Wilson Enters Agreement with HACC
Wilson College and HACC, "Central Pennsylvania's Community College," recently signed an expanded agreement allowing HACC associate degree graduates to seamlessly enter Wilson, bringing all of their credits earned with a grade of C or better with them.
The agreement is a win for both institutions and their students, while contributing to efforts to increase educational attainment in Pennsylvania, according to Wilson President Barbara K. Mistick. She said the agreement with HACC is a step toward improving access to Wilson’s bachelor’s degree offerings for community college graduates.
“It’s a way for us to partner with the community college to create pathways for students who want to come to Wilson,” Mistick said. “We want to make it easy.”
A national and state movement to increase postsecondary educational attainment–the number of Americans who hold degrees and other high-quality credentials–is underway. In Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf has set a goal of 60 percent of the state’s residents earning an associate or bachelor’s degree, or high-value certificate, by 2025. In 2014, the most recent year for which data are available, only 43.8 percent of Pennsylvanians had reached that level of attainment, a report from the Lumina Foundation states.
Meanwhile, the demand for workers with degrees or advanced training is growing, even in times of low unemployment. According to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, two-thirds of all jobs created in this decade will require some form of postsecondary education, while only about 40 percent of adults in the U.S. currently have achieved that level of education.
“Jobs are getting more complicated and that’s why Pennsylvania is working toward a goal of 60 percent with a postsecondary degree by 2025,” Mistick said. “One of the ways for Wilson to participate in that effort is through partnerships or collaborations with community colleges and even high schools.”
The benefits of higher levels of education extend not only to employers, but more significantly, to students. “The data are clear: a college degree is key to economic opportunity, conferring substantially higher earnings on those with credentials than those without,” according to The College Payoff: Education, Occupations Lifetime Earnings, a report on lifetime earnings by level of education published by the Georgetown center.
Drawing from U.S. Census Bureau data, the report outlines the increased earning potential over the course of a lifetime, with an associate degree holder earning, on average, $423,000 more than a person with only a high school diploma, and a bachelor’s degree yielding an average of $541,000 more than an associate degree.
“People with bachelor’s degrees earn nearly $1 million more than high school graduates over their lifetime, have a lower unemployment rate and they’re happier,” said Mistick. “With these kinds of partnerships with other institutions, Wilson College is responding to workforce needs while helping more students create a path to a bachelor’s degree, knowing that degree is going to deliver to them (a higher income over their lifetimes).”
Under Wilson’s articulation agreement with HACC, qualified associate degree graduates are guaranteed admission to Wilson with full junior status. Students who identify their desire to continue at Wilson while working toward their associate degree will be connected with Wilson’s advising resources and have their application fee waived.
The two colleges have shared their curricula and academic requirements, and are working to strengthen organization and planning between the institutions to ensure a smooth transition and positive student experience.
A scholarship for HACC students enrolling at Wilson is also in the works, officials said.
“Collaboration with academic programs, student services, mentoring and athletics are just a few of the benefits that will come from this agreement,” said Wilson Vice President for Enrollment David Boisvert. “This partnership will encourage collaboration, opening opportunities that otherwise would not be possible without an agreement in place. We’re excited.”
Wilson is looking to forge similar agreements with other community colleges to improve access to Wilson’s bachelor’s degree offerings for those college’s graduates, according to Mistick. “This creates a template for us that we think is replicable with other community colleges,” she said.
For more information about the Wilson-HACC articulation agreement, contact Boisvert at david.boisvert@wilson.edu or start@hacc.edu.
The Wilson College Master of Special Education program has received approval of an autism endorsement curriculum from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, a credential that will benefit teachers and others who work with people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism is the fastest-growing developmental disability. The CDC estimates that one in 59 children born in the United States will have ASD, a 15 percent increase in the past two years.
As the number of people on the autism spectrum increases, demand for teachers and others with some ASD training is also growing. Whether for teachers or others working with people with autism, completing the autism endorsement curriculum will add to their skill set and give them an edge in employment opportunities.
Wilson will begin offering the new autism-focused courses – all of which can be taken online – in fall 2018. The courses will allow students to increase their knowledge about autism, including characteristics, assessment, instruction and behavior interventions.
In a school setting, those who would benefit from the courses include special education and other teachers, school psychologists, principals, guidance counselors, reading specialists, speech and language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists and home and school visitors.
