Uncategorized – School of Arts & Sciences Blog

I’m Currently Reading…

With winter break coming up, who doesn’t love to grab their favorite hot beverage, sit down with a blanket, and lose themselves in a good book? Not only could you explore the suggestions from our previous list, but we have some more suggestions for you!

Professor Victoria Karre gave us two recommendations! The first is a non fiction book, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb. It’s written from Lori’s perspective as a mental health therapist who is also pursuing her own psychotherapy. As she processes her break-up with the help of her therapist, Lori shares what takes place in those sessions with her clients. The book offers comedic relief while normalizing psychotherapy in society. For those that love psychological thrillers, Victoria recommends Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica. In this book, two women and a child go missing soon after one another. As the search continues, a connection is made between the cases which leads to more confusion. After 11 years, the child returns but the truth isn’t what it seems.

Professor Alexey Ignatchenko recommended a must read for instructors called, Please Understand Me II: Temperament, Character, Intelligence by David Keirsey. The book has provided insight to allow Alexey to better understand the people around him. This has included the motivations and behaviors behind his students, colleagues, friends, and family!

Dr. Todd Sodano has quite the stack of books he has been reading lately. First on his list is The Shakespeare Requirement by Julie Schumacher, which is a follow-up novel in her series about Professor Jay Fitger, an English department chair of the fictional Payne University, who is trying to juggle the chainsaws of saving the humanities while tending to his faculty.
It’s a great follow-up to Schumacher’s Dear Committee Members, where we first met Fitger. A few months ago, Schumacher published The English Experience, in which we follow Fitger to England on a trip with his students. Also on his list is from Upstate New York’s own Richard Russo’s latest novel, Somebody’s Fool, his follow-up to Nobody’s Fool and Everybody’s Fool. The final book on his currently reading list is, Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska by Warren Zanes, who happens to be a UR Ph.D. Nebraska is a classic Bruce album, released just before his Born in the USA record; by classic, Dr. Sodano is paraphrasing Mark Twain, in that it’s an album that everyone wants to own but no one wants to listen to.

Quilting Our Community – The Design

As Dean Ann Marie Fallon stated when describing the project, “Quilt-making has a long and storied tradition in the U.S. and especially New York. Susan B. Anthony was herself a noted quilter who went to quilting bees to advocate for suffrage. Quilts are historically the ways we patch together different materials to create something new. At Fisher we come from different places, are interested in different things, but we come together to make something new.”

A quilt itself is a great representation of our school. Not only is there the art in its design, but there’s also the math in piecing the design together. Quilting Our Community came about to help not only create a tangible representation of the School of Arts and Sciences, but also to make connections amongst its members.

On October 19th and November 30th, faculty, students, and staff gathered in Tepas Commons for our own modern quilting bee. While quilts typically contain different patterns and motifs made out of fabric scraps, our quilt square designers were equipped with markers, fabric paint, and their imaginations to show one of their favorite parts of the Arts and Sciences. Many decided to design a square representing their major, while others elected to depict one of their hobbies.

With nearly 80 squares, the quilt is almost ready to be sewn together. Thank you to all of those that participated! We are looking forward to having the quilt all put together and on display in Basil for everyone to see. If you weren’t able to join us but would like to make a square, be sure to stop by Kearney 203! All quilt squares should be submitted before the new year.

Student Summer Research Highlight – Chloe Wu

Chloe Wu is a senior majoring in Business Management and minoring in Legal Studies. Her summer research project, “Understanding and Responding to the Persistent Cultural Narrative that ‘women are becoming over-educated’,” was supported by the Summer Research Program.

Dr. Jill Swiencicki, the interim chair of the English department, served as her mentor on the research project. When asked about the project, Dr. Swiencicki sent, “This is a rhetorical analysis of the phrase, which has persisted across time in the U.S., ‘women are becoming over-educated.’ This research highlights rhetorics of education for women in the present time. Women are seeking education in record numbers, and are a majority in college classes in the U.S. But the cultural rhetorics that prohibited women from higher education remain. This presentation explores how women are subject to three main rhetorics in response to seeking higher education: while those that argue women should be prohibited from education are rare, they persist; so do rhetorics that state that women should seek an education that complements their roles as wives and mothers, or future mates; and those that argue women deserve the right to seek an education for self-determination exist and battle those other two rhetorics. Our research argues that arguments that bemoan women’s over-education are essentialist, male supremacist, heteronormative, and demonstrate anxiety about the emergence of gender equity in education, and its cultural implications. Understanding these cultural scripts helps women to respond to them with agency.”

