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Iceland's ambassador to the U.S. to discuss global financial crisis during April 8 lecture at Whitworth

March 31, 2010



Hjálmar W. Hannesson, Iceland's ambassador to the U.S., will present, "Iceland in the Global Financial Crisis," on Thursday, April 8, at 7:30 p.m. in the Robinson Teaching Theatre in Weyerhaeuser Hall at Whitworth University. It will be the fourth lecture in the 53rd annual Great Decisions Lecture Series at Whitworth. The series features five speakers who focus on current political, cultural and economic subjects of interest to the international community. The public is invited to attend the lectures free of charge.

Hannesson and his sub-polar country are well acquainted with the global financial meltdown. Icelandic banks were hit hardest by the global financial crisis: All of the major banks collapsed within the span of a week as a result of speculative loans in the United Kingdom and the U.S. The collapse caused significant economic retrenchment and political turmoil and posed considerable challenges for Iceland's government and society.

"Iceland, a globally-connected economy, is in many ways the worst-case scenario for a banking crisis," says Patrick Van Inwegen, associate professor of political science at Whitworth. "Ambassador Hannesson will talk about the global financial crisis from the perspective of an economy rocked by the decisions of foreign investors, giving the audience rare access to the thoughts of the leaders of that country."

Hannesson has previously served in a variety of diplomatic posts, including vice president of the United Nations General Assembly, ambassador to China, Canada and Germany, and a number of U.N. and NATO positions.

In addition to the April 8 lecture, the final Great Decisions lecture will take place on April 22. For information on upcoming lectures, please call (509) 777-3270. Great Decisions 2010 is sponsored by the Whitworth Political Science Department.

Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). The university, which has an enrollment of 2,700 students, offers 55 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Contacts:

Barbara Brodrick, academic program assistant, political science department, Whitworth University, (509) 777-3270 or bbrodrick@whitworth.edu.

Emily Proffitt, public information officer, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or eproffitt@whitworth.edu.

Whitworth Lindaman Chair Betty Fry Williams to present April 21 lecture on treatment for Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism

March 29, 2010


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Though both autism and Asperger syndrome were identified more than 50 years ago, autism spectrum disorders (ASD) continue to confound researchers, doctors and patients alike. With as many as one child out of 100 now diagnosed with ASD in the U.S., increasing numbers of people are experiencing the confusing and often painful challenges created by ASD’s social, sensory, and communication disorders. To educate the public about treatments for these disorders, Betty Fry Williams, Ph.D., Lindaman Chair and professor and coordinator of special education at Whitworth University, will present the seventh annual Lindaman Chair Lecture, "Best Outcomes for Students with Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism," at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 21, in the Robinson Teaching Theatre in Weyerhaeuser Hall at Whitworth. Admission is free. For more information, please call (509) 777-3228.

During her lecture, Williams will discuss strategies for supporting education and life skills development in individuals with high-functioning autism and Asperger syndrome. While Asperger syndrome and high-functioning autism are milder variations of ASD, the hardships these disorders create for ASD sufferers in adjusting to society are nevertheless profound. Both conditions cause sufferers to have difficulty understanding social relationships, dealing with emotions, responding to changes in routine, coping with environmental stimulation, learning new skills, and living independently. One young man with ASD, considering how others reacted to him, described himself as “a poor computer simulation of a real human being," Williams says, citing a 2000 book, Asperger Syndrome (Guilford Press).

Individuals with high-functioning autism and Asperger syndrome may not pick up on social cues, have the ability to read body language, or understand the give and take of social interaction. They may dislike changes in routine and obsess over particular interests. They may appear to lack empathy, avoid eye contact or stare inappropriately, may have odd facial expressions or postures, and may be physically clumsy. These individuals often have problems with flat speech that lacks changes in tone and pitch, may not recognize subtle inferences, and may talk too much about their own interests. Their speech may be formal and their understanding literal. They may be over-stimulated by loud noises, bright lights, strong tastes and bold textures.

All these problems can make the world a bewildering, frustrating and exhausting place to live. Immaturity or naiveté can lead to bullying and intimidation by those who interact with people who have high-functioning autism or Asperger syndrome. An individual with high-functioning autism or Asperger syndrome may withdraw, is likely to have high levels of anxiety, and may develop depression. Other biomedical conditions are also commonplace, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, nonverbal learning disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorders.

