p. 2 p. 3 p. 4 Body Movement, Enrollment Climbs Rutgers Joins Perceived Threat to 11,000 the Blogosphere A newsletter for the Rutgers University community and neighbors in Newark and Autism fall/winter ‘08 Rutgers University in Newark Launches First Founders Day Celebration By Ferlanda Fox Nixon Photo: Shelley Kusnetz An enthusiastic group of faculty and staff members who earned their degrees from Rutgers University in Newark join Chancellor Steven J. Diner for a group photo at the campus’s first Founders Day celebration. “An American Family” Strikes Among warm streaks of sunrays and a cool intermittent autumn breeze, Rutgers University in Newark celebrated its first Founders Day on Oct. 7. a Deep Chord By Carla Capizzi With Norman Samuels Plaza providing a panoramic backdrop, more than If history professor Annette Gordon-Reed were being 350 faculty, staff and students enjoyed refreshments and camaraderie graded on the reception of her new book, she would get an as they reflected on the impact Rutgers has had in the city of Newark A++. The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family, over the past 100 years, commencing with The New Jersey Law School has whipped up public interest that few serious history in October 1908. The New Jersey Law School, the oldest of the schools books ever receive, garnering high-level, overwhelmingly that now constitute Rutgers University in Newark, is also the oldest law favorable reviews in such publications as The school in the state of New Jersey. New York Review of Books, The Boston Globe, Chancellor Steven J. Diner set the stage by offering greetings and a Slate, The New Yorker, The New York special recognition to the more than 220 alumni at Rutgers in Newark Times, The Wall Street Journal and The who are currently members of the faculty and staff. Clinical Professor Washington Post. Gordon-Reed is touring of Nursing Barbara Cannella spoke of Dean Lucille Joel’s mentoring the United States (which included an influence in encouraging Cannella to go beyond a master’s degree to Oct. 21 stop on campus), speaking obtain her doctoral degree from the College of Nursing. Brenda Hopper, about her carefully researched fourth director of the New Jersey Small Business Development Centers and book, recently selected as a nonfiction a graduate of the Newark College of Arts and Sciences and Rutgers finalist for the National Book Awards, Business School, shared her experiences growing up in Newark and and signing mountains of hardcover taking advantage of the educational services provided by the Newark copies. The New York resident has and New Jersey public schools. Jason Kurdan, a senior enrolled in the been interviewed on air and in print. Newark College of Arts and Sciences, added supporting comments. The response is no surprise to The climax of the program occurred when many of the alumni faculty Gordon-Reed, considering how and staff honorees joined Chancellor Diner for a group photo on the steps continued on page 2… continued on page 2… Professor Annette Gordon-Reed Photo: Jerry Bauer Office of Communications Rutgers University 249 University Ave. www.newark.rutgers.edu Newark, NJ 07102 Body Movement, Professor Maggie Shiffrar Perceived Threat In research funded with a $750,000 grant from the and Autism Simons Foundation, Shiffrar By Kathleen Brunet Eagan has discovered that people with autistic spectrum disorder A hand moves forward, but is it a friendly gesture (ASD) tend to view people as or one meant to do harm? In an instant, we objects. People with few autistic respond – either extending our arm forward to tendencies, on the other hand, shake hands or raising it higher to protect our have visual systems that analyze face. But what are the subtle cues that allow us human movement and the to interpret such movement? movement of objects differently. “What we hope to determine In research aimed at both assisting the U.S. is whether people with ASD Department of Homeland Security and providing have trouble perceiving human a better understanding of how autistic individuals movement because they avoid perceive others, Maggie Shiffrar, professor of human contact in order to psychology, is examining how our visual system function, or if it is their visual helps us to interpret the intent conveyed in subtle system that is treating people as body movements. Photo: Dennis Connors Photo: Dennis Connors objects,” explains Shiffrar. “It’s the same sort of process basketball players use interpreting body movements to identify possible Previous research has revealed that the part of to tell whether someone is going to throw the ball or threats in crowded areas such as airports, subways the brain involved in emotion communicates with fake a pass,” explains Shiffrar. “The question is how and city streets. Such research also could pave the that part of the brain involved in the perception to determine which people are best at picking up way for the development of computer applications to of human movement. This connection is impaired the cues revealed in