Slade Learned from Prize-winning Poet Dunn
By Carol Olechowski
When Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Stephen Dunn comes to UAlbany October 18 to read his works in an appearance sponsored by the New York State Writers Institute’s Fall 2001 Visiting Writers Series, one of his former students will be on hand to introduce him.

Leonard A. Slade, Jr., professor and chair of Africana Studies, met Dunn in the mid-1980s while taking a course from him at Bennington College in Vermont. Slade admired the poet for “his clarity of thought, his constructive criticism, his ability to inspire his students to continue to improve their craft, and his encouragement never to give up. His mastery of his art and his ability to bring out the best in each student made him special to me.”

In fact, Slade was so impressed by his professor’s approaches to poetry and to teaching that he predicted Dunn would win the Pulitzer Prize. “When I made that statement,” noted Slade, who worked at Kentucky State University at the time, “he responded, ‘I hope Slade is on the Pulitzer committee!’ “

Slade’s prediction came true when Dunn won the 2001 Pulitzer for his 11th collection of poetry, Different Hours. The author’s other works include Loosestrife, a 1996 National Book Critics Circle Award finalist; New & Selected Poems: 1974-1994; Landscape at the End of the Century; Between Angels; and Riffs & Reciprocities: Prose Pairs.

Another secret of Dunn’s poetry, aside from his mastery, was his “philosophy,” according to Slade. “He taught us that if nobody understands it, then it is not good poetry. Poetry should be accessible, and Stephen Dunn’s poetry is. People understand it.” Slade - himself the author of 11 volumes of poetry - credits Dunn with inspiring his use of language. “He values simplicity of language; he taught us to use fresh, concrete images to help objectify ideas. He is an exemplar to all poets.”

Now distinguished professor of creative writing at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Dunn has received numerous honors for his work. They include The American Academy of Arts & Letters’ Award in Literature, and fellowships from the Guggenheim and Rockefeller foundations and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Dunn will conduct a seminar at 4 p.m. October 18 in the Campus Center Assembly Hall. The reading is scheduled for 8 p.m. that evening in the Performing Arts Center’s Recital Hall.

Graduate Student Mose Aims to Help Women in Her Native Kenya
By Carol Olechowski

Grace Mose is a woman with a mission: to help eliminate female genital mutilation in her native Africa.

The 35-year-old Mose, who is enrolled in the Women’s Studies master’s program and the D.A. program in Humanistic Studies, is researching FGM as practiced by the Kisii of western Kenya, her homeland. After earning her bachelor of education in 1990 and her master’s from Kenyatta State University (Kenya) in 1997, she “made extraordinary sacrifices to come to Albany,” Mose recalls. One sacrifice: “leaving behind my husband and three young kids,” ages 3 to 11, “who have now joined me here.”

While her first days in America were difficult due to “culture, climatic, and technological differences, I made big strides in the friendly environment provided by the University at Albany community. I found an amazing International Studies program here. My fellow students were helpful, and my professors have no problems listening to virtually all issues, including personal ones,” says Mose.

She describes her learning experience at UAlbany as “exciting.” Mose notes: “Albany has a vibrant, visionary, and dynamic women’s studies department that nurtures development-oriented perceptions and philosophies that women from all walks of life need. My professors have left on me an indescribable mark. Marjorie Pryse’s teaching skills and sense of humor effortlessly elicit student responses. I am struck by the great freedom of expression in Vivien Ng’s class. I appreciate Bonnie Spanier for her extensive knowledge of women and science. The list is endless.”

Mose has taught such courses as Perspectives on Women and African Feminism. In addition, she has participated in such activities as the recent Unity Walk, which she found “satisfying almost to the point of being spiritual.”

Women’s Studies chair Pryse says of Mose, “As a student in our Women’s Studies and Humanistic Studies programs, Grace has shared generously her perspective on feminism in the West and in Africa. In the undergraduate classroom as a teaching assistant, she has demonstrated herself to be a caring and dedicated teacher. Our faculty and students are fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Grace.”

In 2000, Mose received an Initiatives For Women award. “The money responded to my critical need for a computer, which has turned out to be so useful,” she says.