Faculty Summer 2023 Travels

With the graduation of the Class of 2023 and all the grades submitted, summer makes for the perfect time to travel! With the weather turning gloomy, it’s time to look back and share times with sunshine, and some of our faculty have graciously allowed us to share their travels.

In early June, Dr. Tim Madigan participated in the sixth annual Society for Italian Philosophy Conference, which was held at our fellow Basilian institution, St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto.

“I took the train there and back, which I highly recommend – I love Toronto, but I don’t love driving in Toronto traffic.

“The conference was a rich assortment of talks, from witchcraft and feminism in early Enlightenment Italy to Pope Francis’s use of St. Francis’s teachings to address the current environmental crisis, all ably organized by my friends Silvia Benso and Brian Schroeder, professors of philosophy at the Rochester Institute of Technology. My favorite talk was by the art historian Julian Haladyn about his visit to San Casciano to see Machiavelli’s home there. This raised some vigorous discussion about why we want to preserve the residences of famous people of the past, especially since in this case Machiavelli himself lived in the modest home only because he had been exiled from his native Florence, which he longed to return to. As seen in the quote above from the letter he wrote to his friend Francesco Vittori, Machiavelli felt great melancholy as he contemplated the life he once had had in his beloved place of birth, which he could almost glimpse from his place of banishment. So close and yet so far. He found solace in reading the works of ancient philosophers and writing his masterpiece The Prince while there but never gave up his desire to go back to his native city. To paraphrase Neil Diamond, Machiavelli might well have thought ‘San Casciano’s fine but it ain’t home, Florence is home but it ain’t mine no more.’

“Next to the campus building that houses the Department of Italian Studies, where the conference was held, was a newly-erected Dante Sculpture Garden, with a panel depicting each canto of the Divine Comedy. It was created by sculptor Timothy Schmalz, the same person who made the statue of St. Basil gracing the front of our Hermance Family Chapel of St. Basil theGreat. Coincidentally, the Garden was unveiled on May 25, less than two weeks before the conference (see Sculptor, cardinal tou t Dante’s power (catholicregister.org)), which seemed very fitting. I encourage everyone to take the train to Toronto and see this magnificent tribute to one of Italy’s greatest writers. Dante also knew a thing or two about exile from Florence.”

Back in early July, Dr. Mark Rice and his wife, Anne, and traveled to Italy!

“It was our first time there, and it was a delayed (because of COVID) 30th wedding anniversary trip. We spent three days in Rome and five days in Florence. Florence was by far our favorite of the two. The sixth floor apartment we rented had a panoramic view of the city, so we could sip espresso on our balcony while looking out at the Duomo, listening to the morning church bells while swifts and swallows darted through the sky catching their first meals of the day. It was piercingly hot while we were there (you might have read about the heatwave that gripped southern Europe), but the city’s narrow streets made shade relatively easy to find. We visited many of the usual sites in both cities but the one I was most determined to see was Michelangelo’s statue of David. It was awesome (in the real sense of that word) and sublime to behold, a true masterpiece of the human spirit.

“Of course, the food needs to be talked about, too. I’m not usually one to suggest Italian when we go out to eat, but every meal we had was fantastic. Two standouts were a warm salad of grilled octopus, potato, black olives, and parsley in a light lemon dressing, and a grilled steak (medium rare) with a balsamic glaze, topped with a handful of arugula. Both went well with the wine we drank (and drank).

“Anne and I generally don’t like to revisit countries we’ve already been to because the world is too big and we want to explore as much of it as we can, but we’re already thinking about another trip to Italy—the Amalfi coast? Lake Como? Both?”

This summer, Dr. Deb Vanderbilt headed to France with great company.