Although the autism endorsement courses are being offered through Wilson’s Master of Special Education program, students don’t have to be enrolled in it to take the graduate-level courses, according to Associate Professor of Education Lynn Newman, who chairs Wilson’s Division of Education. However, students must have a bachelor’s degree to take the courses.
Only Pennsylvania-certified teachers are eligible for the autism endorsement – for which they can apply to PDE after successfully completing the course requirements – but those working in other occupations could take the courses as professional development activity, Newman said.
The autism endorsement requires the completion of four courses, two of which are already required for the MSE degree, so MSE students only need to take two additional courses to be eligible for the endorsement.
In seeking the autism endorsement for Wilson College, a process led by Assistant Professor of Education Theresa Hoover, faculty in Wilson’s Department of Education noted that school administrators, certified teachers and community agencies have expressed a need the additional credential. In addition, Wilson receives regular inquiries as to whether the college offers the endorsement.
For more information on the new autism-focused courses, visit wilson.edu/autism-endorsement.
Rain forced the 148th annual Wilson College commencement ceremony indoors on May 13, but that didn’t dampen the mood of the assembled graduates, guests and speakers, thanks in large part to the address delivered by comedian and author Jane Condon. True to form, Condon kept the audience assembled in Laird Hall laughing throughout. Condon, who received an honorary degree presented by President Barbara K. Mistick, used some of her favorite quotations as a way to dispense pithy advice to the Class of 2018, mixing quotes from historical icons such as Winston Churchill, William Shakespeare and Margaret Mead with those of comedians like Robin Williams, Lily Tomlin and Wendy Liebman. Condon also shared some advice she said she has given to her own two sons: “You can’t always control the world, but you can choose your attitude—whether to be positive or negative. You can make a zone of kindness wherever you go.” Approximately 214 degree candidates were recognized during commencement, including 113 graduate students and 101 bachelor’s and associate degree students—all of whom must complete Wilson degree requirements in order to receive diplomas. During the ceremony, Wilson Trustee Robin J. Beinstein conferred trustee emerita status in absentia on Marguerite Brooks Lenfest ’55. Lenfest of Huntingdon Valley, Pa.—a former Trustee and, with husband Gerry, generous donor to her alma mater—was unable to attend commencement, but was honored at an event in April at Longwood Gardens. Associate Professor of Computer Science Donald Kelley, who is retiring after nearly 20 years of service, was recognized with trustee emeritus status. For more on the commencement festivities, including photos and a video of the entire ceremony, go to wilson.edu/commencement.
Nationally known comedian and author Jane Condon will address the graduating class at the 148th annual Wilson College commencement ceremony, to be held at 10 a.m. Sunday, May 13.
Condon, who will receive an honorary degree from the college, was named “Audience Favorite—New York” on NBC’s Last Comic Standing, won the nationwide “Ladies of Laughter” contest and appears in theaters around the country with the “Ladies of Laughter: Funny and Fabulous” tour. Her commencement address is entitled, “What I’ve Learned from Comedy.”
This year, approximately 101 students will receive bachelor’s and associate degrees during Wilson’s commencement ceremony, which will be held outside on the college’s main green. (In case of rain, the ceremony will be held in Laird Hall.) For the first time, more graduate students will receive degrees than bachelor’s and associate degree students, with approximately 113 graduates of Wilson’s master’s degree programs in accountancy, education, educational technology, humanities, fine arts and nursing earning their degrees.
During the commencement ceremony, philanthropist Marguerite Brooks Lenfest of Huntingdon Valley, Pa.—a 1955 Wilson graduate, former college trustee and, with husband Gerry, generous donor to her alma mater—will be recognized in absentia with trustee emerita status, the highest honor a college can bestow on a trustee. Lenfest, who is unable to attend commencement, was honored at an event held April 25 at Longwood Gardens.
Faculty emeritus status will be conferred on Wilson Associate Professor of Computer Science Donald Kelley, who is retiring after many years of service. Emeriti status is the highest honor that can be bestowed on former faculty members and is reserved for those whose service has been extraordinary.
A baccalaureate service will be held at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 12, in Alumnae Chapel at Thomson Hall.
Condon began her career as a journalist for Fortune and Life magazines. While living in Tokyo, she wrote the 1985 bestselling book, A Half Step Behind: Japanese Women of the ’80s, which sold out in Japan. It was during speaking engagements for the book, when Condon would make the audience laugh, that her new career as a comedian was born.
Dubbed “an uppercrust Roseanne” by the Associated Press, Condon has appeared on television programs such as ABC’s The View, Lifetime’s Girls’ Night Out and NBC’s Today Show. She was named one of “10 Comedy Best Bests” in the annual comedy issue of Backstage.
