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• Faculty and Students…Partners in Research
• Artist-in-Residence Receives 2003 Grammy Nomination

Faculty and Students…Partners in Research

For the first time, Albright Creative & Research Experience (ACRE) grants were awarded during Interim.

“The Interim ACRE program seems to be attracting a wider representation of disciplines than has the summer program, said Andrea Chapdelaine, Ph.D., dean of undergraduate studies and associate professor of psychology. “That was a goal – that is, to increase the interdisciplinarity of the program.”

Projects were conducted in the areas of psychology, history, art and religious studies.

Justin Madaus ’04 and Dr. Andrea Chapdelaine (psychology) continued their work from the summer in evaluating perceptions of the police held by citizens, prisoners and the police themselves. They distributed a survey to police departments and prisons in the state of Illinois and in Berks County, Pa., as well as an Internet survey of citizens in each area. By comparing differences in perceptions, they hope to better understand and improve relations between police and the citizens they serve.

Stephanie Nye ’04 and Dr. Guillaume de Syon (history) examined Italian Fascist propaganda from the 1920s and 1930s with the ultimate goal of supporting Nye’s honor thesis concerning the construction of Benito Mussolini’s “common man” public image. They traveled to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., where they found published primary sources including books on Fascist postcards and Fascist pamphlets. Nye is pursuing this topic because she believes that Mussolini’s “style of presenting a calculated image to the public still exists today.”

Krista Koellner ’04 and Kristen Woodward (art) researched feminist theories and feminist artists such as Judy Chicago, discussed essays relevant to feminist art and then applied their findings to the canvas as each worked to create a series of paintings. They also spent time searching for exhibition opportunities. Both have submitted work to the National Women’s Studies Conference, which will be held in June in Milwaukee, Wis.

James Park ’04 and Dr. Charles Brown (sociology) explored the business of Christian popular culture, a booming business that is estimated at generating about four billion dollars each year. Their main focus was on the members of the Christian popular culture industry. More specifically, Park and Brown conducted interviews with more than 35 employees in the industry, asking questions about what impact faith has on creation, production and distribution of products in this industry. They also considered the tensions that may arise as faith and the world of business meet.

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Artist-in-Residence Receives
2003 Grammy Nomination

Jeffrey Lentz ’85, Albright artist-in-residence, received a 2003 Grammy nomination. Lentz was nominated in the category for Best Opera Recording for Ed Thomas’ Desire Under the Elms. Awards were presented at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards on February 8, 2004. Although he didn't win (Janacek's Jenufa claimed the statue), Lentz said he was honored to have been nominated. “Every recording artist dreams of the day they will be nominated by the Recording Academy for a Grammy, but seldom does one think that they are actually going to be nominated. So, when I was told about my nomination, I didn't believe it; especially since the actual recording process for this recording was like a comedy of errors.” Lentz recently made his professional directing debut at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa, Calif., in Opera Pacific's production of Leonard Bernstein’s Candide. In addition, he recorded and performed Michael Torky’s Central Park: Strawberry Fields with the Albany Symphony.

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