“I went to France for 10 days in the company of my 2 sons who both are fluent in French, which made all my public transportation and restaurant experiences very relaxing. I saw a lot of cathedrals, but my favorite was St. Denis basilica in the suburbs of Paris. The church is amazing and the crypt is fascinating!”

Professor Liga Kalnina took a trip of a lifetime to Norway!

“This summer I went on a trip with the IFTA(International Tree Fruit Association) to Norway to learn more about the European apple production, visit orchards and tree fruit research centers as well as interact with apple growers from United States and around the world. This was once in a lifetime trip with the IFTA to visit the Fjords of Norway.

“I’m attaching a couple pictures. One is with the IFTA members and Professor Mekjell Meland visiting NIBIO Tree Fruit Research Center in Ullensvang, Norway and the other one is me in front of Europes largest glacier in the background pointing at the glacier as well as some picturesque apple orchards in Norway”

Last but not least, Professor Jeremy Sarachan ventured the furthest to the Middle East!

“In mid-July, I had the opportunity to travel to Israel as part of the Ramim program through the Jewish Federation of Rochester. This is an exchange program for twelve adults (35-55) to partner with counterparts in Modi’in. I was partnered with a Secular Rabbi (and former Air Force officer) and stayed in his home with his wife. (The Israelis will visit Rochester in October.) The group explored sites in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and the area and towns around the Gaza Strip for several days of conversation, learning, and comradeship. I had the opportunity to visit the Wailing Wall, tour public art in Tel Aviv, learn about Ethiopian Jewry, and participate in a peace art project a few yards from the border with Gaza (just to name four of several dozen events over several days). On the last day, swimming in the Mediterranean Sea from a beach in Tel Aviv was in order. (This was necessary; daytime temperatures varied between 92 and 102 each day.)”

RCSD Summer Enrichment

Over the summer, St. John Fisher hosted the Rochester City School District’s summer program for the second year in a row. Teachers and administrators from RCSD worked with the School of Education to envision and develop the summer school programming for over 250 students that came on campus.

The students were given the opportunity to participate in enrichment courses with Fisher faculty, and many of those faculty members came from the School of Arts and Sciences.

For one of the classes, Dr. Jane Snyder and Professor Fionnuala Regan discussed the recent affirmative action case decided by the Supreme Court. The goal of this particular session was to demonstrate to students the importance of how seeking both sides of an argument is central to law. By looking at both sides of the argument, students would begin to understand the concept of critical thinking to make informed decisions. During the lesson students read an article that presents both sides of affirmative action as well as an excerpt of the case.

Philosophy Day with Dr. Ron Sundstrom

November 16th is the 21st Annual Philosophy Day Event! This year, St. John Fisher is hosting Dr. Ronald Sundstrom who is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of San Francisco. Dr. Sundstrom will be speaking on Frederick Douglass in his talk, The Dread of Tyrants: Frederick Douglass on the Right to Speak, Listen, and Learn. This talk will be held in the Golisano Gateway at 3pm on the 16th. Catch a glimpse of Dr. Sundstrom’s talk in the video below:

Ronald R. Sundstrom is a Professor of Philosophy at the University of San Francisco. He is also a member of USF’s African American Studies program, teaches for the university’s Honors College, and is the Humanities Advisor for the SF Urban Film Festival. His research focuses on the philosophy of race and the related areas of racism, xenophobia, and mixed-race identity; political philosophy and urban philosophy; and the political philosophy of Frederick Douglass. He published several essays and two books in these areas, including the Stanford Encyclopedia entry on Douglass, The Browning of America and The Evasion of Social Justice (SUNY 2008), and Just Shelter: Integration, Gentrification, and Race and Reconstruction (Oxford 2023).

Philosophy Day is supported by the St. John Fisher Department of Philosophy and Classical Studies, the Department of Religious Studies, the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences, the William and Helen Cavanaugh Chair of Catholic Studies, and The National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy demands wisdom.

Please contact Tim Madigan at tmadigan@sjf.edu for further information.

