Shaping the Future Honoring the Past
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Alumni Spring 2003 CLASnotesThe University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences honoring the past shaping the future The University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Spring 2003 Contents Spring 2003 Alumni CLASnotes is published twice a year by the University of Florida College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for its alumni and friends. Please send all correspondence to Editor, CLAS Dean’s Office, PO Box 117300, University of Florida, Gainesville A Note from the Dean FL 32611-7300 or [email protected]. 3 CLAS honors the past and helps shape the future. Dean Neil Sullivan Senior Director of Development and Alumni Affairs Cynthia Butler A History of the College Director of Development and Alumni Affairs 4 150 years of academic excellence. Della Booher Assistant Director of Development and Alumni Affairs Krista Mitchell Cornell Around the College Editor 8 News and events from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Allyson A. Beutke Contributing Editor Buffy Lockette Design Where Are They Now? Jane Dominguez 10 Former CLAS students enjoy the road to success. Writing Intern Kimberly A. Lopez Graphics Intern Term Professors and Dissertation Simone Williams 11 Fellows Copy Editor Lynne Pulliam CLAS awards outstanding faculty and doctoral students. Photography Jane Dominguez: Cover (Foreground); p. 3 (N. Sul- livan); p. 7 (M. Gannon); p. 8 (T. Porter, R. Abel, A. Alumni Spotlight Patel); p. 9 (M. Mathewson-Chapman, N. Raseotsa, 12 CLAS alumni embrace a world of opportunity. K. Bjorndal); p. 10 (R. Foreman); p. 12 (Turlington Hall); p. 13 (Anderson Hall); p. 14 (N. Sullivan); p. 15 (Students). Courtesy University Archives: Cover (Back- ground); p. 4 (Class of 1906, UF Entrance, W. Floyd); p. 5 (Women's Studies Founders, J. Anderson, Class of Alumni Notes 1910, Anderson Hall); p. 6 (S. Proctor, T. Leigh, M. Rawlings); p. 7 (D. Rethlingshafer, R. Page, M. Dauer); 14 Updates from CLASmates and alumni news. p. 8 (R. Frost); p. 9 (W. Mendenhall, M. Nirenberg, H. Sisler); p. 10 (C. VanderWerf); p. 11 (R. McQuown); p. 12 (C. Sidman, D. Justice); p. 13 (C. Mather, W. Dial). Courtesy Marine Laboratory at Seahorse Key: p. 8 (Seahorse Key). Richard Frasier, Courtesy National Outstanding Alumni Endowment for the Humanities: p. 9 (S. McKnight). Courtesy Charlotte Mathers: p. 10 (C. Mathers). 16 Alumni of distinction honored. Courtesy Katrina Blair, National Institute of Health / National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: p. 10 (M. Nirenberg). Courtesy Michael Collins: p. 12 (M. Collins). Courtesy Feminist Majority Foundation: p. 13 (E. Smeal). Courtesy News and Public Affairs: p. 13 (W. Harrison); p. 14 (N. Nahas). Simone Williams: Cover: p. 14 (E. Kissam, M. Nikitas); p. 15 (Cap and Gown). Awarding-winning CLAS Courtesy National Science and Technology Medals students Teresa Porter (Truman Scholarship win- Foundation: p. 14 (J. Thompson). Courtesy Depart- ner); Anup Patel (Goldwater Scholarship winner); ment of Astronomy: p. 15 (Gran Telescopio Canarias). William Sexton (2003 UF Outstanding Male Lead- Allyson A. Beutke: p. 16 (Alumni). er); and Teesha McCrae (Four-Year CLAS Scholar) prepare to shape the future. The background photo is Anderson Hall in 1931. 2 a note from theDean CLAS honors the past and helps shape the future Greetings from Turlington Plaza! and six international affiliates. build on these programs, garnering During the first few months of In the past, UF’s funding of a renewed international visibility 2003, the College of Liberal Arts basic research in biology, chemistry, with our college’s numerous con- and Sciences has engaged actively and genetics supported the training ferences and programs sponsored in a number of exciting new ven- of scholars like Marshall Nirenberg, by the Center for the Humanities tures, many of which are part of who won the Nobel Prize in 1968 and the Public Sphere. The college the University of Florida’s strategic for his work in explaining the mys- plans to endow a director of the plan. These activities are especially teries of genetics. More recently, center, which will serve as a magnet significant this year since they coin- the university has created the UF to attract famous scholars, writers, cide with UF’s sesquicentennial, Genetics Institute, which fosters philosophers and historians who celebrating 150 years of academic collaborative, interdisciplinary are especially relevant today as we excellence by “honoring the past, research in medicine, chemistry, search for more meaningful ways shaping the future.” engineering, agriculture and eth- to teach our students about differ- Our new ventures are creat- ics, including making important ent societies and cultures in an ever ing innovative and new programs advances in bioinformatics. For more concentrated global environ- that are among the best in the the future, the college is gain- ment. nation in their