On the other hand, effective early intervention and lifelong learning can reduce difficulties with socialization, communication and independence, Williams says. Good preparation can make the most of skills such as attention to detail, highly focused interests, persistence, and logical thinking — leading to career and life successes.

Williams, who is in her 12th year at Whitworth, recently co-authored Effective Programs for Treating Autism Spectrum Disorder: Applied Behavior Analysis Models, with her husband, Randy Lee Williams, a professor of special education at Gonzaga University. The text will be released this June. Williams also is a co-author of Very Young Children with Special Needs, 4th. Ed. (Howard, Williams, & Lepper, 2010), a text for professionals and families working with children with disabilities from birth to age six. Williams also edited the text Directions in Early Intervention and Assessment (Williams, 2003), which was the result of a series of regional interdisciplinary conferences sponsored by the Spokane Guilds' School, with which she works closely. Williams began her work in special education more than 40 years ago and has published and presented extensively in this area.

Williams was a professor of education at Gonzaga University for 19 years and helped establish the university's early childhood special-education training program and preschool. She was among the first professionals to train Head Start teachers to integrate children with disabilities, well before the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was established; she also coordinated a regional Resource Access Project, out of the University of Kansas Medical Center, which served young children with disabilities in Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska. Williams initiated the Infant Training Component (INTRAC) in Kalamazoo, Mich., for infants and toddlers with multiple disabilities and their parents; the program is still in operation after 40 years.

The annual Lindaman Lecture is held each spring and features Whitworth's appointed Edward B. Lindaman Chair. The position is an endowed, rotating chair for senior Whitworth faculty who are engaged in significant regional and national academic initiatives and who contribute to public dialogue concerning important social issues. Williams' four-year appointment began in fall 2007.

Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). The university, which has an enrollment of 2,700 students, offers 55 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Contacts:

Betty Fry Williams, Edward B. Lindaman Chair and professor of education, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4688 or bwilliams@whitworth.edu.

Julie Shanholtzer, program assistant, Speakers and Artists Series and psychology department, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4263 or jshanholtzer@whitworth.edu.

Emily Proffitt, public information officer, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or eproffitt@whitworth.edu.

Former "Ploughshares" poetry editor David Daniel to present Endowed English Reading April 9 at Whitworth

March 24, 2010
David Daniel, former poetry editor of the literary journal Ploughshares and current director of the undergraduate creative writing program at Fairleigh-Dickinson University, in Madison, N.J., is Whitworth's Endowed English Reader for 2010. Daniel will read from his works on Friday, April 9, at 7:30 p.m. in the Robinson Teaching Theatre in Weyerhaeuser Hall at Whitworth University. A book sale and reception will follow the reading. Admission is free. For more information, please call (509) 777-3253.

Whitworth appoints proven leader, e-commerce expert as new business dean

March 16, 2010
Whitworth Vice President for Academic Affairs Michael Le Roy announced the appointment of Bob Beatty as dean of the university's School of Global Commerce and Management. Beatty brings significant academic, business and military leadership experience to the position overseeing Whitworth's undergraduate, graduate and non-traditional business programs. He will begin on June 14.

"Dr. Beatty was selected from a strong and competitive pool of applicants, and he brings an excellent background to lead and build on Whitworth's commitment to global business education," Le Roy says. "He is an excellent teacher and scholar, particularly in the area of managing information systems. He's been in business, where he has managed change. He has a distinguished military career, so he understands leadership."

Beatty has taught at the university level for more than 15 years, managed systems and projects at billion-dollar corporations and served as a senior officer in the United States Air Force Reserves. He said he was attracted to Whitworth's mission and academic reputation as well as its strong focus on students.

"Whitworth University is a highly respected, highly ranked institution that combines an exceptional faculty with outstanding students and a committed staff," Beatty says. "I was looking for a university that was not afraid to integrate faith with the breadth of a traditional liberal arts education. But the first thing that struck me when I visited Whitworth's campus was the professors' personal interest in the students' education. It is this level of commitment that makes a Whitworth education such a unique and exceptional experience."

As dean of Whitworth's School of Global Commerce and Management, Beatty will oversee faculty and staff serving nearly 400 students in traditional undergraduate programs in accounting, economics, business management, international business and marketing; a non-traditional program in organizational management primarily serving working adults; and master's programs in business administration and international management. The school has developed a reputation for its faculty's expertise in international business and for the global focus of its programs.