Invisible No More: A Look Inside the Mt. Hope Cemetery Memorial

On October 23rd, 2023, a memorial honoring the unmarked graves in Mt. Hope Cemetery was revealed. Spearheaded by St. John Fisher’s Dr. Ryan Thibodeau of the Psychology department, “Invisible No More: Honoring the deceased buried in the public section of Mount Hope Cemetery” honors those buried at Mt. Hope that had died at the Monroe County Almshouse, Monroe County Penitentiary, and Monroe County Insane Asylum (later Rochester State Hospital, currently Rochester Psychiatric Center). Since this isn’t the first time Dr. Thibodeau has brought this kind of history to our campus, I had the honor of sitting down and discussing his passion for bringing this to light.

Dr. Thibodeau’s interest in the history of mental illness, psychiatry, and social welfare started about 2017 when he toured the former Buffalo State Hospital. If you’re familiar with the Buffalo area, you may know it now as the Richardson Olmsted Campus. The Romanesque inspired building hosts many businesses including Richardson Hotel Buffalo. The tour provides insight on the history of the Buffalo State Hospital, what happened there, along with what they’re doing for renovations.

About a year and a half ago, Dr. Thibodeau helped to bring “The Willard Suitcases” exhibit to our art gallery which highlights those that stayed at the Willard Psychiatric Center in Ithaca. Both “The Willard Suitcases” and “Invisible No More” share a common thread – local history. As he’s learned more about the history of these local institutions, the more Dr. Thibodeau has wanted to share what he’s learned. Since history is so vast, Dr. Thibodeau has kept his focus to the mid to late 19th century. It was during this period in time that the creation and expansion of public state hospitals became prevalent.

Like we hear many similar discoveries around the country, the unmarked graves were discovered during a construction project in Highland Park back in the 1980s. Dr. Thibodeau learned of these graves back in 2020 when WXXI published a story about the unmarked graves, along with a brief glimpse of the history behind the gravesite. He also revealed the inspiration behind the memorial came from a documentary he saw in 2020 centered on the cemeteries at the former Athens Lunatic Asylum in Ohio to help identify and recognize those buried in Athens. For those interested, they can check out the documentary on WOUB.

After a lengthy process, the project was approved. The memorial holds a great importance to Dr. Thibodeau as in some cases, the people buried in the public section have been invisible to the public eye for 150 years, and he is very pleased that the memorial finally pays tribute to those people. He is also excited about educating the public regarding this fascinating history of our city.

As the unveiling approached on the 23rd, Dr. Thibodeau and the committee working on the project had hoped there would be a decent crowd attending this historic event. Thankfully, a crowd of around 100 people attended to witness, learn, and honor the deceased.

Dr. Thibodeau hopes “Invisible No More” not only educates the Rochester community about what happened regarding mental health during this time in history, but to provide a venue where the community can honor the dead. While most people who would have known those in the institution have passed, he would also love if their descendants are able to identify if their family member was among the forgotten in Mt. Hope. Dr. Thibodeau would also like for community members to think about the current challenges related to the social problems that caused people in history to open these institutions in the first place – mental illness, poverty, and crime. What about our current policies are working? What isn’t working about them? The stigma around mental health has definitely decreased significantly since the mid 19th century, but what can we do to further drive it out of society?

Be sure to read more about the ceremony on St. John Fisher’s website and on WHEC. If you would like to visit the memorial in Mt. Hope Cemetery, a pin on Google Maps should be coming soon!

Student Summer Research – Charly Campanella

Charly is a senior Biology student who is also pursuing minors in Chemistry and Psychology. This summer, she worked with Dr. Zachary Murphy through a sponsorship with the Summer Fellows Research Program on, “Investigating the Role of TET2 in Erythropoiesis with CRISPR/Cas9,”

Charly described her research: “Erythropoiesis is a biological process that involves the production of erythrocytes, commonly known as red blood cells. This process is crucial to human beings because the molecules that interact with the red blood cells help to transport oxygen to all areas of the body. Red blood cells must take on a biconcave morphology so that the specific interactions between proteins and molecules can be made. This physical characteristic is created by the removal of the cell’s nucleus and other cellular components during the developmental stage. If this developmental process is disrupted in any way, the cell will not be able to carry the normal amount of oxygen. These disruptions can lead to diseases such as anemia and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). One of the human genes, TET2, has been suggested to be related to MDS. It is thought that TET2 could play a role in the development of red blood cells, which could mean that a lack or mutation of the gene could lead to improper cells being produced. Our research has looked at this gene and what happens to cells when CRISPR/Cas9 technology is introduced along with specific short guide RNA (sgRNA) sequences . The sgRNA sequences were designed to target exons 3, 7, and 11 of the gene. Our hypothesis is that if these three exons are targeted and mutated, then the cells will not take on the proper shape needed.

