Geography Guest Lecturer
Spatial Ecology: Investigating Human-Environment Interactions & Applied GIScience

Dr. Jay Gatrell, Dean of the Graduate College and Associate Professor of Geography at Indiana State University, will be this year's Visiting Geography Speaker, hosted by Gamma Theta Upsilon, the International Geography Honor Society, and the Department of Earth Sciences. Dr. Gatrell's talk is on "Spatial Ecology: Investigating Human-Environment Interactions & Applied GIScience" and will be presented on Tuesday, October 27 at 5:00 p.m. in the University Auditorium. The presentation provides an overview of six inter-related projects that utilize GIS, remote sensing, and socio-economic data to unlock the socio-spatial dynamics of urban environmental conditions. His project utilizes a range of novel techniques including the expansion method, leaf area indices, artificial neural networks, and geographically weighted regression. Dr. Gatrell will demonstrate that observed socio-economic conditions co-vary with urban environmental amenities and dis-amenities.

For more information, please contact Dr. Carol Sawyer (sawyer@usouthal.edu) or Ms. Sherall Cornwell (scornwell@usouthal.edu) at 460-6381.

Guest Trumpeter to Teach Master Class and Perform Recital at USA
On Friday, October 23 at 7:30 p.m., Dr. Jason Dovel will perform a guest faculty trumpet recital in the Recital Hall of the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center on the campus of the University of South Alabama. With the collaboration of pianist Laura Moore, Dovel will perform an interesting and entertaining program of works for trumpet in a variety of media. Immediately prior to the concert, Dovel will teach a trumpet master class beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the Laidlaw Rehearsal Hall. The master class is free and open to the public. Concert tickets will go on sale beginning at 6:45 p.m. in the Laidlaw Lobby.

Tickets for this Department of Music concert event will be sold at the door only. Admission is $5 general and $3 for USA faculty, staff, students and all seniors. MAS passes will be honored for this concert. Persons needing more information about this event or in need of special accommodation may call (251) 460-7116, (251) 460-6136 or go online at www.southalabama.edu/music/calendar and click on "calendar."

Talk on Historic Pensacola
Presentation and book signing by John J. Clune Jr. and Margo S. Stringfield, authors of Historic Pensacola, published in the University of Florida Press series "Colonial Towns and Cities of the Atlantic World" and chosen as the commemorative book to celebrate Pensacola's 450th anniversary. Tuesday, October 20 at 7:00 p.m. in the University of South Alabama Library Auditorium.

With full-color images, the authors combine history and archaeology in an engaging and informative account of Pensacola's unique role in the development of the southeastern United States. Their story provides a unique look into the daily lives of the people who endured hardship, disease, and hurricanes to settle the Gulf coast frontier. John J. Clune Jr. is associate professor and chair of history at the University of West Florida. Margo S. Stringfield is an archaeologist and research associate at the University of West Florida Archaeology Institute. Their book was awarded the 2009 Freedom Foundations, George Washington Honor Medal, for promoting an understanding and appreciation of our country's heritage (adapted from University of Florida Press website; Historic Pensacola $27).

Hosted by the Southwest Chapter of the Alabama Archaeological Society and USA's Center for Archaeological Studies. For more information, contact Bonnie Gums at (251) 460-6562 or bgums@jaguar1.usouthal.edu.

Boat Tour to Bottle Creek Indian Mounds
Join us for a tour to Bottle Creek Indian Mounds on Sunday, November 15, 2009, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Bottle Creek, with eighteen earthen mounds, is the largest Mississippian chiefdom (AD 1200-1400) on the north-central Gulf coast. It is a pristine archaeological site located on Mound Island in the beautiful Mobile-Tensaw Delta in north Baldwin County. Ride the Delta Explorer for a 45-minute cruise up the Tensaw River lead by Blakeley State Park crew. Once on Mound Island the 1.5 hour walking tour, including climbing the largest mound that stands 45 feet high, will be lead by Dr. Greg Waselkov, Director of the Center for Archaeological Studies at the University of South Alabama.

The boat leaves at 9:30 a.m. (please arrive early for boarding) from Lower Bryant's Landing located off Highway 225 about two miles north of Interstate 10, just south of Stockton, and will return around 1:30 p.m.. The Delta Explorer has a 50-passenger capacity, but it not readily handicapped accessible. There is a restroom on board. The boat is open so it may be a little cool on the ride. Bring snacks, lunch, drinks, and plenty of water. We usually eat our lunches on the boat ride back. Please wear hiking boots or similar comfortable shoes. We will provide bug spray, if needed. Don't forget your cameras and binoculars.

