2012 Reunion College Faculty


Reunion College Faculty

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
 
A
Anthony Aveni is the Russell Colgate Distinguished University Professor of astronomy, anthropology, and Native American studies at Colgate University. He was named a U.S. National Professor of the Year and has been awarded the H.B. Nicholsen Medal for Excellence in Research in Mesoamerican Studies by Harvard’s Peabody Museum. He has researched and written about Maya astronomy for more than four decades. His most recent book, The End of Time: The Maya Mystery of 2012, made Choice’s Top 10 list for 2010.

B
Thomas Balonek, professor of physics and astronomy, whose teaching specialties include extragalactic astronomy and life in the universe, joined the Colgate faculty in 1985. He has a BA from Cornell University and his MS and PhD from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He conducts observatory open houses for the public and instructs students in the use of the telescope.

Frank Barrie ’72, a history major, also obtained an MAT in English from Colgate in 1973. He received a JD in 1976 from Boston University School of Law and retired from his legal career in 2009, after serving as a tax law judge for New York State for 20 years. He also served as a New York State assistant attorney general in earlier years. A backyard home gardener for 30+ years, homemade bread baker, and a long-term working member of the Honest Weight Food Co-op (where he's worked in the produce and bulk foods sections) in his hometown of Albany, NY, this retired lawyer is the founder and editor of the website, www.knowwhereyourfoodcomesfrom.com, which promotes "local and sustainable agriculture that cares for people, animals, land, and water."

Ken Belanger, Raab Family Chair and associate professor of biology, is currently chair of the biology department. Belanger earned a PhD in cell biology and genetics from Duke University and has taught at Colgate since 2001. His research investigates how proteins move in and out of the nucleus of cells and on how cells carefully regulate that movement. Professor Belanger’s work has been published in the Journal of Cell Biology, DNA and Cell Biology, Journal of Biological Chemistry and elsewhere, and he was recently awarded an NIH grant to support his research program. Belanger teaches courses in cell and molecular biology, including a core-scientific perspectives course entitled “Cells and Human Development.”

Rabbi Dena Bodian has thoroughly enjoyed her first year at Colgate as the associate university chaplain. She particularly enjoys having the opportunity to do interfaith work with the Hindu Student Association, Muslim Student Association, and the Secular Alliance of Skeptical Students, in addition to the Colgate Jewish Union. A graduate of the Hebrew Seminary of the Deaf, she also studied at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Rabbi Bodian worked at Anshe Emet Synagogue in Chicago for six years, tutoring b'nai mitzvah, teaching adult education, working with the religious school, and running the chevre kedisha (burial society) and the conversion program.

Jennifer Brice, associate professor of English, is the author of Unlearning to Fly, a memoir, and The Last Settlers, a work of journalism. Her essays have appeared in such journals and anthologies as American Nature Writing, The Dolphin Reader, The Gettysburg Review, and River Teeth. She teaches creative nonfiction, literary journalism, science writing, nature writing, and travel writing. Brice also serves as associate director of the recently revived Colgate University Press.

C
Alan Cooper was an undergraduate at the Universities of Edinburgh and Pennsylvania, and received his PhD from Harvard in 1998. He has been at Colgate since 2001, teaching courses on medieval European history and in the core.

D
Tom Dine graduated from Colgate 1962. He has had extensive experience in policy-making and the conduct of American foreign policy. He has lived in the Philippines, India, Czech Republic, and Washington D.C. and, as a continuing theme, promoted Jeffersonian-Wilsonian democratic values and precepts in the face of authoritarian challenges, particularly in the former Soviet space and the Middle East. He has held top executive positions in the U.S. government and non-governmental organizations. During the last seven years, Dine has been intimately engaged in conflict-resolution projects in Arab-speaking countries, spending a good deal of time in Syria, for instance, and on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. He remains involved in U.S. relations with former Communist countries in central Europe, and in combating a growing trend of unfree, state-controlled media. He currently serves on five nonprofit boards and holds master's degrees in South Asian history (UCLA, 1966) and the history of ideas (Johns Hopkins University, 2001).

Dr. David M. Dunaief ’92 is an internist specializing in integrative medicine — a combination of conventional medicine with lifestyle modifications. He focuses on preventing and treating and reversing chronic diseases as well as weight management through a high nutrient intake diet, fitness, and stress management. Dr. Dunaief is a writer, presenter, and clinician. He has a lifelong passion for this field, having overcome the intricacies of cerebral palsy through intensive rehabilitation. He has done extensive research on diabetes and migraine, and has presented at numerous venues, including the University of Pennsylvania and University of New Mexico School of Medicine. Dr. Dunaief regularly presents continuing medical education programs to physicians on integrative topics. He has published more than 70 medical articles in a weekly chain of newspapers.

G
Susan Retik-Ger ’90 is the co-founder and president of Beyond the 11th, a nonprofit organization that empowers widows in Afghanistan who have been afflicted by war, terrorism, and oppression. Susan's commitment to Afghan widows was born from her own journey into widowhood — a journey that began on September 11, 2001, when her husband David ’90 was killed. Susan is an inspirational speaker who shares her remarkable story of transforming personal loss into humanitarian outreach, helping others to embrace their own power to make a difference. For her work in the organization, Susan was awarded the 2010 President's Citizens Medal, one of the United States' highest civilian honors.

