Thursday, September 21, 2023
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Grants Support Faculty Innovations
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Feature by: Mary Raschko, Associate Dean for Faculty Development
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From left to right: Assistant Professor of Economics Jason Ralston, Associate Professor of Statistics Marina Ptukhina and Assistant Professor of Physics Ashmeet Singh.
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This summer and fall, three Pedagogical Inquiry Grants are supporting instructors’ efforts to integrate new approaches to teaching to enhance student learning.
During the summer, Associate Professor of Statistics Marina Ptukhina developed materials to integrate a simulation-based approach to theory-based inference into her statistical theory course. Commonly used in the department’s introductory statistics courses, the simulation-based approach helps students visualize and conceptualize theory-based statistical inference. Based on student feedback, Ptukhina believes it can deepen learning in advanced classes too, helping students connect material from previous courses to higher-level statistics and offering more practice with computing. The grant supported Ptukhina’s work developing sample simulations using R to feature in lectures and worksheets for students to practice applying theory and using R statistical software.
Assistant Professor of Economics Jason Ralston received a grant to make online tutorial videos using Manim – an animation engine written in the programming language Python. Ralston plans to create supplementary videos addressing the mathematical intuition behind economic concepts, to aid students in upper level courses involving complex math. For students who have not taken math recently or need additional background, the videos will facilitate learning at the students’ own pace. During the summer, Ralston learned to program the videos; he will work on their production throughout the fall.
Finally, this fall Assistant Professor of Physics Ashmeet Singh will develop experiential learning activities for the introductory physics sequence, in collaboration with Physics Technician and Lab Coordinator Alazar Yehdego and Physics-Mathematics major Kai Guthrie ’25. Singh anticipates that experiential learning will spark students’ curiosity, help them connect abstract math with its real-world implementation and promote retention of core scientific principles. Along with in-class activities and demonstrations, the grant supports developing “do-it-yourself” kits to promote a “tinkering” mindset and foster the understanding that physics is everywhere.
Applications for spring 2024 Pedagogical Inquiry Grants are due October 31, 2022.
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Sibley Publishes in Bloomsbury
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Emily Sibley, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and Research Associate in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, has just been published in "The Bloomsbury Handbook of Postcolonial Print Cultures." Her chapter, "Protest, Street Art, and the Archive," examines street art associated with the 2011 Egyptian Revolution as a site of visual culture and political commentary, articulating demands and countering official discourses in media and print. Through fieldwork and interviews with artists, she explores the concept of the city in protest as a physical archive and the challenges associated with ephemerality, digitization and the movement into print.
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Alumni Reunion Events This Weekend
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As a reminder, Alumni Reunion is happening this weekend. The broader Whitman community is invited to attend the events featuring notable alums:
On Friday, Sept. 22 at 10:30 a.m. in Reid Campus Center G02, Barry Stoddard ’85 will talk about his latest publication, “Baikonur Man: Space, Science, American Ambition, and Russian Chaos at the Cold War's End.” The book chronicles his role as a graduate student at MIT to create an experimental payload to grow protein crystals in microgravity to fly on Russian rockets to the Soviet space station MIR, in the heat of the end of the Cold War.
On Friday, Sept. 22 from 3:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. on the steps of Cordiner Hall, Whitties Helping Whitties networking event will connect students to Whitman alums so you can chat about your future! Students are asked to register in advance. The event will be moved into the Reid Coffeehouse if the weather requires.
On Saturday, Sept. 23 at 1:30 p.m. in Olin Auditorium, retired National Park Ranger Jason Ramsdell '93 will present “Adventure and Adversity on Mount Everest” chronicling his recent six week climb of Everest. The arduous adventure was complicated by several mishaps during the deadliest year in the history of the mountain.
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Adam Miller, Vice President for Admission and Financial Aid, made an appearance on a Chinese television show, along with Admission administrators from other liberal arts colleges. Miller (pictured far right) was in China meeting with prospective students to share the Whitman experience. You can see his remarks starting at approximately 01:14:00 in the video.
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Cleveland Commons, Espresso
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Cleveland Commons, Meeting Room
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Cleveland Commons, Global Station
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Would you like to share an event with campus? Submit the information to the Events Calendar.
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