Condon graduated from Wellesley College in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and later earned a Master of Education in children’s television from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education.
Wilson College honored students and faculty members at its annual Academic Awards ceremony held Friday, April 27, in the Harry R. Brooks Complex for Science, Mathematics and Technology.
The following students and faculty received awards:
Edward and Sarah Anderson Psychology Prize, which is given to a graduating senior for outstanding scholarship in the discipline of psychology, was awarded to Abigail Selman.
James Applegate Award, which is awarded to a student with an interest in drama and theater, went to two students: Francesca Giustini and Myah Quirin.
Suzanne Blumenthal Prize in French, which is awarded to a graduating senior for academic excellence in the disciplines of French language and Francophone cultures, was given to two students: Ashley Carbaugh and Abigail Siner.
Lucy Bremmer Global Citizenship Award, awarded to a student who participates in the service learning component of Wilson’s global citizenship initiative and provides assistance with expenses and travel to another country, was given to Elen Harutyunyan.
Alice Martin Brumbaugh Award in Sociology, which is given to a female student who has entered the college at a non-traditional age and shows a special interest and/or outstanding promise in the field of sociology, was awarded to Jessica Larkin.
CRC Press General Chemistry Award, given for outstanding achievement in general chemistry, was awarded to Rianon McKee.
Marel Harlow Cheng Memorial Prize, awarded to a student who has done well in international studies or has made some noticeable contributions to international understanding, went to Elen Harutyunyan.
Class of 1957 Civic Engagement Award, given to a student who exemplifies civic engagement at Wilson College through involvement in volunteer roles on and off campus, was awarded to Sina Kim.
Virginia Dodd Cooper Prize, awarded is a junior or senior who has demonstrated excellence in French and in all of his/her academic work, went to Heather Schuler.
Regina Shaputnic Cuomo Mathematics Award, given to a student or students who exhibit outstanding ability and are pursuing a major in mathematics, was awarded to Benjamin Wingerd.
Margaret Criswell Disert Honors Scholarship, given to a rising senior who has, in the judgment of the selection committee, submitted the proposal for senior advanced study and research considered most worthy of support, was awarded to Elen Harutyunyan.
Estep-Lawson Memorial Prize, awarded to a student in lower-level French course who demonstrates excellence and shows future promise in French studies, went to Francesca Giustini.
Mildred Franklin Prize, given to a senior for excellence in Latin or Greek and who has shown an understanding of the literature and thought of ancient civilizations, was awarded to Karis Daniel.
Donna Gomer VMT ADP Award for an adult degree student displaying excellence in the study of veterinary medical technology went to Sarah Beers.
Davison Greenawalt Grove Award, which is given to a member of the junior or senior class participating in research in physical and life sciences, was awarded to Karis Daniel.
Richard C. Grove Award in Business and Economics, which goes to a student who has demonstrated outstanding ability and distinguished themselves academically in accounting, business administration, financial mathematics or economics, was awarded to Cody Dunlap.
Dorle Haas Memorial Prize, awarded to a senior for outstanding service within the greater Chambersburg area, was given to Catherine Cummings.
Margaret Strode Haines Award, which recognizes a student with outstanding qualities of scholarship, interest in the humanities and strength of body, mind and spirit, was given to Stephanie Peebles.
Gloria Randle Scott-Frances Richards Hesselbein Prize, awarded to the senior who has demonstrated outstanding volunteer service during their four years at Wilson College, was given to Aurora Ortiz.
Joanne Harrison Hopkins Literary Achievement Award, given for the finest piece of imaginative literature in fiction, poetry or drama produced during the academic year, went to Evan Hoke.
Lt. Col. William A. Knaus Award for Veteran’s Service, which is awarded in memory of Lt. Col. William A. Knaus─father of Wilson College President Barbara K. Mistick─to the veteran in the senior class with the highest academic achievement, went to Stephanie Peebles.
Josef Michael Kellinger German or Foreign Language Award for a student who has demonstrated excellence in German or foreign language studies was given to Dasia Edwards.
Catherine Herr Langdon Award is, by vote of the women students with the approval of the Dean of Students and the President of the College, bestowed upon a senior or seniors who have demonstrated academic excellence and who have fully, unselfishly and willingly given comfort, compassion, encouragement,
guidance, help and understanding to fellow students during the year and was awarded to Cierra Valentine.
