachers and staff, to “remain neutral on matters regarding sexual orientation including but not limited to student led discussions.” Two lawsuits have been filed to strike down the policy, according to the Pioneer Press. The push for change in some ways mirrors the battle fought by minority groups to be better represented in schools and reflected in curricula,  Appleman, told the paper. “The majority of schools are a mechanism that…reproduces mainstream society,” Appleman said. A call for “neutrality” on LGBT issues really means the prevailing philosophies of the majority – heterosexuals – dominate in school culture and curriculum, she said. “It is only when people at the margins call for change…that we’ve seen diversification of the curriculum,” she said.

Carleton’s Science Education Resource Center (SERC) is the recipient of a $10 million, five-year National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to create a national STEP Center that will prepare students who can leverage the geosciences to address societal challenges including natural hazards, resource issues, and environmental impacts. The center will conduct project InTeGrate: Interdisciplinary Teaching of Geoscience for a Sustainable Future. The center is one of two funded this year through NSF’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Talent Expansion Program (STEP).

Susan Singer, the Carleton College Laurence McKinley Gould Professor of the Natural Sciences, has won the Charles Edwin Bessey Teaching Award from the Botanical Society of America. The award honors Dr. Bessey, who is remembered as one of the great developers of botanical education in the United States of America. A professor and administrator at the University of Nebraska, his work and dedication to improving the educational aspects of botany are most noted in what Nebraskans call “The Bessey Era” (1886-1915), during which Nebraska developed an extraordinary program in botany and ranked among the top five schools in the United States for the number of its undergraduates who became famous botanists.

Twelve recent Carleton College graduates have been awarded National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships for 2011, the highest number ever for Carleton alumni. The Program provides three years of support for graduate education of outstanding students who are pursuing research-based graduate degrees in a wide range of scientific fields.

Ian Barbour, the Carleton College Winifred & Atherton Bean Professor of Science, Technology & Society, Emeritus, was one of the former Templeton Prize winners honored by Prince Philip in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on June 1. Prince Philip has awarded the prize annually since 1972; he recently celebrated his 90th birthday and will be ending most of his official duties. He wished to honor some of the previous prize recipients in addition to this year’s recipient, Sir Martin Rees, a noted astrophysicist and former president of the Royal Society. Barbour received the prize in 1999 in a ceremony in the same room. From the balcony of this room Prince William and Princess Kate kissed each other after their wedding last month.

On Minneapolis/Saint Paul ABC affiliate KSTP, Steven Schier, the Dorothy H. and Edward C. Congdon Professor of Political Science, answered audience questions via Skype about the looming shutdown of the state of Minnesota government. He says the potential for a short-term shutdown “is pretty high.” Those governmental services deemed “essential” by the court systems would remain up and running, says Schier. A web extra of his appearance is available.

Jack Schneider, Robert A. Oden Jr. Postdoctoral Fellow for Innovation in the Liberal Arts at Carleton College, wrote an opinion piece in the June 10 edition of the Star Tribune entitled “History bends in the hands of ideologues.” In the article, Schneider uses former Alaska governor Sarah Palin’s view of Paul Revere’s intentions during his ride as an example of public figures using history to serve their own purposes. “Now it’s Sarah Palin’s turn, and she wants to cast Revere as a proud gun owner. She wants us to see him as someone who supported the wishes of “well-armed persons” to remain that way. She is out to create a new historical narrative,” he writes. Schneider points out that Palin is hardly the first one to use Revere’s ride to serve their own purpose.

An annual Carleton tradition marks the end of the academic year with the celebration of Honors Convocation, where students and faculty are honored for their outstanding achievements. Stephen Kelly, the Dye Family Professor of Music, gave the keynote address, “My Carleton Education.”

In the May 27 edition of the Christian Science Monitor, Steven Schier, the Dorothy H. and Edward C. Congdon Professor of Political Science, compares two potential Republican U.S. Presidential candidates in current Minnesota congresswoman Michelle Bachmann and former Alaska governor and one-time vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin. “She’s sort of a mini-Palin,” Schier says in the article. Schier feels if both women’ run, that Palin has the clear advantage, as she’s got far more name recognition, higher poll numbers, and a dedicated national fan base. “If Palin runs, then the air goes out of Bachmann’s balloon,” he says.