areas. In the field of ing strength in plant genetics with The first steps of our college in astronomy and space sciences, UF prominent participation in the developing UF’s strategic plan are has carefully nurtured its program, National Science Foundation’s prime drivers in advancing the aca- developing it from the first radio multi-national Floral Genome demic core of the institution. The observatory in 1956 to the national Project, which looks at the archi- future of our state depends criti- reputation for excellence the pro- tecture of flowers from 100 million cally on developing the skills, tech- gram enjoys today. Past investment years ago to determine what genes nology and international awareness allowed UF to become a world are responsible for flower produc- that are needed to build a more leader in observational astronomy, tion in plants today. diversified and stable economy. developing an expertise in infra- In the humanities, the college Florida needs a strong university red detection. Now we continue to is busy expanding its already-strong institution that will provide the build on our accomplishments by international focus. In the past, leadership, energy and ideas for the developing a partnership with Spain our humanities programs in litera- next generation of industries and to construct on the Canary Islands ture, sociology, languages, and the services. The College of Liberal the world’s largest optical telescope. political sciences have made signifi- Arts and Sciences and the Univer- In recognition of UF’s investment cant investments in creating oppor- sity of Florida are helping shape in excellence in this field, the uni- tunities for international learning, this future. versity recently was invited to join including the Center for African the Association of Universities for Studies, established in 1965, and Research in Astronomy (AURA), a the newly created France-Florida select group of 29 US institutions Research Institute. We continue to Neil Sullivan, Dean 3 a history of the college When the East Florida Seminary opened its doors in 1853 in a little Humble Beginnings village called Ocala, no one imagined this grammar school with In 1851, six years after Florida became three small wooden buildings and no student over the age of 14 a state, the legislature decided to set up would become the University of Florida we know today. This year, institutes of higher learning in East and UF celebrates its 150-year history, from its humble beginnings in West Florida. The Suwannee River was used as the dividing line. “The legislature rural Florida through its evolution into one of the largest, most asked the communities of Florida if they respected universities in the nation. The College of Liberal Arts and were interested in having one of these Sciences has been an integral part of the university, in some form, institutes in their community, and what every step of the way. they were willing to put into the pot in the way of money or land,” says Samuel Proctor, UF’s historian. “The response was not great.” A small private school in Ocala established for local children—the East Florida Seminary—offered its prop- erty to the state, which was the only pro- posal Florida received. On January 6, 1853, Governor Thomas Brown signed a bill allowing the state to financially sup- port the institution. This is where UF gets the 1853 date on its seal. Many courses taught at the seminary can be traced to today’s College of Liberal Arts and Sci- ences, such as English, history, Latin and zoology. In 1866, the school transferred to Gainesville and gained the reputa- tion as one of the nation’s top liberal arts schools. University of Florida Officially Established In the late 1800s, the state of Florida Class of 1906: was struggling to maintain eight institu- The first graduating class of the University of Florida. tions. “The state was trying to support these institutions and was not doing a very good job at it,” Proctor says. “None of them compared well with other schools in the South, much less the nation.” So In 1853, East Florida offered that can be new University of of Agricul- Seminary opened its traced to today’s Florida. ture and a doors in Ocala. The College of Liberal professor University of Florida Arts and Sciences, In 1906, the first of agricul- marks this as its such as English, master of science ture, biol- founding date, history, zoology and degree was awarded ogy and since this school Latin. at UF to botany stu- physics. Griffin-Floyd was transferred to dent Wilbur L. Floyd, Hall is named partly Gainesville in 1866. In 1905, the Buck- who later became in his honor. Many courses were man Act created a dean of the College A Brief Brief A CLAS of History 4 in 1905, Henry H. Buckman, chairman of the Florida House Judiciary Committee, drafted a bill to com- bine these schools into three universities—what are known today as UF, Florida State and The Women’s Studies Program was established in CLAS in 1977, and a six-woman steering committee Florida A&M universities.