Research in the School of Arts and Sciences
by Jon Aske

In order to get a better idea of the degree to which research is an important part of the academic programs of the School of Arts and Sciences, the communications team sent a survey to the chairs of the twenty SOAS academic departments.

Undergraduate Research: An Inquiry
by Marcos Luna

The theme of this edition of ASpect is undergraduate research. In addition to soliciting the contributions of faculty members of the School of Arts and Sciences (SOAS), the SOAS Communications Team endeavored to learn about undergraduate research activities amongst our various departments. The survey that the SOAS Communications Team put to Chairs of the various SOAS departments seemed simple enough but turned out to be more complicated than anticipated. We came to appreciate that there were at least two kinds of questions about our questions: 1) What do we mean by “research”? and 2) Is research all that we are really after?

Seminar on Applying to Graduate School
By Martin Krugman

Each year, the Department of Psychology at Salem State College, in cooperation with Psi Chi, the National Honor Society in Psychology, offers a seminar on “applying to graduate school.” This 90-minute seminar provides psychology majors with critical information about graduate training in psychology and related fields, and practical information about the application process. Although the seminar is primarily intended for psychology majors, we welcome all students because much of the information provided is relevant to graduate applications in any discipline.

Directed Studies and the Process of Becoming a Scientist
by David Gow

Working as a research assistant is an important rite of passage for an aspiring scientist. A student can learn about a field by reading and attending classes, but most researchers would agree that the only way to become a scientist is by doing real science. For the past 6 years I have been training students through directed studies and volunteer internships. It has been a wonderful experience for me because it has provided a tangible way to integrate my professional lives.

Electronic Databases and Student Research: Opportunities and Responsibilities
by Scott Nowka

My students in my undergraduate and graduate classes venture out beyond the annotated, comfortably modernized, and silently emended editions of eighteenth-century works I have asked them to purchase and read actual primary sources from the period—thanks to our access to a database called Eighteenth-Century Collections Online (ECCO).

Phi Alpha Theta: History Honors Society
By Andrew Darien

Many students view the research and scholarship of their professors as a mysterious and nebulous world, far removed from the more familiar classroom experience of lecture and discussion. The History Department at Salem State College removes that mystique by asking its majors to take themselves seriously as scholars. We want our majors to know not merely what happened but also the process by which historians come to research, weigh evidence, examine documents, and render judgment about what happened.

Undergraduate Research–Past and Future
by Anita V. M. Shea

Until 1997, undergraduate research activities in the School of Arts and Sciences were based mainly in selected departments relying on a nucleus of committed faculty or on an occasional grant. In general, those efforts were neither publicly acknowledged nor supported in concept by the college community. That year, several faculty held classroom research expositions. Psychology department members organized a very public student research poster session. The display favorably impressed passing administrators and faculty, and triggered a meeting to explore undergraduate research possibilities for all Arts and Sciences students. In January 1998 a team of faculty attended a substantive workshop on institutionalizing undergraduate research sponsored by the Council for Undergraduate Research. Another team of faculty inaugurated the annual SOAS Undergraduate Research Symposium on May 1, 1998.

Music in the Streets, Mountains, and Piazzas
by Antanas Meilus

Prior to coming to Salem State College as an undergraduate in 2004, my experience as a singer had been primarily in musical theater productions. As I wrestled with what I wanted to do with my principal instrument, I experimented with art songs and more serious musical theatre repertoire. After studying with various voice teachers, I was eventually assigned to my current teacher, Ms. Andrea DelGiudice, who proceeded to introduce me to the world of opera. With her guidance, I secured an audition for a young artist program at the International Lyric Academy in Viterbo, Italy.

The Job We Do
by Chris Fauske

A few months ago I picked up Stanley Fish’s new book, Save the World on Your Own Time. Reviews were mixed when it came out. But here’s the thing about Fish: he knows how to write a good polemic, and he does something that badly needs doing in this country; he pokes holes in the appallingly simplistic way that American commentators assume that labels such as “liberal” or “conservative” can fit just about any person’s ideas or opinions.

Welcoming Dr. Jude Nixon
by Chris Fauske

The School of Arts and Sciences is delighted to Welcome Dr. Jude Nixon as the next dean of the school. Dr. Nixon is currently Director of The Honors College and Professor of English at Oakland University. He will join Salem State College in early July.