John Ramsay, the Hollis L. Caswell Professor of Educational Studies, published an essay titled “Savor the Slump” in Education Week. The commentary highlights the contributions of Vivian Paley, a 1989 MacArthur Foundation “genius” fellowship recipient and her contributions to the field of education.

Luke Lightning ’93 was featured in an April 15 article in the Purdue Exponent Online titled “Native Americans need community.” Lightning spoke of his experience as a Native American during his years at Carleton and the important of raising community awareness. Lightning is an assistant professor of medicinal chemistry at Purdue and serves as a mentor to Native American students. Lightning was a chemistry major at Carleton.

Shahzad Bashir, assistant professor of religion, and Adeeb Khalid, associate professor of history, were presenters at “Iraq: Anatomy of a Crisis: Causes and Implications of the War,” a Macalester College teach-in. Bashir and Khalid presented on “History, politics and religion: How much is this war really about the Middle East?”

Steven Schier, the Dorothy H. and Edward C. Congdon Professor of Political Science, was quoted in a Saint Paul Pioneer Press story titled “Coleman uses travel to raise profile.” The article reported on Senator Norm Coleman’s first three months in office. “There’s no question that he is one of the celebrities of the freshman class,” Schier said. The story was also picked up by the Associated Press.

Valerie Weiss ’92 is the recipient of the 2002-2003 Outstanding Senior Award for the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM). Weiss received her B.A. from Carleton and her M.A. from the College of William and Mary. Weiss’ research experience includes a study of field ecology and conservation of brown-headed nuthatches and aviary study of effects of color brands on nuthatch behavior. Weiss has received numerous grants and awards at VMCVM including the Dr. J.D. Carter Award and the Pamela M. Slack Memorial Award. She will graduate from VMCVM in May 2003. Weiss majored in biology at Carleton.

Barbara Vaile ’60 was quoted in an April 12 Star Tribune article titled “Town, college clash over war.” The article covered reactions to a Northfield anti-war protest march and how town/gown relationships have been affected by the situation in Iraq. Vaile was an English major at Carleton.

During the past few months, Anne Mayer, the Dye Family Professor Emerita of Music, has appeared in a Carleton visiting composer’s concert, performed Beethoven and Schubert in a Minneapolis recital, accompanied 10 Saint Olaf students in recitals and auditions, judged music competitions in Northfield and Rochester, attended the Music teachers National association convention in Salt Lake City and served as an outside reviewer for the music department of Skidmore College.

Craig Nelson ’77 has been covering the war in Iraq from the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad for the Cox News Service. Over the past week he has been covering the story for National Public Radio and CNN. Yesterday as Baghdad fell he was interviewed for first-hand impressions by NPR’s “All Things Considered” and CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, Larry King and Lou Dobbs.

Wilma Mankiller, the first woman to serve as principal chief of the Cherokee nation, will present the convocation address “The Challenge Ahead: Protecting Our Land and Life Ways” at 10:50 a.m. on Friday, April 18 at Carleton’s Skinner Memorial Chapel. The event is free and open to the public.

Carolyn Sanford, head of reference and instruction at Gould Library, and Paula Lackie, academic computing coordinator for the social sciences and humanities, led a panel presentation titled “Focusing Support on the Disciplines: Effective Models of Collaboration and Assessment” at the EDUCAUSE Midwest Regional Conference.