"The Whitworth School of Global Commerce and Management is generally ahead of its peers in understanding the need to give students a global education," Beatty says. "I don't think any student should graduate from any business school without a clear understanding of the global economy. It makes sense to increase opportunities for students to gain international perspectives, whether that's through study abroad or guest speakers from local businesses engaged in international trade."

Whitworth School of Global Commerce and Management faculty members who served on the search committee were impressed with Beatty's record of outreach to the business community.

"Dr. Beatty has a strong commitment to creating bonds with businesses to place students in jobs and internships and seeking opportunities for the school's research and consulting resources to support the local business community," says Christie Anderson, director of Whitworth's Organizational Management program. "These relationships will be beneficial to all parties, and I'm excited to have him at Whitworth."

Beatty currently serves as associate professor of information systems in the College of Business at Northern Illinois University. He is responsible for teaching the core information systems courses in the undergraduate and graduate business programs. Beatty also is a proven academic scholar in the areas of e-commerce and strategic information systems. His research is published in leading academic and professional publications. Previously, he was recruited to Texas Christian University to help launch the first undergraduate program in e-business accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business – the leading accreditation agency for business schools worldwide.

Prior to entering academia, Beatty served as project manager for the Amerada Hess Corporation's Tulsa, Okla., operation and as corporate systems manager for the Kellogg Company, in Battle Creek, Mich. For Hess, he led the specification, development and installation of a multimillion-dollar natural gas volume control and marketing application. Kellogg's Information Management Systems Team recruited Beatty to revitalize the company's global technology systems in order to facilitate information sharing with business partners within the organization's value chain.

In addition, Beatty is a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force Reserves assigned to the Air Force Office of Special Investigations at Travis AFB in California. He commands a squadron of special agents that provide specialized investigative support to over 20 bases and installations in the western United States. From December 2005 to July 2006, he was deployed to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan to oversee counter-intelligence operations. Beatty's leadership of a joint military operations team tactically assigned to the Army led to collection of high value intelligence in high-risk areas and earned him the Army Commendation Medal.

Beatty earned a doctorate of business administration, specializing in business information systems, in 1998 and a master of business administration in 1996 from Mississippi State University; a master of computer systems management from Creighton University in 1989; and a bachelor's degree in computer science from Texas Christian University in 1985.

He has been married for 23 years to Raynette Beatty and they have two children: Sean age 18 and Shelby age 20.

Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). The university, which has an enrollment of 2,700 students, offers 55 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Contacts:

Michael Le Roy, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty, Whitworth University, (509) 777-3702.

Greg Orwig, director of university communications, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4580 or gorwig@whitworth.edu.

Tony award winner Ben Vereen to present lecture, conduct master class at Whitworth March 12

March 11, 2010

Venerable Broadway, film and television actor Ben Vereen will visit Whitworth on Friday, March 12, to share experiences from his 35-year career as an entertainer and to conduct a master class with a musical theatre student.

Diana Trotter, a professor of theatre at Whitworth, describes Vereen as "outrageously talented" and "a legend."

"When his agent called us to ask if we were interested in having him come to campus, I was speechless," Trotter says. "Apparently, he really cares about and loves to work with college students."

Trotter continues, "Vereen's agent said that she chose Whitworth because it looked to her like we had the strongest music and theatre program in the area. It's a tremendous honor for us, but more importantly, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our students."

Vereen's lecture and class will take place on Friday, March 12, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Music Recital Hall. Admission is free. Tickets are not required, but can be obtained in the Whitworth Theatre Department office in Cowles Auditorium until Friday. Priority seating will be given to Whitworth musical theatre students, as well as faculty and staff. Seating for the rest of the campus and the general public will be on a first come, first serve basis.

Some of Vereen's recent Broadway performances include Wicked, Fosse, I'm Not Rappaport, Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar. His performance in Pippin garnered him a Drama Desk Award and the 1973 Tony Award for "Best Actor in a Musical."

Vereen has appeared on several television shows, including a 2007 episode of Grey's Anatomy, for which he received a Prism Award. In terms of his television work, he is perhaps best known for his Emmy Award-nominated role as Chicken George in the 1977 mini-series Roots. Other career highlights include five honorary doctorate degrees, an opportunity to entertain at the reopening of the Ford Theater in Washington, D.C, and founding "Celebrities for a Drug Free America," which raised more than $300,000 for drug rehabilitation centers, educational programs and inner-city community-based projects.

During his time at Whitworth, Vereen will begin with an hour-long lecture tracing his career in show business and sharing lessons he has learned through it. He then will teach a master class in which he will work with senior Mollie McComb, a double major in music and theatre, on a piece she has prepared ahead of time.