For reservations and more information, please contact Blakeley State Park at (251) 626-5581. Cost is $30 per person, well worth the trip.

We will be driving one of the archaeology trucks from USA's Center for Archaeological Studies leaving around 8:15 a.m. If you want a ride, contact Bonnie Gums at (251) 460-6562. If you would like a map and directions to Lower Bryant's Landing, e-mail bgums@jaguar1.usouthal.edu.

Physics 2009-2010 Colloquiums Begin
The University of South Alabama Department of Physics presents colloquium speaker Dr. Khin Maung, Professor and Chair, Department of Physics. Dr. Maung will give a presentation titled "Gauge Theory and Fiber Bundles" on Thursday, September 24, at 4:00 p.m., in ILB Room 250. The level of the talk is aimed at the undergraduate students (sophomore and above). No knowledge of higher mathematics is assumed except the first course in calculus. All interested persons are invited to attend. Refreshments are served at 3:45 p.m. Host: Dr. R. Godang.

Archaeology Talk September 15
Carey Geiger, President of the Southwest Chapter of the Alabama Archaeological Society, will give a talk titled "The Greenwood Island Site in Pascagoula, Mississippi: an Abused and Neglected Cultural Resource" on Tuesday, September 15, at 7:00 p.m., in the USA Library Auditorium. Mr. Geiger's talk will highlight the ongoing destruction of an archaeological site on Mississippi's Gulf coast by natural forces and industrial encroachment. Pottery from the site was recently carbon dated to 1,000 BC, making it some of the oldest pottery yet to be found along the northern Gulf coast. Results of a 1997 excavation will be discussed and artifacts will be on display. Carey, a retired chemist, has been volunteering with USA's Center for Archaeological Studies since 2006. This event is free and open to all. Co-sponsored by the Center for Archaeological Studies and the Southwest Chapter of the Alabama Archaeological Society.

2009-2010 USA Musical Arts Concert Series opens September 3
Andra Bohnet Faculty Flute Recital

On Thursday, September 3 at 7:30 p.m., the University of South Alabama Department of Music will open its 2009-2010 Musical Arts Concert Series with "The French Connection," a recital by flutist and Professor of Music Andra Bohnet. The program will take place in the Recital Hall of the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center and will include USA Professor of Music and pianist Robert Holm, clarinetist John Craig Barker, and harpist Katie Ott. French composers have historically had a special sensibility for the flute and this program will feature stunning examples of this repertoire.

Tickets for this Musical Arts Series event will be sold at the door only. Admission is $5 general and $3 for USA faculty, staff, students and all seniors. Persons needing more information about this event or in need of special accommodation may call (251) 460-7116 or (251) 460-6136. Information regarding season passes for USA's 2009-2010 Musical Arts Series concerts is available online at www.southalabama.edu/music or by calling the previously mentioned phone numbers.

Arts & Sciences Faculty Member Presents Paper at International Conference
Dr. Richard Ward, Associate Professor of Communication and Graduate Coordinator, presented his paper "The New Orleans That Was: WYES Historical Documentaries in the Post-Katrina Age" at the Televising History 2009 Conference at the University of Lincoln in the United Kingdom on July 25, 2009. The paper traces the history of the WYES (New Orleans' primary PBS affiliate) documentaries on the history and culture of New Orleans. The station began producing the hour-long programs at the rate of two per year in 1991. The paper argues that the programs have taken on new significance as morale boosters during the painfully slow recovery from 2005's Hurricane Katrina.

USA Department of Music announces 2009-2010 Musical Arts Concert Series
The University of South Alabama Department of Music is pleased to announce the 2009-2010 Musical Arts Concert Series. This series includes recitals and concerts performed by the music department's extremely talented faculty and students.

All concerts are in the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center Recital Hall except where indicated. Concert admission, except where indicated, is $5 general admission and $3 for USA students/faculty/staff and all seniors. Discount season subscriptions are available. Contact Peggy Doyle, secretary, regarding MAS season passes at (251) 460-6136.

The USA Music Department website is found at www.southalabama.edu/music and users are encouraged to click on "Musical Arts Series" for more information.

Dr. Bush to Present Special "Golden Era of Piano" Recital
Dr. Jerry Alan Bush, pianist and Professor of Music at the University of South Alabama, will present a special faculty recital with commentary entitled "The Golden Era of the Piano" in celebration of the three-hundredth anniversary of the instrument. The concert, prepared at the request of the Schumann Club of Mobile, will take place at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 28, in the Recital Hall of the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center on the University of South Alabama main campus. The performance will be followed by a reception hosted by the Schumann Club.

