For the Record -- Week of Jan. 20, 2023

Publication Date

Stephanie Mueller, assistant professor of Modern Languages and Literatures, has published an article, “Doubled Brothers: Misfitted Male Bodies in Handia (2017)”, which was recently published in the Journal of Spanish Cultural Studies. The article examines representations of masculinities, disability, and minority cultural and linguistic identities in Spain in the 2017 Basque-language film Handia (The Giant), directed by Aitor Arregi and Jon Garaño and available for streaming on Netflix.

Two articles by Francis Wilkin, senior lecturer and observatory manager, appeared in the Oct. 15, 2022 volume of Minor Planet Bulletin, a journal specializing in asteroid studies. These also represent the first published data from the Union College Observatory. The first, “Lightcurves for Three Koronis Family Asteroids from the Union College Observatory” included four student co-authors: Zuhair AlMassri ’25, Patrick Bowles ’20, Martin Pargiello, Jason Sindoni ’23) and represents the culmination of a study begun as part of the WAC course AST-230 during 2019. The second, “Lightcurve for Koronis Family Member (1363) Herberta” is the outcome of a research team organized through the Scholars Program, and involved four student co-authors: Jayson Bromberg ’25, Zuhair AlMassri ’25, Louis Beauchaine ’25, Minh Nguyen ’25).

Jeffrey Corbin, professor of biological sciences, published two papers in Ecology: "Root hemiparasitic plants are associated with more even communities across North America" by Jasna Hodžić et al., and "SPCIS: Standardized plant community with introduced status database" by Laís Petri et al. Both papers come out of an international collaboration that is investigating the biogeography of invasive plants at a continental scale.

Saladdin Ahmed, visiting assistant professor of political science and modern languages and literatures, was invited by the University of Arkansas to give the 2022 Scholars at Risk Endowed Lecture on his latest book, Revolutionary Hope After Nihilism, on Nov. 16, 2022. He also led a workshop for doctorate students in Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies at U of A and was interviewed by radio host Kyle Kellams, the director of KUAF, at NPR's branch in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Tommaso Gazzarri, associate professor of classics, recently co-edited a volume titled “Seneca, Love Letters” as a special issue of LAS (Lucius Annaeus Seneca: International Journal of Senecan Studies). It is the first systematic exploration of the philosophical theory of love in the work of the first-century Roman philosopher Seneca. A hard-copy version is to be produced this spring.

A paper by Younghwan Song, professor of economics, was published Jan. 2, 2023 in the Review of Economics of the Household. “Do fathers have son preference in the United States? Evidence from paternal subjective well-being" was coauthored with Jia Gao of the World Bank.

Kristin Bidoshi, professor of Russian and director of the Russian and East European Studies program, published “Поехали! Training Russian prefixed verbs of motion in virtual reality” in Enhancing Beginner-Level Foreign Language Education for Adult Learners: Language Instruction Intercultural Competence Technology and Assessment. Ed. Ekaterina Nemtchinova. Routledge Press, 2022.

Kimmo Rosenthal, professor emeritus of mathematics, has had an essay, La Femme Cachée, accepted for publication in the journal The Decadent Review. The essay examines the work of the American photographer Francesca Woodman.

Jordan Smith, the Edward Everett Hale Jr. Professor of English, has published a book of poems, Cold Night, Long Dog (Ambidextrous Bloodhound Press, 2022).

For the Record is a weekly digest of achievements by faculty, students and staff. Please send entries to Charlie Casey at caseyc@union.edu.