Trotter says the master class experience will be similar to being backstage and witnessing how a performance is created rather than just seeing the end result.

"I personally am thrilled to meet and learn from Ben Vereen; I've been a huge fan since high school," Trotter says. "But, it is an even bigger thrill to be part of making this happen for our students. This is the kind of opportunity that you don't normally find in schools of our size."

Trotter says the Whitworth Music Department, the Speakers & Artists program, and the Weyerhaeuser Center all provided funding assistance for Vereen's visit.

Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). The university, which has an enrollment of 2,700 students, offers 55 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Contacts:

Diana Trotter, professor of theatre, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4431 or drotter@whitworth.edu.

Emily Proffitt, public information officer, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or eproffitt@whitworth.edu.

Aid worker who sheltered people during the Rwandan genocide to share lessons from the tragedy during March 18 lecture at Whitworth

March 10, 2010


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Between April and July 1994, the world watched in horror yet refused to intervene as the mass slaughter of Tutsis and politically moderate Hutus by the Hutu-run government unfolded in Rwanda. The rival ethnic groups had been entangled in a civil war for several years before tensions boiled over when the Rwandan president was assassinated. The ruling Hutu regime immediately retaliated by butchering an estimated 800,000 of their fellow countrymen over the course of about 100 days. By the time other countries started to intercede and a Tutsi rebel group defeated the government and took control of the country, roughly 20 percent of the total population of Rwanda had been massacred.

During the genocide, Carl Wilkens served as the country director of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Rwanda. He will share what he learned through that experience when he presents, "Seeing Ourselves in 'The Other' – Life Lessons from the Rwanda Genocide," on Thursday, March 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the Robinson Teaching Theatre in Weyerhaeuser Hall at Whitworth University. He will present the third lecture in the 53rd annual Great Decisions Lecture Series at Whitworth. The series features five speakers who focus on current political, cultural and economic subjects of interest to the international community. The public is invited to attend the lectures free of charge.

When his co-workers at ADRA were evacuated out of Rwanda as the violence escalated, Wilkens decided to remain behind as the only American there to shelter people from the genocide. He stayed in Rwanda for the next 18 months, helping to rebuild the country after the conflict. Wilkens now lives in Spokane and works in the U.S. to promote awareness of genocide in places such as Darfur, and he helps empower grass-roots activism with a global mission through the organization he founded, World Outside My Shoes.

"Carl Wilkens brings a unique perspective to the discussion of genocide and other human rights violations because of his experience in Rwanda during and after the genocide there," says Patrick Van Inwegen, an associate professor of political science at Whitworth. "In addition, Carl reflects one of the key elements of Whitworth's mission – to serve humanity – in that he has taken that experience and used it to serve others. He created an organization to raise awareness about human rights violations and to provide relief to those who suffer from them."

In addition to the March 18 lecture, Great Decisions lectures will take place on April 8 and April 22. The lectures will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be held in Weyerhaeuser Hall's Robinson Teaching Theatre. For information on upcoming lectures, please call (509) 777-3270. Great Decisions 2010 is sponsored by the Whitworth Political Science Department.

Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). The university, which has an enrollment of 2,700 students, offers 55 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Contacts:
Barbara Brodrick, academic program assistant, political science department, Whitworth University, (509) 777-3270 or bbrodrick@whitworth.edu.

Emily Proffitt, public information officer, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or eproffitt@whitworth.edu.

Three Whitworth students receive 2010 Nethercutt Fellowships

March 9, 2010
Whitworth sophomores Callie Gordon and Aaron Korthuis and junior Hannah White are three of the eight college students in Washington state to receive the 2010 Nethercutt Fellowship, founded by former U.S. representative George Nethercutt. Among other educational opportunities, the fellowship will provide its recipients with an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., this summer.

The year-long Nethercutt Fellowship program will begin in the spring, when students will attend a series of lectures in economics, political science, constitutional history and leadership development. During their trip to Washington, D.C., this June, Nethercutt and the fellows will visit the White House, tour the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and meet with members of Congress and ranking government officials. Upon their return, the fellows will be responsible for completing a nonprofit, government-based internship through which they can serve the Spokane community.

"My ambition is to become an attorney and work in the government sector as a civil servant," says Hannah White, of Chattaroy, Wash. "There are many lessons and insights I will be able to gain from this program. I am excited to build relationships and learn how to better serve my community."