H
 Matt Hames is the manager of media communications at Colgate University. As a former copywriter and social media strategist, Matt is focused on connecting the Colgate community with the content created by and about Colgate. The goal is to craft a Colgate University digital presence that fits in with all marketing initiatives at Colgate University.

Constance Harsh, professor of English, is currently the Christian A. Johnson Endeavor Chair in liberal arts studies. She is about to enter her final year as director of the division of university studies, which houses the core curriculum. She has taught at Colgate since 1988, offering courses in Victorian fiction, women's literature, and modernity. Her most recent scholarship focuses on the fiction of the English novelist George Gissing. The core faculty development trip was her first visit to India.

President Jeffrey Herbst, an accomplished scholar of international politics and an innovative leader in higher education, joined Colgate in July 2010 after serving five years as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Miami University. Previously, he held various posts at Princeton University, including chair of the university’s department of politics. He has extensive teaching and research experience in the United States and Africa and holds degrees from Princeton and Yale.

Ron Hoham, professor of biology emeritus, taught introductory biology, plant evolution, phycology-macrophytes, and a research course on extreme environments. He earned his BA from the University of Nebraska-Omaha, MS from Michigan State University, and PhD from the University of Washington. He started the Colgate-affiliated Montana study program at the Flathead Lake Biological Station in 1982 and was director of the marine-freshwater science topical concentration. He edited the book Snow Ecology and participated in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and NASA’s Mars Ice projects.

Christopher Henke is associate professor of sociology at Colgate University and a member of the university's environmental studies program. His research and teaching focus on the intersection of agriculture, environment, and science and technology, and he also has interests in the sociology of law and the sociology of work. Henke is author of the book, Cultivating Science, Harvesting Power: Science and Industrial Agriculture in California (MIT Press, 2008) and is currently at work writing a book on environmental controversies related to genetically engineered foods. He teaches a course called, "Food," which includes an internship for students at a local farm, and he is faculty advisor to the Colgate Community Garden, first planted in the Summer of 2010.

K
Padma Kaimal, associate professor in the department of art and art history, has been teaching about India, its art, and the art of Asia, since she came to Colgate in 1987. She has been traveling to India since she was three and met her father's family for the first time. Her research has been about stone temples and sculptures in the deep south — their gods and goddesses, their patrons, and their possible meanings. This year, she publishes Scattered Goddesses: Travels with the Yoginis (Ann Arbor: Association of Asian Studies), a biography of nineteen sculptures and their journeys from a 10th-century goddess temple to museums across North America and Western Europe.

Ellen Percy Kraly is the William R. Kenan Professor of geography at Colgate and is currently editor of International Migration Review. Her research interests include the relationship between immigration and U.S. population growth and environment change, emigration from the United States, refugee policy and resettlement and immigrant incorporation, human rights and Australian Aborigines, and HIV/AIDS and community health issues in sub-Saharan Africa. Kraly earned her BA from Bucknell, MSc in demography from The Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, and her PhD in sociology from Fordham University. She is the former director of the Upstate Institute, and served as president, Population Specialty Group, Association of American Geographers; she received the Colgate University Alumni Corporation Distinguished Teaching Award in 2000 and the Phi Eta Sigma Teaching Award in 2010; she has served as a consultant to the United Nations and the National Academy of Sciences.

Robert P. Kraynak is professor of political science and director of the Center for Freedom and Western Civilization at Colgate. He has a BA from Cornell University, a PhD in government from Harvard University, and has taught courses in political philosophy and general education since 1978. He was awarded the Colgate Alumni Corporation’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 2006.

M
Jay R. Mandle is the W. Bradford Wiley Professor of economics at Colgate University. He specializes in economic development and the economics of democracy. His most recent books are Creating Political Equality: American Elections as a Public Good (Academica Press) and Democracy, America and the Age of Globalization (Cambridge University Press). He is the Treasurer of Democracy Matters, a campus-based organization working to achieve campaign finance reform.

Robert McVaugh, professor of art and art history, has been teaching in the art department since 1980 and currently coordinates the architectural studies program. His art historical research extends from Romantic European painting to modern campus architecture. He is a 2011 Distinguished Teaching Award recipient.

Mark Murphy '77 is in his fifth year as the Green Bay Packers’ president and CEO and serves on the NFL’s Management Council Executive Committee, the League’s Competition Committee, and the Health and Safety Committee. He enjoyed an eight-year NFL playing career with the Washington Redskins (1977–84), serving as co-captain from 1980–84, including Super Bowl championship team of 1982. Murphy is believed to be the first person to earn a Super Bowl ring as a player (1982) and as a team chief executive (2010). In addition to being a trial attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice and an assistant executive director of the NFL Players Association, he has served as a member of the Commissioner’s Player Advisory Committee (1994–2002), and the NFL Youth Football Committee (2002–present). In 2008, he was appointed to the NFL’s Management Council Executive Committee, whose responsibility is to serve as the bargaining team during negotiations with the NFL Players Association for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Murphy, who holds a law degree and an MBA in finance, served a combined 16 years as director of athletics at Colgate University and Northwestern University.