Admission to this Department of Music concert is free and open to the public. Persons needing more information about this event or in need of special accommodation may call (251) 460-7116, (251) 460-6136 or go online at www.southalabama.edu/music/calendar.

USA Faculty to Lead Alabama Ambassadors of Music Tour in Europe
Free "Send-Off" Concert Set for Tuesday, June 16 at 7:00 p.m., Laidlaw Performing Arts Center Recital Hall

Three University of South Alabama faculty members will lead the 2009 Alabama Ambassadors of Music Tour, a 16-day, seven-country European concert trip for 60 honors student musicians from high schools across the state.

USA Music Department Chair Dr. Greg Gruner, who also serves as USA's director of bands, will conduct the Honor Band. Dr. Laura Moore, USA director of choral activities, will conduct the Honor Choir. Meanwhile, Dr. Peter Wood, assistant professor of music at USA, will serve as tour coordinator.

The students will gather at USA for three days of rehearsal and a performance, prior to departing for Europe. Their rehearsals will culminate in a free, public concert on Tuesday, June 16, at 7:00 p.m. at the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center at USA.

Media are welcome to any rehearsals. The concert is free and open to the public. Persons needing more information about this event or in need of special accommodation may call (251) 460-7116 or (251) 460-6136, or go online at www.southalabama.edu/music and click on the word "calendar."

The students were nominated by their high school band and choir advisors for their level of musicianship, leadership, and character and were selected for participation by invitation. Each nominee received a congratulatory letter from Gov. Bob Riley.

The Alabama Ambassadors of Music honor band and chorus will share their music with European audiences in seven different countries and in a variety of performance settings. The tour will include stops in England, France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Italy, and Germany. The Alabama Ambassadors of Music tour is an educational program designed for honor music students to perform and share their musical talents, while gaining cultural enrichment abroad.

The tour is designed by Voyageurs International, a Denver-based agency specializing in European music tours for numerous state groups throughout the country for over 38 years.

"Three For All" USA Faculty Concert
The USA Department of Music will present a concert of beautiful, virtuosic, quirky and fun music for flute, clarinet and piano by faculty members Andra Bohnet, John Craig Barker and Robert Holm on Tuesday, June 9 at 7:30 p.m. These dynamic instrumentalists, also members of the Mobile Symphony Orchestra and frequent solo performers throughout the region and beyond, have recently joined forces and are having a blast playing together. This concert will feature music by Camille Saint-Saens, Gary Schocker, John Clinton and Johannes Brahms.

Tickets for this USA Department of Music event will be sold at the door only. Admission is $5 general and $3 for USA faculty, staff, students and all seniors. Persons needing more information about this event or in need of special accommodation may call (251) 460-7116, (251) 460-6136 or
go online at www.southalabama.edu/music/calendar.

USA faculty member contributes to nationally distributed DVD
Richard Ward, associate professor and film history specialist in the Department of Communication, can be seen on a major DVD release about the classic “Little Rascal” films and TV series “Our Gang.”

Six months after its release, the DVD, titled “The Little Rascals: The Complete Collection (1933),” ranked No. 31 on Amazon’s top 100 “Classic TV” DVDs countdown.

A company hired to produce extra and bonus features for the eight-DVD collection sought out Dr. Ward because he is author of “A History of the Hal Roach Studies,” issued by the Southern Illinois University Press in 2005 and 2006.

“Little Rascal” films were produced by the Hal Roach studios.

The production company flew Dr. Ward to California, where he was interviewed for videos to include in the DVD package. Dr. Ward provides commentary for three of the five films with commentaries. He also was featured in two documentaries in the package, a 30-minute-long documentary on the “Our Gang”/”Little Rascals” series and a shorter one on racism in films during the period when the films were produced. In addition, Dr. Ward serves as on-camera host for one of the sets eight discs.

Dr. Ward was the only academic included among those interviewed for the collection. Others interviewed included surviving “Our Gang” members.

Speaker on Social Change, Medicine, and Service Learning
Dr. David Aday, Professor Sociology and American Studies at William and Mary, will speak about his work in Central America in a lecture titled "Every Helping Act is a Political Decision: Learning, Research, and Social Change." Dr. Aday is a sociologist who works with pre-med students. Together they engage in "sustainable" social change and medicine. The talk is Thursday, April 30, at 7:00 p.m.in the USA Library Auditorium. This event is sponsored by the Zeta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta and the Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work Department.

