We are an inclusive academic community committed to excellence in the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge. We advance intellectual and creative discovery through transformative learning experiences that positively impact our lives and communities.
Dr. Bob Kolvoord
Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
A Message from the Interim Provost
Dear Colleagues,
This week has been a challenging one for higher education, highlighting the critical importance of being able to communicate across differences. As President Schmidt wrote in his note yesterday, “Violence, no matter the speech, is never the answer.” Thank you for helping our students navigate this moment and continue developing their ability to engage with those whose beliefs differ.
On a brighter note, as always, I’m happy to share great things happening across campus to wrap up this week. And now for today’s highlights!
- Hyun Kang, assistant professor in the Department of Social Work, recently published three articles based on his work with a community-based project on cognitive interventions through daily activities. While the content is meaningful, as it illustrates how daily activities, when used as a non-pharmacological and multi-component intervention with social engagement, can play an important role in preventing dementia and promoting healthy aging, the work is notable as each article used a different research approach: qualitative focus group interviews, a quasi-experimental design and an experimental design.
- Furious Flower Postdoctoral Fellow Gbenga Adesina 's debut collection, "Death Does Not End at the Sea," has been longlisted for the National Book Award. This is a significant honor, particularly for an author’s first collection. Congratulations!
- A team of undergraduate ISAT students recently won first place in the American Water Works Association Student Water Challenge at the Virginia Water Environment Association Annual Conference. Teams from across the state were given five hours to study a real-world water quality problem and present a solution. The JMU ISAT team, who were advised by ISAT professor Robert Brent, beat out Engineering majors and graduate students from other Virginia institutions. Brent stated, “This accomplishment speaks to the quality of their holistic problem-solving ISAT curriculum. They were presented with information and design equations, which they had never encountered before. Yet, they had the skills to quickly master new information, find the relevant resources, and propose an accurate, well-reasoned, holistic solution.” Seeing faculty mentor students through this type of activity is always affirming.
- If you’ve ever wondered when food producers receive prestige for their culinary efforts, Anthropology associate professor Dr. Di Hu recommends you check out “Multiple Inequalities in Every Meal: Theorizing the Intersectional Erasure of Food Producers Both Past and Present,” which she co-authored with several colleagues, including James Beard Award winner Dr. Psyche Williams Forson, in the July issue of the Food, Culture, and Society Despite its recent publication, the article is already the sixth most viewed article in Food, Culture, and Society in the past year.
Please keep the good news coming in! I look forward to seeing more of the teaching, scholarship, awards and other accomplishments of you and your colleagues, so please send them to provost@jmu.edu.
Sincerely,
Bob
Have Question for the Provost?
Academic Affairs faculty and staff can use the options below to contact the provost directly.
This is an open line of communication allowing faculty and staff to ask questions, but it is not a substitute from the crucial interactions they have with their academic unit head, department head and dean.
Students should contact AcademicQuestions@jmu.edu with questions.
