Faculty News
A Historian of Household Government
From colonial times until the Civil War, households in the United
States consisted of a single head (usually an adult male) who had
authority over the property, labor and mobility of his wife and minor
children. In her new book “A History of Household Government in
America,” Carole Shammas– the John R. Hubbard Chair in History–analyzes
the changing nature of household government in America and the effects
these changes had on the governmental system. Combining evidence from
legal sources, literature, art and census records, Shammas argues that
the disintegration of the household powers during the middle of the
19th century was much more central to the definition of a modern United
States than industrialization or urbanization. Published by University
of Virginia Press, the book analyses why heads of households ultimately
lost their power and considers factors previously ignored by other
theorists, including weak lineage controls, testamentary freedom and
the lack of an established church.
Naipaul’s Strangers
The new book “Naipaul’s Strangers,” by Professor of German and
Comparative Literature Dagmar Barnouw, explores the strategies and
literary techniques that Naipaul, the winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize in
Literature, used in his controversial writings about the strangeness of
the world. Other books by Barnouw include “Weimar Intellectuals and the
Threat of Modernity” and “Germany 1945.”
Davison’s Lifetime Achievement
Gerald Davison, professor of psychology, received the Association for
Advancement of Behavior Therapy 2003 Lifetime Achievement Award, for
his outstanding contributions to the field of cognitive behavioral
therapy.
Sellers Leads Metropolitan Project
Jefferey Sellers, assistant professor of political science, received a
grant of support from the French GRALE, a joint funding organization of
the national Ministry of Research and the National Center for
Scientific Research, to lead the International Metropolitan Observatory
project. The project will conduct a series of workshops over several
years to collect and analyze data on metropolitan areas throughout 13
developed countries in North America, Europe and Asia.
Linguistic Scholars Release Book
In their new book, “Essays on the Representational and Derivational
Nature of Grammar: The Diversity of Wh-Constructions,” Joseph Aoun, the
Anna H. Bing Dean's Chair and professor of linguistics, and Yen-Hui
Audrey Li, professor of East Asian languages and culture, include
detailed analyses of novel data and a sophisticated appreciation of
current grammatical theory.
Published by MIT Press, the book contains new data of the core Lebanese
Arabic constructions of resumption and relativization. The first part
of the book investigates the distribution and interpretations of
multiple wh-interrogative constructions, focusing on notions of
superiority. Part two investigates the structure and derivation of
relative constructions. The main languages discussed are Lebanese,
Arabic, Chinese and English.
“This book contains the most interesting and provocative syntax I have
seen in the last five years. Aoun and Li are considered to be two
of the best syntacticians around. This wonderful book shows why,” says
Norbert Hornstein, professor of linguistics at the University of
Maryland College Park.
Meyer Wins Eldredge Prize
Richard Meyer, associate professor of art history, received the Charles
C. Eldredge Prize for the best book on American art: “Outlaw
Representation: Censorship & Homosexuality in Twentieth-Century
American Art” (Oxford University Press, 2002). The prize will be
awarded to Meyer by the director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.
The Eldredge Prize recognizes originality and thoroughness of research
and is meant to honor authors who deepen or focus debates in the field,
or who broaden the discipline by reaching beyond traditional boundaries.
Meyer will deliver the Eldredge Prize lecture, titled "Outlaws: Queer
Art and Public Controversy Since the Culture Wars," Nov. 20, at the
Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Dekmejian’s Manual of Leadership
Professor of Political Science Richard Dekmejian co-authored the new
book "The Just Prince: A Manuel of Leadership." The book will be used
in Dekmejian’s world political leadership course.
Braudy’s Next Book
In November, University Professor and holder of the Leo S. Bing Chair
in English and American Literature Leo Braudy will release his next
book "From Chivalry to Terrorism: War and the Changing Nature of
Masculinity," published by Alfred Knopf.
Raine Examines Precursor to Schizophrenia
A new study by Adrian Raine, the Robert Grandford Wright Professor and
professor of psychology, found that children given extra attention by
teachers and fed a nutritious diet appeared to be at a lower risk of
becoming psychotic or developing conduct problems 20 years later. In
the first prevention study to show that addressing children's needs can
reduce the consequences of "schizotypal personality disorder," a
precursor to schizophrenia, Raine examined the effects of improved
teaching, exercise and nutrition on 100 children between the ages of
three and five in Mauritius, an island nation in the Indian Ocean.
Rosendorff Directs Center for International Studies
Peter Rosendorff, associate professor of international relations and
economics, is the new director of the Center for International Studies
at USC. The center brings together faculty from throughout the
university to focus on the economic, social, psychological, political,
historical and geographic causes and effects of increased flows of
goods, money, services, ideas and culture across international borders.
He replaces J. Ann Tickner, also from the College, who completed her
three-year term. Rosendorff is an expert in the political economy of
trade policy.
Biological Learning Award
Christoph von der Malsburg, professor of computer science who teaches
in the College’s program in neuroscience and the departments of physics
and astronomy, and psychology, received the Hebb Award from the
International Neural Network Society. The award recognizes outstanding
achievements in modeling the mechanisms of biological learning and was
largely based on Malsburg's seminar contribution in introducing the
hypothesis of fast-changing synapses (also known as dynamic links).
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