USA Symphony Band Spring Concert
The University of South Alabama Symphony Band, conducted by Dr. Greg Gruner and assisted by Professor Ward Miller, will perform a Spring Concert on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall of the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center. The conductors are pleased to introduce four University of South Alabama student conductors for their debut performance: Isabel Martinez, August Gallaher, Tiffany Gibbs and Hironori Anazawa will conduct "Prelude, Siciliano and Rondo" and "On a Hymnsong of Philip Bliss."

Tickets for this Musical Arts Series event will be sold at the door only. Admission is $5 general and $3 for USA faculty, staff, students and all seniors. Persons needing more information about this event or in need of special accommodation may call (251) 460-7116, (251) 460-6136 or go online at www.southalabama.edu/music/calendar.

International Film Series Movie
The Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures announces the last movie of the spring 2009 International Film Series. The movie will be shown in the USA Library auditorium at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 23, 2009. The event is free and open to all.

The movie is Black Cat, White Cat (Crna macka, beli macor, Serbia, 1998), directed by Emir Kusturica. The story centers around a small-time con man whose get-rich-quick schemes involve him with a coked-up, disco-dancing gangster and the aging local Mafia don. The movie includes train robberies (the entire train, not just the stuff in it), escapes from arranged marriages, and corpses kept in an attic under precariously balanced slabs of ice.(In Serbo-Croatian with English subtitles, 135 min, R)

USA Flute Choir Spring Concert
The University of South Alabama Flute Choir, under the direction of Dr. Andra Bohnet, will offer their Spring Concert on Tuesday, April 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center Recital Hall. The ensemble will utilize the entire flute family from bass flute to piccolo as well as bassoon, harp and percussion. Repertoire for the concert, both original compositions and transcriptions for flutes, features music from around the world - Japan, Bali, Russia, Rumania, Ireland, Venezuela and the U.S.A.

This concert is part of USA's Musical Arts Series and tickets for the event will be sold at the door only. Admission is $5 general and $3 for USA faculty, staff, students and all seniors. Persons needing more information about this event or special accommodation may call the Music Events Office at (251) 460-7116, the Music Department Office at (251) 460-6136 or go to www.southalabama.edu/music/calendar.

Thad Anderson performs Guest Faculty Percussion Recital
Thad Anderson presents an evening of keyboard percussion music at the University of South Alabama Laidlaw Performing Arts Center Recital Hall on Thursday, April 16 at 7:30 p.m. The performance will feature adaptations of works by John Cage, Chick Corea, George Crumb and Pat Metheny, as well as newly commissioned works by Travis Jeffords, Jonathan Kolm and Paul Lansky.

Tickets for this USA Department of Music event will be sold at the door only. Admission is $5 general and $3 for USA faculty, staff, students and all seniors. MAS passes will be honored for this concert. Persons needing more information about this event or in need of special accommodation may call (251) 460-7116, (251) 460-6136 or go to www.southalabama.edu/music/calendar.

History Club Film Series Continues
The Phi Alpha Theta history society's History vs. Hollywood series continues with a Cold War double feature: Fail-safe and Dr. Strangelove: Or How I
Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. The event is Friday, April 17 at 6:00 p.m. in HUMB 160. Dr. Bob Houston will be introducing the films, which are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Harry Miller at hsmiller@jaguar1.usouthal.edu.

USA Physics presents Dr. Paul Avery
The University of South Alabama Department of Physics presents a talk by Dr. Paul Avery, University of Florida, on Thursday, April 16, at 4:00 p.m., in ILB Room 250. The talk is titled "Open Science Grid: Linking Universities and Laboratories in National Cyberinfrastructure." All interested persons are invited to attend. Refreshments are served at 3:45 p.m. Host: Dr. R. Godang.

USA Percussion Ensemble Spring Concert
The USA Percussion Ensemble presents its annual spring concert under the direction of newly appointed Director of Percussion Studies, Mike Sammons. On Thursday, April 9 at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall of the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center, the ensemble will present an eclectic program featuring both contemporary and traditional styles of composition for keyboard percussion to works influenced by rudimental style drumming. The program will include music by composers Bob Becker, John Bergamo, David Skidmore and Dave Hall. The concert will also feature the World Music Ensemble performing repertoire from West African and Indian musical traditions, and the USA Marimba Band will perform a variety of xylophone ragtime music.

Tickets for this Musical Arts Series event will be sold at the door only. Admission is $5 general and $3 for USA faculty, staff, students and all seniors. Persons needing more information about this event or in need of special accommodation may call (251) 460-7116, (251) 460-6136 or go to www.southalabama.edu/music/calendar. For more information on the USA Percussion Ensemble, USA World Music Ensemble and the USA Marimba Band, visit www.southalabama.edu/music/percussion.