body movement and what those recognize such movements. in people with autism and could be what makes cues are.” it difficult for them to perceive other people’s Almost all people possess some autistic tendencies, emotional states. Should that be the case, it then Working under a $400,000 grant from the National explains Shiffrar, but her research shows that may become possible to develop training programs Science Foundation, Shiffrar and co-investigator those with the fewest autistic tendencies “are to help people with ASD to perceive the intentions Kent Harber, associate professor of psychology, hope best at detecting the weak signals provided by of others from their body movements. to open the way for training people who are best at body movement.” Rutgers University… from page 1 A Milestone and a New Direction of the Paul Robeson Campus Center. Wearing By Carla Capizzi red baseball caps adorned with the Rutgers logo, the graduates smiled for the camera in school spirit solidarity. The centennial observation continues with these upcoming events: • Clinical Legal Education Conference: “The Legacy of Arthur Kinoy and the Inspirational and Collaborative Dimensions of Clinical Legal Education: Honoring 40 Years of Clinics at Rutgers–Newark,” Friday, April 3 • Rutgers Law Review Symposium: “Legal Education Prospectus: A Centennial Symposium Exploring the Future of Legal Education,” Friday, April 17 • Rutgers School of Law-Newark’s 100th Anniversary Photo: Fred Stucker Photo: Fred Gala, Thursday, May 14, 6–10 p.m., Center for The Institute on Ethnicity, Culture and the Lonnie Bunch, director of the National Museum of African Law and Justice. Modern Experience (IECME) is hoping to receive American History and Culture, addresses the audience at the 2007 Marion Thompson Wright Lecture Series. a belated 10th birthday wish: an endowment to “An American Family… from page 1 fund its broad array of educational and outreach programs. A Nov. 5 fundraising gala was the first and Their Cultures” lecture series. The gala, hosted media, historians and the public reacted to her step toward “propelling the institute into its next by the FASN Development Office in collaboration 1997 book, Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings: decade,” according to Brian D. Agnew, director of with the Rutgers University Foundation, brought An American Controversy, where she first detailed the development, Faculty of Arts and Sciences-Newark together “loyal supporters of the institute as well relationship between the enslaved Hemings and her (FASN). The institute serves the greater Newark as city visionaries,” according to Agnew. master, Jefferson. This current book focuses on the metropolitan region through lectures, symposia, Hemings family itself, beginning with Sally’s mother films, performances, exhibitions and other “For more than 10 years, many citizens and settlers and ending with the former president’s death. “It’s a programs that enhance public understanding of of Greater Newark have answered the institute’s one-woman story of motherhood and family,” Gordon- urban life, the social construction of difference, call to become engaged in the civic sphere, to Reed states, the story of how the slave “successfully race relations, local history, urban youth culture attend public programs devoted to life-long learning, negotiated her children through the terrible system” and education. and to enjoy the company of their neighbors writ which held her captive her entire life. large,” notes Professor Clement Price. “The gala The gala kicked off a $10 million endowment was an opportunity to acknowledge this uniquely Gordon-Reed plans another book, detailing the campaign for existing programs such as the Marion Rutgers contribution to the life and times of New Hemings descendants through the 19th century and Thompson Wright Lecture Series – the state’s most Jersey, and the endowment will ensure that it is into the first decades of the 20th century. If she follows respected Black History Month program – as well sustained,” says Price, IECME founding director form, it too will be, like The Hemingses, a “window as proposed new endeavors, such as a post-doctoral and Rutgers Board of Governors Distinguished into the world of slavery, an illumination of our past, fellowship in public service and the “City Children Service Professor of History. a past that brought us to where we are today.” 2 www.newark.rutgers.edu ON THE PLAZA In addition to students in greater State Bar Association. The award recognizes a numbers than ever, there is a marked young lawyer “whose personal and professional increase in the geographic diversity of achievements merit special recognition and who Rutgers students in Newark. Director has made significant community and public Photo: Theo Anderson of Admissions Jason Hand noted that service contributions.” The Street Law program first-year students come from 350 trains law students to teach lessons about the law high schools throughout the country, and civic responsibility to area teenagers.