“Alongside this idea, our research has also looked into finding inexpensive alternatives to protocols and biochemical materials. Science can be quite costly, and this can create a financial barrier to students and schools that choose to work with erythroid research. We tested various protocols several times to determine whether or not these alternatives would be suitable to use for future experiments. This tied into the research above because this idea of finding alternatives came about while in the process of troubleshooting. Our goal is to create cost effective alternatives so that other institutions, like St. John Fisher, can conduct erythroid research. This could help make research more diverse and bring in more ideas that could change the world of erythroid research.”

I’m Currently Reading…

Who else is always looking for a new book to read? While your “to read” list may be giving you a side eye, we wanted to give you a few new recommendations that our faculty members have been reading.

Our first recommendation comes from Dr. Tim Madigan. “Thanks to [my attendance at the Society for Italian Philosophy] I’m reading a book I shamefully must admit I’d never previously heard of, Alassandro Manzoni’s The Betrothed.” Tim graciously provided a synopsis of The Betrothed, and it can be found on The New Yorker.

Dr. Mark Rice gave us not one, but two books! “Two books that have really stuck out to me in my summer reading are the novel, Trust, by Hernan Diaz, and the nonfiction book, The Common Wind: Afro-American Currents in the Age of the Haitian Revolution by Julius Scott. In very different ways, both books deal with one of my favorite topics: how do we know things? In Trust (winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for fiction) we get a multi-faceted story about a fictional financial tycoon whose life story gets peeled back in layers revealing what may or may not be the real truth of his success. In The Common Wind, Scott’s deep and innovative archival research reveals the multiple channels through which men and women of the African diaspora communicated with each other about what was happening on their own and different islands through the Caribbean: colonial unrest, slave rebellions, and the possibilities of freedom.”

Dr. Deb Vanderbilt greatly enjoyed a book series during the summer months. “…I read the 3 volumes of The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin. It is a science fiction sensation that is currently being filmed for a netflix series. I can’t pretend I understood all the physics it involved (help, Kris Green!) but that did not get in the way of my total enjoyment of this trilogy.”

If anyone would like to submit what they’re currently reading, feel free to email me at: cfischer@sjf.edu. We look forward to hearing your suggestions!

New Fisher Faculty

The new semester brings many new faces to our campus among both students and faculty, and this semester we have several new professors from various departments. We would like to introduce you to a few of them below!

Dr. Michelle Flood is joining us in our Media and Communications department. She recently moved to Rochester from Seattle, WA and was most recently a Visiting Assistant Professor at Willamette University. While she was moving across the country, Michelle listed to the audiobook version of No Way! Okay, Fine by Brodie Lancaster. Michelle’s favorite Saturday activity is going to hot yoga with her spouse, and then finding a good farmer’s market. She loves to cook, and as she starts here at Fisher, she’s very excited to get to know her students and teach classes she loves.

When asked about what she’s working on, Michelle said, “I plan to go through the IRB process so I can conduct interviews with fans of Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale. It’s a project that I’ve been working on for a few years, but I think a new methodology will enhance my arguments – plus the interviews will coincide with the premiere of the series’ final season!”

Since Michelle is new to the Rochester area, she is looking for recommendations for some local spots! If you have a location Michelle should check out, be sure to let her know!

Dr. Kye Mohd Hanafiah is one of our new Biology department professors. Last autumn, she moved to Rochester from Menang, Malaysia. Kye has had training, research and teaching experience in infectious disease epidemiology and control, antimicrobial and diagnostic discovery & development, and various forms of science communication. Her favorite spot in Rochester is Mendon Ponds, along with the Rochester Public Market. On Saturdays, Kye enjoys hiking and going to the public market, and outside of work she enjoys eating good food, watching good films, and reading good books! Speaking of reading, Kye recently finished the Eaerthsea series by Ursula K Le Guin, and she’s currently re-reading the Desire Anthology by Haruki Murakami.