Mary-Eleanor Maule Travel Grant, awarded to graduating seniors or students entering their junior or senior years for travel planned in support of study in Spanish, was given to Elen Harutyunyan.
Alta Lindsay McElwain Prize, awarded to the best student in Latin or Greek in the freshman class, went to Amanda Leatherman.
Robert Shannon McElwain Prize, awarded to the best student in mathematics, went to Nicholas Beitzell.
Organic Chemistry Award, given to the student in organic chemistry who earned the highest grades for the year, went to Abbey Heinbaugh.
Outstanding Peer Teacher Award, given to honor exemplary service as a First-Year Seminar peer teacher for the year, went to Pratikshya Gaihre.
Nicky Hoffman Reich Award, given to the student whose work with animals shows commitment to humane treatment, was awarded to Trista Kalathas.
Helga Rist Prize, which is given to a dedicated, successful, American Wilson College foreign language student who has demonstrated integrity, promise and potential, was awarded to Aurora Ortiz.
John D. Rose Award in Environmental Studies, given to an outstanding junior majoring in environmental studies or biology to fund a summer research project or internship, went to Mackenzie Bindas.
William and Ivy Saylor Prize, established through the Academy of American Poets to support young poets at colleges nationwide, was awarded to John Uilkema.
Grace Tyson Schlichter Award in Communications, which is given to a senior who has shown general academic excellence and outstanding promise for a career in a field of communications, went to Hong Nguyen.
Mary Beers Sheppard Prize, awarded to the member of the senior class who has shown the keenest understanding and appreciation of literature, was given to Kirsten Bilger.
Sophie’s Six Award, given to a senior who is majoring or minoring in psychology or related field with an intended career in counseling, was awarded to Aurora Ortiz.
Joan M. Thuebel ’52 Earthwatch Prize, which sponsors a Wilson student or faculty member to participate in an Earthwatch Institute project of his or her choosing, was awarded to Wilson Assistant Professor of Biology Abigail Berkey.
William P. Van Looy Business Prize, awarded to the junior or senior business and economics major who has demonstrated excellence in business studies and in service to the well-being of both the Wilson College community and larger community, went to two students: Katrina Martin and Hong Nguyen.
E. Grace White Prize, which is awarded to a senior whose major field is biology or biochemistry, and who has demonstrated outstanding achievement and plans a career involving the biological sciences, was given to Deborah Rifflard.
E. Grace White Summer Scholarship, which is awarded to outstanding juniors in biology for use at approved laboratories, was awarded to Zack McMaster.
Wilson College Education Award, given to one elementary education major and a student preparing for teacher certification in a secondary school level who have shown outstanding achievement in both their academic studies and in their professional preparation, was awarded to Stephen Sniscak and Angela Suehr.
Wilson Equestrian Award, which goes to a graduating senior who has excelled in academics and equitation, went to Haley Glofka.
Wilson College Nursing Department Award, which is awarded to a student who has demonstrated continuous support of the nursing department through hard work and efforts that echo the department’s philosophy, was given to Sierra Watson.
Wilson College Nursing Clinical Leadership Award, given annually to a student who demonstrates outstanding overall ability to excel in his or her clinical work within the nursing program, went to Beverly Meyers.
Wilson College Nursing Leadership Award, presented to a student who has demonstrated nursing leadership abilities both outside and inside the classroom, was awarded to Heather Paxson.
Wilson College Scholar-Athletes, those who have maintained a grade-point average of 3.4 or higher and participated in at least one Wilson varsity athletic team, are: Marquise Beckett, Ashlee Buorquin, Alycia Brennan, Kristen Burdo, Kallie Butts, Jennifer Cail, Kirstyn Fogg, Amanda Haase, Evan Hoke, Ashley Horn, Timothy Horn, Brianna Martin, Lauren Moss, Oliver Perry, Megan Potter, Lee Price, Noemi Regan, Aaron Russ, Ethan Russ, Katie Shank, Alison Shockey, Justin Vizzi, Amber Watkins and Benjamin Wingerd.
Carolyn Zeleny Prize, which goes to a sociology student in the junior or senior class on the basis of academic excellence and/or community service, was awarded to Amber Watkins.
Several faculty members were honored during the awards ceremony, including the following faulty who received the Donald F. Bletz Award for Excellence in Teaching: senior faculty award, M. Dana Harriger, professor of biology; junior faculty award, Tonia Hess-Kling, assistant professor of exercise science; and adjunct faculty award, Christine Mayer, adjunct instructor of environmental studies and director of the Fulton Center for Sustainability Studies.