Careers in Aging Day
The USA Gerontology Club and Sigma Phi Omega Honor Society in Gerontology are hosting a "Careers in Aging Day" on April 15, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., in the Student Center Ballroom. The purpose of the event is to introduce students to various paths leading to careers in aging and intergenerational relations. For more information, contact Carey Driskell or Dr. Roma Hanks.

"Reuben's Mobile"
Kate Seawell and Sue Brannon Walker are scheduled to give a presentation about their book, "Reuben's Mobile," in the auditorium of the University Library on the campus of the University of South Alabama on April 16, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. Dr. Walker wrote the poetry and Kate Seawell illustrated this very interesting story about Mobile from a dog's point of view. Reuben is a Harlequin Great Dane and the love of Teddy Lee, a third generation Mobilian.

This presentation takes place during National Library Week and during an exhibition by the Visual Arts Faculty which is featured in the library's third floor art gallery. Light refreshments will be served immediately following the presentation in Room 181 of the library. Copies of the book should be available for autographs and the public is invited to bring their own copies for autographing. Directions to the library can be found on the library's website: http://library.southalabama.edu/. For further information call ( 251) 460-7028 or 460-7021.

Upcoming Writing Outreach Sessions
Please note that there will be two Writing Outreach sessions next week to help anyone interested in improving their writing skills. On Monday, April 6, at 5:00 p.m. in HUMB 160 will be Attributing Sources: How to effectively quote, paraphrase, and attribute outside sources. Thursday, April 9, at 3:30 p.m. in HUMB 160 will be Style: Instructions on improving your writing style, with a focus on concision and clarity.

Writing Outreach is open to all university students, staff, and faculty, as well as interested members of the community. The sessions are purely voluntary. There is no registration requirement and no commitment necessary; participants may come to one or all of the sessions. These sessions are approximately forty-five minute minutes. The last three sessions of this semester will be on grammar, the resume, and the writing process. For more information, please visit http://www.usouthal.edu/english/student/outreach.htm.

Daniel Driskell Faculty Piano Recital
Daniel G. Driskell will perform "Anniversaries and Americans" on Friday, April 3, at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall of South Alabama's Laidlaw Performing Arts Center. The program will feature two anniversaries and three Americans. The anniversaries include the birth of Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) commemorated by his Rondo Capriccioso as well as the death of F.J. Haydn (1732-1809) with his Sonata in G major. Mr. Driskell will also perform several works by contemporary American composers: Norman Dello Joio, William Bolcom and Robert Muczynski written in a variety of styles from hymn to ragtime. The recital includes a short discussion of each composer and piece.

This USA Department of Music concert is free and open to the public. Persons needing more information about this event or in need of special accommodation may call (251) 460-7116, (251) 460-6136 or go to www.southalabama.edu/music/calendar.

Mobile Chamber Music presents Guitarist David Russell
Mobile Chamber Music is pleased to present Classical guitarist David Russell on Tuesday, March 31, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. in the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center. World renowned for his superb musicianship and inspired artistry, Russell has earned the highest praise from audiences and critics alike. He is the GRAMMY award winner in 2005 for his CD AIRE LATINO in the category of best instrumental soloist in classical music.

Sociology Guest Speaker - The Animal Rights Movement
The Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work is pleased to announce our Spring 2009 Guest Speaker. Dr. Brian M. Lowe of the State University of New York - Oneonta will Speak on: "Morality Wars and the Public Moral Imagination in Spectacular Times: The Case of Animal Advocacy" on Friday, April 3, at 11:15 a.m. in MC 1101. Everyone is welcome to attend. Click here to view the flyer.

2009 Visual Arts Faculty Exhibition
The Visual Arts Faculty of the University of South Alabama will present the 2009 Visual Arts Faculty Exhibition. The exhibit features artwork in a wide range of materials and disciplines including painting, printmaking, graphic design, ceramics, sculpture, drawing and photography. Participating artists include Jason Guyne, Nikki Schneider, Kate Seawell, Benjamin Shamback, Margarita Skiadas and Rachel Wright. The exhibit will be on display in the University Third Floor Gallery, University of South Alabama, through April 30. For more information contact Richard Wood, Dean of University Libraries at (251) 460-7021 or e-mail at rwood@bbl.usouthal.edu.