P
Juston Payne ’02 earned an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business in May and will join Google in August. He worked at Foursquare while at Stern and focused on building their media partnerships program. Prior to business school, he led the online advertising group at John Wiley & Sons, where he spearheaded the company's transition from offline to online advertising. He graduated from Colgate magna cum laude in Psychology and writes about social media and technology at DVWLR.com. Follow him on Twitter @justonpayne.

Jane Lagoudis Pinchin, Thomas A. Bartlett Professor of English and department chair, has served as provost and dean of faculty (1994–2001), as interim president (2001–2002), as vice president for academic advancement (2002–2004), and acting director of the Picker Art Gallery (2003–2005). Pinchin has been a trustee at Bowdoin College since 2003. Her publications include Alexandria Still: Forster, Durrell and Cavafy (Princeton University Press, University of Cairo Press, and, in Spanish, Almed 2005). She teaches courses in contemporary fiction and loves best a seminar on Bloomsbury and the novels of E.M. Forster and Virginia Woolf.

John Pumilio, sustainability coordinator, has extensive world travel as a field biologist, environmental educator, and international tourism director. John's travels include work in Tanzania, Peru, Ecuador, Canada, Maine, Alaska, the West Indies, and the Florida Everglades. Before coming to Colgate, John was the director of sustainability at The Evergreen State College. Currently, John leads Colgate's sustainability program, which has reduced its carbon footprint by 17 percent and saved the university more than $300,000 in operating costs. Colgate won the 2011 Climate Leadership Award in higher education for these efforts.

Q
James Campbell Quick '68 has more than 130 publications, many with his physician brother using their signature theory of preventive stress management. He is a fellow, Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, American Psychological Association, and American Institute of Stress. Jim graduated with honors from Colgate, was business manager of the Colgate Thirteen, and commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force. He retired as a colonel with his service’s highest noncombat decoration, the Legion of Merit. He was awarded a Maroon Citation in 1993. He and his wife, Sheri Schember Quick, are members of the Presidents’ Club and have endowed the James Campbell and Sheri Schember Quick Scholarship.

R
Jason Rand '07 is a marketing specialist for Ning.com, the largest platform that makes it easy for anyone, from activists to entertainers to individuals, to create a completely custom, very powerful social website and community. In his role, Jason works cross-functionally within the organization to further establish Ning’s presence in the social space. By packaging stories and content, he demonstrates how the product can be used to build an online community through the Ning Platform and in conjunction with other social medias like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. He also leads content marketing and social programs, and works with clients and colleagues as a product expert. Jason holds a BA in political science and art & art history.

Gary Ross ’77 is an integral part of Colgate’s administration. He served as assistant to the president and secretary to the Board of Trustees from 1985 to 2000, and as dean of admission from 1994 to 1996. Ross returned to the admission office as dean in 2000. He holds a BA in political science and an MS in educational counseling and administration from the University of Southern California. He is a Maroon Citation recipient.

S
Bruce Selleck ’71 has been a department of geology faculty member since 1974. His research includes study of coal-bearing sedimentary systems in eastern Australia and central Alaska, the development of natural gas reservoirs in the Appalachian Basin, and the tectonic history of the Grenville Orogen. Selleck’s research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Petroleum Research Foundation, and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. He has been published in Geology and Journal of Sedimentary Research, among others. Selleck earned his MS and PhD from the University of Rochester.

Nicole Simpson is an associate professor of economics and is currently the Gretchen Hoadley Burke Endowed Chair in Regional Studies. She started at Colgate in 2001, following degrees from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota (BA) and the University of Iowa (MA and PhD). She teaches courses in macroeconomics, international economics, and poverty. Her research areas include immigration, the EITC, education, and fiscal policy. Nicole coordinates Colgate's VITA program, through which students file income taxes for local low-income households. She has also led two groups of Colgate economics students to London, England, for a semester abroad.

V
Ted Vaill ’62 is a documentary filmmaker and screenwriter. He has completed seven documentary films, including Finding Shangri-La (2006). Almost 20 years in the making, it debuted at the 2007 Festival du Film Cannes and recounts Ted’s search for the real life location of the Shangri-La of James Hilton’s book Lost Horizon. Ted has appeared on live radio shows on five continents regarding his search for Shangri-La, which has also been outlined in numerous press articles, including a four-page spread in Newsweek.


W
Mel Watkins ’62 is a current NEH professor of humanities at Colgate. A former critic and editor at The New York Times Sunday Book Review, he contributed reviews, articles on literature, sports, and entertainment, as well as obituaries. Among numerous other publications, his book On the Real Side (1994) is a highly acclaimed social history based on his research of African American humor. His latest book, Stepin Fetchit: The Life and Times of Lincoln Perry (2005), is a biography of the pioneer African American motion picture actor. Watkins is a frequent commentator in television documentaries about entertainment history and performers.