As she begins her time with us, Kye is looking forward to working with smaller groups of students and with dynamic and supportive colleagues. Be sure to check out her research publications; her running opinion column called Science, She Wrote; and her first book ‘Science Communication in Practice: Malaysian Perspective with Global Relevance.’

Also new to our Biology department is Dr. Philip Dodge who specializes in Anatomy and Physiology, Pathology and Gross Anatomy. He’s coming to Fisher after spending time at both RIT and Nazareth, and he is looking forward to facing new challenges that being at Fisher will bring! Philip’s favorite spot in the area includes any of the Finger Lakes. On any given Saturday you can find him golfing, boating, and fishing, and he enjoys spending time with his family.

Our History department welcomes Dr. Anthony Siracusa who comes to Fisher from the University of Colorado, and before that Memphis, Tennessee! Anthony specializes in modern US and African American History, and he also has experience as a civic engagement professional. After making the cross country trek, he can’t wait to meet with our students as students have provided him with great hope and joy throughout his career. If you’re in Lavery Library, try and find his book, Nonviolence Before King, or check it out online.

While he’s been reading books related to the courses he’s teaching this semester, Anthony has managed to find time to read some fictional works this summer as well. He has re-read the Lord of the Rings triology, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the first five books in The Vampire Chronicles, and he has started Dune. Despite his short time in the Rochester area, Anthony and his wife have already found some great places in Rochester. A couple of their favorites are The Owl House and Strange Bird, but they have also enjoyed Cure at the Public Market, Verne’s on Park Ave, The Half Pint, Roux, and Boulder Coffee in South Wedge. Lately, they’ve spent their weekends visiting the lake towns and remodeling their Rochester home. If he isn’t exploring Rochester, Anthony enjoys playing and making music in his home studio. He was part of a touring punk band for many years, and he is eager to connecting to the community here, along with visiting Needle Drop Records. You can also find Anthony on his weekly podcast covering the Memphis Grizzlies.

After 20 years at IBM, Professor Dan Brown is now a member of our Cybersecurity department. Dan is a returning Fisher grad who graduated in 2000, and he is looking forward to seeing how much has changed as he returns in his new role. Currently, he is reading The Codebreakers by David Kahn which now features a new chapter on computer cryptography!

Outside the realm of cybersecurity and computer science, Dan is reading Hard Boiled by Geoff Darrow and Weapon X by Barry Windsor-Smith to compare the background artwork of each issue. Every month, he makes sure to attend the monthly Metal Meltdown at The Record Archive. On a typical Saturday, Dan likes to sit down with a cup of coffee and listen to the Bac-In-Time show on 105.5. In his spare time, Dan enjoys weightlifting, reading, comics, various games (including card, dice, board, tabletop, RPG, and video games), music, art, cryptograms, and exploring primitive weapons.

Sport Management welcomes Professor Katie McJury. Katie is looking forward to working with the students and getting back into the field. While she’s looking for any recommendations for her next read, Katie recently finished Cloud Cuckoo by Anthony Doerr. She loves to watch movies, play with her family, and PBS. On the weekends, you can catch Katie watching her kids do what they love – soccer, lacrosse, hockey, swimming, performing arts, and more! You can also find her at the Blue Barn Cidery, the west side farm markets, and Turning Point Park.

After spending over 20 years as a K-12 educator, Dr. Christine Richards makes the switch to post secondary education by joining our African American Studies department! She just started reading Disruptive Thinking by T.D. Jakes. While her favorite spot in Rochester depends on the season, she is a fall lover at heart. On a typical Saturday, Christine enjoys listening to music as she takes care of things around the house, or she ventures out to different activities in the city. Outside of her field, she loves to spend time with her family and friends and travel. As Christine starts at Fisher, she is looking forward to getting to know the students and staff, along with becoming immersed in the Fisher culture. Be sure to keep your eye out, as she has a few works coming soon!