History Club Film Series Continues
The Phi Alpha Theta history club's "History versus Hollywood" series continues with the 2007 feature "Charlie Wilson's War," concerning the Cold War in Afghanistan. The film will be shown on Friday, March 27, at 6:00 p.m., in HUMB 160. Dr. Rebecca Williams will be introducing and discussing the film, which is free and open to the public. For further information, please contact Dr. Harry Miller at hsmiller@jaguar1.usouthal.edu.

Robert Holm presents "Late Beethoven Sonatas: Theme and Variations"
On Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. in USA's Laidlaw Performing Arts Center Recital Hall, pianist Dr. Robert Holm will perform the last three sonatas for piano composed by Ludwig van Beethoven between 1820 and 1822. In each of these sonatas, Beethoven turns to the most ancient of musical forms: theme and variations. His opus 109 sonata is most straightforward in its formal approach, while opuses 110 and 111 are more subtle and more imaginative. This is the second of a two-part series featuring the late Beethoven piano sonatas performed during Dr. Holm's sabbatical semester.

Tickets for this USA Department of Music Musical Arts Series event will be sold at the door only. Admission is $5 general and $3 for USA faculty, staff, students and all seniors. Persons needing more information about this event or in need of special accommodation may call (251) 460-7116, (251) 460-6136 or go online at (251) 460-7116, (251) 460-6136 or go online at www.southalabama.edu/music/calendar.

University of South Alabama Department of Music Presents 4th Annual Electroacoustic Music Concert
The University of South Alabama Department of Music is pleased to announce the 4th Annual Electroacoustic Music Concert on Wednesday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall of the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center. The concert will feature new electroacoustic works by USA student composers and rescored film clips by USA senior Hironori Anazawa. Also on the program will be a new work for trumpet and computer by USA Assistant Professor of Music David Durant, performed by Assistant Professor of Trumpet Peter Wood, and additionally USA Events Coordinator Keith Bohnet will play the euphonium on a collaborative work by USA student Caleb Givens and David Durant.

The concert is free and open to the public. The audience is invited to meet the composers after the concert. Persons needing more information about this event or in need of special accommodation may call(251) 460-7116, (251) 460-6136 or go online at www.southalabama.edu/music/calendar. Also for further direct information contact David Durant at (251) 460-6695 or at ddurant@usouthal.edu.

Political Science and Criminal Justice Colloquium
Lieutenant Colonel Oakland McCulloch, Professor and Chair of the Military Science Department, will give a PowerPoint presentation on "Operation Iraqi Freedom" this Saturday, March 7, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in HUMB 214. The presentation is free and open to the public. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Zohair Husain, Associate Professor of Political Science (e-mail: zhusain@jaguar1.usouthal.edu; office phone: (251) 460-7203).

UNC Chapel Hill Jazz Band presents Tour Concert at USA
The University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill Jazz Band, under the direction of James Ketch, will perform in concert at the USA Laidlaw Performing Arts Center Recital Hall on Monday, March 9, at 7:30 p.m. The UNC Jazz Band's event at USA is part of a combined concert tour and service project along the Gulf Coast that will ultimately having them performing in New Orleans and working with Habitat for Humanity as well. Their concert at USA will include jazz music of all styles from the past 75 years and will be quite enjoyable for audience members that are young and those young at heart!

Tickets for this USA Department of Music event will be sold at the door only. Admission is $5 general and $3 for USA faculty, staff, students and all seniors. MAS passes will be honored for this concert. Persons needing more information about this event or in need of special accommodation may call (251) 460-7116, (251) 460-6136 or go online at www.southalabama.edu/music/calendar.

Humanities and Social Sciences Colloquium
Dr. Rebecca Williams, Department of History, will give a presentation titled "The Role of the Supernatural in al-Tabari's (d. 910 CE) Life of the Prophet Muhammad" on Thursday, March 12, at 3:30 p.m. in Dean's Conference Room, Humanities 122. Faculty and students from all departments are welcome, as are interested members of the community. Feel free to come late or leave early as your schedule requires.

Mathematics and Statistics Colloquium
On Thursday, March 5, in ILB 370 at 3:30 p.m., Professor Gabriele Nebe from the RWTH Aachen in Germany will give a colloquium talk entitled "Self-Dual Codes and Invariant Theory." Refreshments will be served in the conference room ILB 335 at 3:00 p.m. The University community is invited to attend.

University of South Alabama Symphony Band Winter Concert
The University of South Alabama Symphony Band, conducted by Dr. Greg Gruner and assisted by Professor Ward Miller, will perform a Winter Concert on Tuesday, March 3, 2009, at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall of the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center.