Aaron Korthuis, a resident of Lynden, Wash., sees the fellowship as a way to help him understand the U.S. legal system as he takes steps toward a career as a lawyer.

"I hope to encourage others at Whitworth to apply for a fellowship so that they too can become more informed students and citizens," Korthuis says. "As I look forward to my career, I hope to use this experience to better understand the U.S. government, and to do positive work in my community."

Callie Gordon, a resident of Ellensburg, Wash., plans to teach history and government at the high school level after graduation.

"This opportunity will allow me to experience the subject firsthand and to become much more knowledgeable about the way our government works," she says. "Hopefully, that knowledge will allow me to teach in a more dynamic and influential way."

The other five fellowship recipients hail from Gonzaga University, Pacific Lutheran University, Washington State University, Waynesburg University and Willamette University.
Past Whitworth students to receive the George Nethercutt Fellowship are 2009 alumnus Rashid Gabdulhkov, senior Gillian Goodrich, and juniors Michelle Creek and Tyler Whitney.

Established in 2007, The George Nethercutt Foundation is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that exists to develop in young adults an understanding of government, business, public policy issues and civics, and to foster leadership qualities that will add value to their communities.

Nethercutt, a Spokane native, was elected to represent Washington's 5th Congressional District in 1994. He left public office in 2005 and started Nethercutt Consulting LLC, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting and strategic-planning practice. In 2005, President George W. Bush appointed Nethercutt chairman of the U.S. Section of the Permanent Joint Board of Defense, U.S.-Canada, which is the senior defense policy advisory body for shaping the U.S.-Canada defense relationship.

Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). The university, which has an enrollment of 2,700 students, offers 55 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Contacts:

Kristina Sabestinas, executive director, The George Nethercutt Foundation, (509) 742-9362 or kristina@nethercuttfoundation.org.

Emily Proffitt, public information officer, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or eproffitt@whitworth.edu.

New book by Whitworth sociology professor explores Arab Americans' struggle to assimilate

March 4, 2010
Holsinger asserts that negative perceptions of Arab immigrants pre-date 9/11 attacks

Arabs have been immigrating to the U.S. since the 1870s, and while many have integrated successfully into American society, experts say that the Arab-American population as a whole has not reached parity with other white ethnic groups who share similar immigrant histories. Jennifer Holsinger, associate professor of sociology at Whitworth University, explores some of the reasons behind this trend in her new book, Residential Patterns of Arab Americans: Race, Ethnicity, and Spatial Assimilation (LFB Scholarly Publishing LLC, 2009).

"Since the 1960s, the number of immigrants from just about every place in the world has increased drastically, and Arab Americans are one of the fastest-growing populations," Holsinger says. "Yet Arab Americans remain ignored by researchers and often misunderstood by the rest of society."

Using statistical analysis, Holsinger studied the spatial patterns of Arab-American communities in Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles and New York and found that Arab Americans did indeed have lower degrees of assimilation than their fellow immigrants from other countries. She attributes that difference mainly to recent immigration, but also to media portrayals of Arabs and Muslims, and to socio-political trends in the U.S. and the Middle East.

Although the effects of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, on the Arab-American population have been profound, Holsinger claims that negative perceptions of the population among Americans already existed, citing hate crimes reported in the 1990s from the Chicago Commission on Human Relations and the Los Angeles Commission on Human Relations.

"I hope that my book will remind readers about the rich ethnic and racial mosaic that makes up our country," says Holsinger. "More specifically, I hope that they become more aware of who Arab Americans are – and who they are not. The Arab-American population is very diverse, which serves as a reminder that is it difficult to make generalizations and jump to conclusions about specific members."

Over the past century, Arab immigration to the U.S. has come in two significant waves, shaped by political and economic forces in both the sending and receiving countries, according to Holsinger's book. Nearly 25,000 Arabs immigrated to the U.S. in 1914 due to several factors, including the faltering administration of Syria's Ottoman Empire, religious tensions between minorities, and a chain of social relationships between the countries. This wave diminished in 1924, when, under the Johnson-Reed Act, the U.S. by law permitted only 100 Syrians to immigrate to the U.S. each year.

The second wave of immigrants began after the Six-Day War, in 1967, and has increased steadily ever since, Holsinger says. The Six-Day War was waged between Israel and its neighboring Arab states, and it resulted in Israel gaining control of several key regions, including the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. By 2007, more than 1.5 million Americans claimed Arabic descent, according the U.S. Census Bureau.