Wilson College students will present the results of their undergraduate and graduate research at Wilson’s 9th annual Student Research Day on Friday, April 27. The public is invited to join Wilson students, faculty, staff and administrators at all events.
Approximately 41 students will give oral presentations based on their work, which was produced in conjunction with faculty advisers, beginning at 8:45 a.m. Sessions will run concurrently in the Brooks Science Center auditorium and John Stewart Memorial Library’s Lenfest Learning Commons. In addition, a dance presentation choreographed by senior Shannon McKenzie and performed by students will be held at 11:30 a.m. in the dance studio in Davison Hall. All presentations will conclude by 5 p.m.
In addition to the oral presentations, other students will share their work graphically in a poster session to be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 in Lenfest Commons.
“Student Research Day is an important day at Wilson College, providing a time to showcase the remarkable achievements of our students, “said Elissa Heil, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty. “It’s also a celebration of our strong student and faculty collaboration, on which Wilson College prides itself.”
Presentations will focus on the humanities, sciences and social sciences, including the prestigious Disert Scholar session from 4:20 to 4:50 p.m. in the Brooks auditorium. The Disert award, given to the student with the best honors thesis proposal, went this year to Deborah Rifflard of Harrisburg, Pa., who will present the results of her research on whether taking probiotics can be effective in achieving weight loss in humans. Her research project, “The Effects of Probiotics on Canine Weight and Fecal Fat Content,” specifically studied the effect on weight of administering probiotics to a control group of whippets.
Other presentations will include examinations of: ways to prevent points of bacterial contamination in microbreweries (research was done in collaboration with Roy Pitz Brewing Co. in Chambersburg); how the media portrays individuals with autism and the potential for negative stereotyping; the efficacy of different composting processes used on Wilson’s Fulton Farm; identifying effective practices in the training of assistance dogs; using DNA technology in efforts to conserve hoofed mammals (research was conducted through Wilson's partnership with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va.); and lynchings of African-Americans in and around Chambersburg contrasted with stories of individuals who fought for their rights as citizens during the Civil Rights Movement.
Group presentations will include a look at the public health challenges of sugar cane worker camps in the Dominican Republic (delivered by students who went on a Wilson-sponsored medical mission in January); observations from students who took part in the college’s Martin Luther King Travel Seminar, which involves a week of travel to key civil rights sites in the South; lessons learned by staff members of Wilson’s Billboard student newspaper at a college media convention.
Wilson’s Student Research Day, which is sponsored this year by Volvo Construction Equipment and Highmark Blue Shield, will conclude with the annual Academic Awards presentation at 6 p.m. in the Brooks auditorium.
Student Research Day at Wilson was founded in 2010 as a way to recognize and celebrate the research, scholarship and creative activities of students and their faculty mentors. For more information, visit www.wilson.edu/student-research-day.
Nationally known comedian Jane Condon will address the Wilson College senior class at the 148th annual commencement ceremony, to be held at 10 a.m. Sunday, May 13. Condon, dubbed “an uppercrust Roseanne” by the Associated Press, has performed on a number of television programs, including ABC’s The View, NBC’s Today Show and Last Comic Standing, and Lifetime’s Girls’ Night Out. The Wall Street Journal calls her “a rarity” whose material “never needs to be laundered.”
Condon graduated from Wellesley College in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and later earned a Master of Education in children’s television from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education. She began her career as a journalist for Fortune and Life magazines, according to her biography at www.fortyover40, which honored her in 2015 by naming her to its “40 Women to Watch over 40” list. While living for a time in Tokyo, Condon authored the 1985 bestselling book, A Half Step Behind: Japanese Women of the ’80s, which sold out in Japan. According to fortyover40.com, “… when she would lecture about Japan, people would laugh. A new career was born.”
Condon was named “Audience Favorite—New York” on Last Comic Standing. She also won the nationwide “Ladies of Laughter” contest and appears in theaters around the country with the “Ladies of Laughter: Funny and Fabulous” tour. Condon was named one of “10 Comedy Best Bests” in the annual Backstage comedy issue. Her bio at www.fortyover40.com describes her as “a wife and mom who balances her life by getting lots of great material for her stand-up routines from her family, as well as her hometown of Greenwich, Connecticut.”
Condon performs at functions ranging from large charity fundraisers to national television. She delivered the 2011 commencement remarks at Wellesley, as well as at the University of New Haven in 2012.