Adds Mose, “It is my focused ambition to return to Kenya and participate in the education program that will end FGM.” Asked if she is concerned about her safety in carrying out this plan, she responds, “I cannot at this time say that my safety is guaranteed, because the communities concerned are determined to keep their tradition. I can only try to see if there are ways to organize people opposed to this practice, join them, and hope for the best.”

While completing her D.A., Mose hopes to begin a program on women and public policy at Rockefeller College. “I believe it will give me insight into how governments can be made sensitive to the needs of women and children.”

Doctoral Student Laurie Keefer Researches Perimenopause
By Carol Olechowski
University at Albany fourth-year doctoral student Laurie Keefer has always been interested in women’s health. In fact, she’s planning a career in that field, with an emphasis on reproductive health. To that end, the Rochester native has begun a support group for menopausal and perimenopausal women.

Keefer, a Penn State graduate, enrolled in UAlbany’s clinical psychology program because she found Center for Stress and Anxiety Disorders Director Edward B. Blanchard’s lab “very attractive.” Perimenopause, she explained, “falls within the 10 years prior to the last menstrual period. ‘Post-menopausal’ means that the period has been gone a whole year.” Both conditions, she added, are marked by such symptoms as “hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness, which are specifically related to estrogen loss. Some women also report mood changes and irritability.”

Perimenopause, Keefer said, “is a stressful time for a lot of women.” In an effort to help them cope, she has begun a support group at the University’s Center for Stress and Anxiety Disorders (CSAD). The 10 women meet once a week to explore ways to cope with the symptoms of menopause. “We also address some of the stresses of midlife - children leaving home, aging parents, retirement. These things also tend to make going through menopause difficult,” said Keefer.

“Recently, research has pointed to the effectiveness of certain educational, behavioral, and cognitive-behavioral treatments in the reduction of hot flashes and related symptoms of menopause,” she continued. “The idea of the support group is to reduce stress through relaxation training and the sharing of information. Many of the women have had hormone replacement therapy [HRT] and herbal treatments. The support group gives them an opportunity to share their experiences.”

Keefer received a $2,500 grant from UAlbany’s Initiatives For Women (IFW) program earlier this year to conduct her research study through next summer. That research, in turn, will form the basis for her dissertation, which will allow her “to contribute to the understanding of menopause.”

Eventually, Keefer hopes to run “four or five sessions of six to eight women each. I’m accepting women who are taking hormones, as well as those who are not. I want to recruit as many participants as possible.” She is attracting them by distributing fliers about the support group; she also placed an advertisement in the Albany Times Union. “I think most physicians in the community know about it because I’ve been harassing them for referrals,” Keefer added with a laugh.

For more information about the support group, contact Laurie Keefer at 442-4025.

SUNY Learning Network Earns National Award
UAlbany Serves as Largest Provider of Graduate Courses
By Heidi Weber
The SUNY Learning Network (SLN), one of the world’s leading providers of higher education distance learning, has received the “2001 EDUCAUSE Award for Systemic Progress in Teaching and Learning,” a national award that recognizes programs supporting “learner-centered teaching.” The University at Albany, which joined the SLN in 1997, is the program’s largest provider of graduate level courses. UAlbany’s role in the SLN has been principally through its School of Education.

The SLN is an Asynchronous Learning Network (ALN). An ALN is a new approach to teaching and learning that is student centered. It eliminates the constraints of time and location that higher education normally places on students.

To reach nontraditional students, UAlbany offers an array of on-line courses through the SLN. The School of Education currently offers two on-line master’s degree programs - a Master of Science in Curriculum Development and Instructional Technology and a Master of Science in Reading. While UAlbany does not offer complete on-line undergraduate degree programs, several of its schools and departments do offer undergraduate- level courses.

According to UAlbany Education Professor Karen Swan, teaching on-line classes is particularly rewarding. “I’ve been pleased with the quality of the on-line discussions. The students seem to really enjoy the classes, not only because of the flexibility they have to learn, but because they can attend meaningfully to their learning.”

Created in 1995, the SLN is supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and SUNY System Administration. The SLN currently has more than 25,000 students who can choose from 1,500 courses and more than 40 on-line degree programs. Courses are offered mainly by community and four-year colleges.

Home Page/ Front Page/ Campus News/ Features/ Sports/ Date Book