Although Holsinger lived in the Middle East as a child, she didn't become interested in studying the Arab world until she did some of her undergraduate studies in Cairo, Egypt. During that time, she worked with adolescent girls through a social service agency in the Moqattem neighborhood, also called "Garbage City." Holsinger says she learned through that experience about the issues surrounding poverty and oppression and the value of cross-cultural dialogue. She then researched the spatial assimilation of Arab Americans for her doctoral dissertation in 2001, which ultimately led her to write Residential Patterns of Arab Americans.

Holsinger says immigrants often move into a new country at great psychological and financial cost. A country's residents may welcome newcomers with open arms, but they also might receive them with trepidation and misconceptions. Thus, the environment that immigrants enter makes a significant difference in their adaptation process, she says.

"Some Arab Americans achieve high socioeconomic status, while other Arab Americans are struggling with low levels of education and high rates of poverty," Holsinger says. "In the end, many of us don't differentiate between Iraqi Americans and Palestinian Americans, for example, so all Arab Americans must figure out how to navigate these perceptions and the resulting social structures."

She continues, "My experiences in the Middle East and with people of Arab descent have shown me that fear [of these groups] is usually not justified and, in fact, it can be very harmful to our society's well-being as well as to our own individual well-being."

Residential Patterns of Arab Americans: Race, Ethnicity, and Spatial Assimilation can be purchased in hardback for $62 at the Whitworth Bookstore at (509) 777-3277.

Holsinger, who joined the Whitworth faculty in 2004, earned her Ph.D. and a master's degree at the University of Washington, and her bachelor's degree at Seattle Pacific University. Her areas of specialization include demography and ecology, international migration, race and ethnic studies, and Middle East studies. Holsinger is a member of the Pacific Sociological Association and the American Sociological Association.

Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). The university, which has an enrollment of 2,700 students, offers 55 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Contacts:

Jennifer Holsinger, associate professor of sociology, Whitworth University, (509) 777- 4517 or jenniferholsinger@whitworth.edu.

Emily Proffitt, public information officer, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or eproffitt@whitworth.edu.

Whitworth Jazz Ensemble named outstanding group at 2010 Lionel Hampton Festival

March 1, 2010
The Whitworth Jazz Ensemble was named outstanding group in the college/university division at the 2010 Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival, held Feb. 24-27 at the University of Idaho, in Moscow. This is the seventh time in the past 14 years that Whitworth's jazz band has received top honors at the annual competition. Seniors Kurt Marcum and Noah Peller were named outstanding soloists in the categories of trumpet and bass, respectively.

"The music department faculty is very proud of our jazz students – of how hard they work and of how seriously they take this art form," says Dan Keberle, director of the jazz ensemble and director of jazz studies at Whitworth. "Their success at the Hampton Jazz Festival for more than a decade is indicative of the high-quality full-time and adjunct jazz faculty we have here at Whitworth."

The 19-piece group performs several concerts each year on campus, as well as at jazz festivals, public schools and civic events, and on annual tours throughout the U.S. The group has also participated in international jazz residencies and cross-cultural trips to Munich, Rome, Melbourne, Havana, and Sao Paolo; the ensemble returned to Italy in January 2008. This January, the group traveled for the first time to New York City and New Orleans.

"It's notable that most of the universities we compete against are not only larger than Whitworth, but they also have graduate students at the master's level playing in their bands, whereas Whitworth's jazz bands have always been undergraduate students only," Keberle says.

In addition to its success at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, the Whitworth Jazz Ensemble has been honored numerous times by being selected from colleges and universities in the five Northwest states to perform at the All-Northwest and All-State Music Educators Festivals. In recent years, Whitworth has welcomed some of the giants of jazz to campus; the ensemble has performed in standing-room-only concerts with guest artists including Lee Konitz, Terence Blanchard, Robin Eubanks, Kenny Garrett, Eric Reed, Nicholas Payton, Jimmy Heath and Joe Lovano. The ensemble has produced seven CDs; the most recent is Travelin' Light, released in 2008. For more information on the Whitworth Jazz Ensemble, please visit www.whitworth.edu/jazzensemble.

Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). The university, which has an enrollment of 2,700 students, offers 55 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Contacts:

Dan Keberle, professor of music, director of jazz studies, and director of the Whitworth Jazz Ensemble, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4582 or dkeberle@whitworth.edu.

Emily Proffitt, public information officer, Whitworth University, (509) 777-4703 or eproffitt@whitworth.edu.