Four Wilson College seniors presented the results of their research and one was recognized for her oral presentation at the 94th Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Academy of Science (PAS), held March 23 to 25 at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Indiana, Pa. The following Wilson students presented research: Karis Daniel of Ontario, Canada; Amanda Haase of Culpepper, Va.; Kirstin Lehman of Coopersburg, Pa.; and Deborah Rifflard of Harrisburg, Pa. Daniel, who is majoring in biology, placed second in the oral presentation category for her research project, “Validating Fecal DNA Technologies for Ungulate Conservation.” Daniel completed the research during the fall 2017 semester while participating in the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation Semester Program at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Va. Her research involved assessing validity and integrity of fecal DNA for two critically endangered ungulate (hoofed mammal) species.
Haase, a biology and chemistry major, presented her research project, “Comparison of Factors that Affect the Ethanol Concentration in Blood during Putrefaction.”
Lehman, who is majoring in biology and veterinary medical technology, presented her research project, “Investigation of Possible Points of Contamination by Lactobacillus and Pediococcus in a Microbrewery.” Lehman received Wilson’s E. Grace White Summer Scholarship last year in support of her undergraduate research, which was done in collaboration with Chris Collier, brewmaster at the Roy Pitz Brewing Co. in Chambersburg.
Rifflard, a biology major, presented research on “The Effects of Probiotics on Canine Weight and Fecal Fat Content.” Rifflard, who also received the E. Grace White Summer Scholarship to support her undergraduate research, is the recipient the Wilson’s Margaret Criswell Disert Honors Scholarship.
The students were accompanied to PAS by Wilson Professors Deb Austin, Abigail Berkey, Brad Engle, Dana Harriger, Tonia Hess-Kling, Katie Sarachan and Bradley Stiles.
PAS judges oral presentations and posters, providing monetary awards for the top three places in each category. It judges oral presentations in categories for scientific merit–ranging from experimental methodologies to analysis of results–and presentation qualities, including visual impact and fielding of questions. The overall score is reflective of all subcategories.
At Wilson, students begin their projects in the spring of their junior year by writing a research proposal based on a specific question that they are interested in studying. In the subsequent fall semester, they complete lab work and collect data. This semester, the students have been focused on data analysis, writing a thesis and preparing to communicate their results at PAS.
Students will share their results of their research during Wilson’s annual Student Research Day on April 27.
The Wilson College Veterinary Medical Technology Club will host dog washes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, April 14 and 15, in the college veterinary building near the main entrance to campus. The dog washes are open to the public. The cost is $10 for small dogs, $15 for medium dogs, $20 for large dogs and $25 for extra-large or double-coated dogs. The fee includes a bath, nail trim, ear cleaning and drying—all of which will be performed by VMT Club members. Owners must present a paper copy of their dog’s rabies vaccination. For more information, contact VMT Club President Inna Caruso at inna.caruso@wilson.edu.
Frank Furedi, whose influential books The Culture of Fear and Paranoid Parenting investigated the interaction between risk consciousness and perceptions of fear in contemporary society, will present two talks exploring fear on Monday, April 16, at Wilson College as part of the Common Hour series of lectures. Both are free and open to the public.
The first talk, based on Furedi's forthcoming book The Rules of Fear in 21st-Century Society, will be held at noon in Lenfest Learning Commons, located in Wilson's John Stewart Memorial Library. The way we fear and what we dread is mediated through social and cultural norms. This talk will examine the distinctive features of the culture of fear in the present time. It will explore the symbols and rituals through which modern fear is performed in everyday life, while attempting to answer the question of how fear works in the 21st century.
Furedi's second lecture, Socialization and the `Culture of Fear', will be held at 6:30 p.m. in Lenfest Learning Commons and be followed by a reception. How we fear is closely linked to ideas about morality and personhood. It is for this reason that the way we socialize young people is of great significance in understanding the culture of fear that prevails in the 21st century. The aim of this talk is to explore the effects of contemporary socialization on the way that society expresses its fears about the problems of everyday life.
Furedi is an emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England, and visiting professor at the Institute of Risk and Disaster Reduction, University College London. He has produced a series of agenda-setting books - more than 20 overall - that have been widely discussed in the media. Furedi regularly comments on radio and television, and in the past year has appeared on Newsnight, Sky and BBC News, The Today Programme, Moral Maze and a variety of other radio and television shows. Read more about Furedi at https://www.wilson.edu/socialisation-and-culture-fear.