Please join us for a relaxing and exciting concert of superb music. Tickets for this Musical Arts Series event will be sold at the door only. Admission is $5 general and $3 for USA faculty, staff, students and all seniors. Persons needing more information about this event or in need of special accommodation may call (251) 460-7116, (251) 460-6136 or go online at www.southalabama.edu/music/calendar.

Guest Piano Faculty Ian Hominick in Recital
University of Mississippi piano faculty Ian Hominick will perform a guest recital at USA's Laidlaw Performing Arts Center Recital Hall on Friday, February 27 at 7:30 p.m. The native of Nova Scotia, Canada has programmed works to include Muzio Clementi's Sonata in F minor, Franz Schubert's Wanderer Fantasy, the Sonatine of Maurice Ravel and Sigismund Thalberg's Scherzo in C-sharp Minor.

This USA Department of Music concert is free and open to the public. Persons needing more information about this event or in need of special accommodation may call (251) 460-7116, (251) 460-6136 or go online at www.southalabama.edu/music/calendar.

USA Faculty Recital of Tenor Thomas Rowell
The University of South Alabama Department of Music presents faculty tenor Dr. Thomas Rowell in recital on Thursday, February 26, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall of Laidlaw Performing Arts Center. Dr. Rowell will be joined by fellow USA faculty member soprano Linda Zoghby and soprano Megan King in a program that will feature a wide variety of composers and musical styles, including art song, opera and musical theatre. The program will feature works by Faure, Quilter, Strauss, Verdi, Debussy, Canteloube and Korngold.

Tickets for this Musical Arts Series event will be sold at the door only. Admission is $5 general and $3 for USA faculty, staff, students and all seniors. Persons needing more information about this event or in need of special accommodation may call (251) 460-7116, (251) 460-6136 or go online at www.southalabama.edu/music/calendar.

Talk on the Historic Creek of Central Alabama
Tara Potts, Research Assistant, USA's Center for Archaeological Studies, will present a talk titled "The Historic Creek of Central Alabama: Archaeological Investigations at Site 1EE639" at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 17, in the USA Library Auditorium. Co-sponsored by the Center for Archaeological Studies and the Southwest Chapter of the Alabama Archaeological Society. This event is free and open to everyone.

Late Beethoven Sonatas and the Fugue
USA Department of Music presents a faculty piano recital of Dr. Robert Holm, Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. in the USA Laidlaw Performing Arts Center Recital Hall. This recital is part of the USA Musical Arts Series. Tickets for this event will be sold at the door only. Admission is $5 general and $3 for USA faculty, staff, students and all seniors. Persons needing more information about this event or in need of special accommodation may call (251) 460-7116, (251) 460-6136 or go online at www.southalabama.edu/music/calendar.

Glass Sculpture
The Department of Visual Art is pleased to announce the exhibition of sculptural work in glass and mixed media by Rick and Nikki Schneider titled "This American Labor."

The exhibition will be on display February 12 - 19 in the Visual Arts Gallery (located in the north-west corner of the Visual Arts Building). Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. and Sundays 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. The artists reception will be held Thursday February 12 from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. For more information call (251) 460-6335.

Distinguished Lecture - Ripples on Bay Water: A Poet's Perspective
The University of South Alabama Baldwin County welcomes Alabama's Poet Laureate, Sue Walker, Ph.D. The distinguished lecture, Ripples on Bay Water: A Poet's Perspective, will bring to light the history and personalities of those who formed the footprint of Mobile Bay.

The lecture will be held on Sunday, February 8, 3:00 p.m. at USA Baldwin County's Performance Center, located at the corner of St. James and Summit Streets in downtown Fairhope. We look forward to seeing you at the lecture. Reservations are requested; please call (251) 928-8133 or e-mail Robyn Andrews to reserve your seat. To learn about additional programs offered at USA Baldwin County visit our website, baldwincounty.southalabama.edu.

History Department Eighth Annual Howard Mahan Lecture
The History Department at the University of South Alabama is hosting their eighth annual Howard Mahan Lecture on Thursday, February 12, 2009 at the University Library Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. This year's speaker is Magnus Bernardsson, whose lecture is "What is Iraq? Defining the Iraq Nation 1921-2008." Dr. Bernardsson received his Ph.D. from Yale University and is currently Associate Professor of Middle Eastern History at Williams College in Massachusetts. He is the author of Reclaiming a Plundered Past: Archaeology and Nation Building in Modern Iraq (University of Texas Press, 2005) and co-editor of US-Middle Eastern Encounters: A Critical Survey (University of Florida Press, 2007). His research focuses on modern Iraqi history, US-Iraqi relations from 1900-2000, and archaeology and nationalism in the modern Middle East. For more information, please contact the USA History Department, (251) 460-6210 or history@jaguar1.usouthal.edu. Admission is free and the lecture is open to the public.

