Take a look at a few short news summaries from the Ithaca community.
Media literacy advocate wins Congressional grant
Chris Sperry, director of curriculum and staff development for Project Look Sharp, has been awarded the Library of Congress grant for Integrating Teaching with Primary Sources into Media Literacy Education.
The funding is provided by the Teaching with Primary Sources grant and gives New York State educators the ability to integrate media literacy into their curricula.
Sperry has taught social studies, English and media studies at the middle and high school levels for more than 30 years in Ithaca. He has written many curriculum kits related to global studies and U.S. history.
Pulitzer Prize-winning CEO to speak at Symposium
Sheryl WuDunn, business executive and author, will speak at Ithaca College at the Peggy R. Williams Difficult Dialogue Symposium.
WuDunn is the first Asian-American to win a Pulitzer Prize. She also co-authored three best-selling books with her husband, Nicholas D. Kristof. Her most recent book, “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide,” was featured on the Independent Lens television show on PBS Monday and Tuesday.
WuDunn will give her lecture Nov. 1 in Ford Hall. A book signing and reception will follow the event.
Cornell to host dialogue on the role of government
Rick Santorum and Howard Dean, former presidential candidates, will discuss “The Role of Government in a Free Society” in a debate moderated by Sam Nelson, director of the Cornell Forensics Society.
The event is part of the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation Great Debate Series and sponsored by the department of policy analysis and management, Cornell Institute for Public Affairs, Cornell College Democrats, Cornell College Republicans, and the Young America’s foundation.
The debate is scheduled for 8 p.m. Oct. 18 in Bailey Hall at Cornell University. Tickets are free at the Willard Straight Hall ticket office and are required for entry.
Student wins Kodak prize for achievement in film
Sophomore Daniel Doran, a cinema and photography major, has received a 2012 Kodak Student Scholarship.
Doran was awarded the Gold Scholarship for his film “Empire: The Whitewater Story,” which documents the adventure of Doran and his fellow producer John Varga during a year of paddling in New York.
The scholarship includes a $5,000 Kodak motion picture film product grant and a $4,000 cash tuition award.
Accredited film schools can nominate up to two students. The award is based on past work, recommendations and scholastic achievement.
Ithaca graduate student receives science award
Tim Reynolds, first-year graduate student in physical therapy at Ithaca College, has received the Sidney D. Rodenberg Memorial Scholarship Award given by the Alpha Eta Society.
The award is the highest honor given to students in the Allied Health Sciences School of the Alpha Eta Honor Society and is awarded annually to the top Allied Health Student.
Reynolds will be presented with the award during the annual society meeting held in conjunction with the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions National Conference Oct. 26 in Orlando, Fla.
New Park School studio to offer more resources
The Roy H. Park School of Communications is introducing the Transmedia Studio, a cocurricular initiative that gives students to produce and distribute products across multiple media platforms.
Diane Gayeski, dean of the Park School, said it feels gratifying to recognize the talents of students and provide them with an environment to channel their creativity. An executive staff of Park students will manage the studio, listen to proposals from students and make the final decision on which projects will be funded.
Carol Jennings, director of Park Media Lab, will run the studio, which will be open year-round.
Science Foundation funds tree trunk ring research
Cornell University’s The department of classics at received a $200,000 National Science Foundation grant for its research in radiocarbon dating and dendrochronology, the science of using tree trunk rings to determine environmental change.
Sturt Manning, Goldwin Smith professor of classical archaeology and Timothy Jull, director of the University of Arizona Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Laboratory Facility, are the co-principal investigators for the project. They will lead a team of students, colleagues and a postdoctoral scholar in research on tree rings in Southern Jordan, Europe and North America.
They hope this will help determine an accurate timeframe for Biblical archaeology and histories of ancient cultures of the region.
Tompkins survey results assess aging locals’ need
Tompkins County Office for the Aging survey results, released Sept. 24, indicate key areas of assistance for the aging.
The survey, issued to a randomly selected sample of 60-years-plus residents, was intended to identify current trends, needs and resources for aging residents. The survey included questions regarding age, housing, transportation, health insurance, technology, employment and prescription drug use.
The results show that 33 percent of older homeowners have a need for home repairs, and 38 percent name cost as a factor for failing to report the repairs. In addition, 82 percent have computers with Internet access in their homes, compared to 53 percent nationally. The survey results show a 34 percent population increase of aging people between 2000 and 2010. This represents 15.8 percent of the County population.
For more information, visit www.tompkins-co.org/cofa.
Cornell executive named ‘woman worth watching’
Lynette Chappell-Williams, associate vice president for inclusion and workforce diversity at Cornell University, was named “a woman worth watching” by Profiles in Diversity Journal.
The Journal recognizes her work and dedication in encouraging more girls to pursue studies in science, technology, engineering and math.
Chappell-Williams is one of three women on a list of about 200 women who hold positions in higher education.
The Profiles in Diversity Journal is a bimonthly magazine that annually celebrates the achievements and personalities of woman executives nominated by their colleagues, peers or mentors.