International Film Series Movie
The Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures announces the next movie of the spring 2009 International Film Series. The movie will be shown in the USA Library auditorium at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 29th, 2009. The event is free and open to all.

The movie is The Curse (Xala, Senegal, 1974), directed by Ousmane Sembene. At the dawn of Senegal's independence from France, white money still controls the government. One official known by the title "El Hadji," takes advantage of some of that money to marry his third wife. But on his wedding night he is struck with a "xala," a curse of impotence. El Hadji's efforts to remove the xala result in a scathingly satirical ending. (French with English subtitles 123 min, NR)

Upcoming event for the Mobile Mathematics Circle
The Mobile Mathematics Circle invites all members of the University Community to attend "The Genius of LO!", by Dr. Thomas E. Payne from the University of Oregon. The presentation is scheduled for Monday, January 26, 2009, at 7:00 p.m. in ILB 410.

In this presentation, you will learn about the exciting fields of linguistics and language processing technologies though hands-on experience with problems in real languages you have never learned, and may never have even heard of! These problems, designed by professional linguists and computer scientists, will challenge your wits while exposing you to the beauty and richness of the world's languages. You will find that Linguistics is a technical field with a very human face.

The Mobile Mathematics Circle is a weekly gathering of students of high school age guided by professional mathematicians. It is designed for students who enjoy math and want the challenge of exciting problems that are normally outside the school curriculum.

"Lyricas" Clarinet and Piano Ensemble to Perform Guest Faculty Recital at USA
The ensemble "Lyricas" will perform a Guest Faculty Recital at USA's Laidlaw Performing Arts Center Recital Hall on Monday, January 26, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. This Mississippi College concert duo includes clarinetist, composer and Mobile native James Sclater, along with pianist Angela Willoughby. This performance by Lyricas will explore a wide variety of music from the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as featuring music composed and arranged by Mr. Sclater. The program will include Brahms' Sonata for Clarinet and Piano, Templeton's "Pocket-Size Sonata," and the Grand Duo Concertant by Carl Maria von Weber.

Tickets for this Musical Arts Series event will be sold at the door only. Admission is $5 general and $3 for USA faculty, staff, students and all seniors. Persons needing more information about this event or in need of special accommodation may call (251) 460-7116, (251) 460-6136 or go online at www.southalabama.edu/music/calendar.

International Film Series Movie
The Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures announces the first movie of the spring 2009 International Film Series, Leonor (Leonor, Spain/ France/Italy, 1975), directed by Juan Luis Bunuel. The movie will be shown in the USA Library auditorium at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 22, 2009. The event is free and open to all.

Richard is a medieval nobleman. After his first wife dies in an accident and is buried in the family vault, he remarries and has children by his second wife. A mad longing for his first wife Leonor comes over him, and he sells his soul to the devil for a chance to get her back. But when she returns, she is a murderous vampire (In Spanish with English, 101 min, PG 13)

Distinguished Lecture Series - Diet & Mood
We've all heard the saying, "You are what you eat!," but most of us don't connect this truism to how we feel. Our body and mind are inseparable, so what we eat affects both our physical and mental health. To learn more about how your daily diet contributes to your mood, attend the University of South Alabama Baldwin County's distinguished lecture, Diet and Mood by Dr. Larry Christensen, University of South Alabama, Chair, Department of Psychology.

Dr. Christensen will focus on carbohydrate cravings and the relationship between mood and carbohydrate cravings as well as the relationship between depression and food intake. The lecture will be held on Sunday, January 25, 3:00 p.m. at USA Baldwin County's Performance Center located at the corner of St. James and Summit Streets in downtown Fairhope. Reservations are requested; please call (251) 928-8133 or e-mail USABC@usouthal.edu to reserve your seat. To learn about additional programs offered at USA Baldwin County visit our website, baldwincounty.southalabama.edu.

Interim Appointments
G. David Johnson, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, is pleased to announce the appointments of Dr. Andrzej Wierzbicki as interim dean for the College of Arts and Sciences, and Dr. David C. Forbes as acting chair of the Department of Chemistry, effective January 1, 2009. Dr. Wierzbicki joined the University in 1993 as a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry and has served as professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry since 2001. Dr. Forbes joined the University of South Alabama as a faculty member in 1998 and has served as assistant director of the USA Honors Program since 2003.