New faculty series highlights scholars' research


Arizona State University’s New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences has unveiled a Monthly Faculty Colloquium Series that begins Feb. 4 and runs through April 1 at the West campus.

Presented by the college Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences and the Family Communication Consortium, the trio of sessions is designed to bring together scholars from a wide variety of disciplines to share and discuss their insights into research topics, methods and findings.

“The purpose of the colloquium series is actually multifold,” said Dayna Kloeber, a graduate fellow with the consortium. “This will bring together professors, administrators, graduate and undergraduate students and will provide both presenting and attending scholars the opportunity to expand their research networks.

“Attending one of our lectures may also inspire new collaborations, research questions and increased interdisciplinary research.”

The first lecture is Feb. 4 and features Oksana Kozhevnikova. A visiting Fulbright scholar from the Russian Republic of Udmurtia, she is on the faculty at Udmurt State University, a public university in the capital city of Izhevsk. Kozhevnikova, who is the university’s deputy director for international relations, will address “Multicultural Society in Udmurtia: Theory and Practice.”

On March 4, Mary Burleson, an associate professor of psychology in New College will speak on “Physical Affection and the Stress Response.” Burleson is currently working on research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), investigating the possibility that one of the mechanisms by which social contact enhances health and well-being is simple physical affection.  Burleson and her students are specifically exploring the cardiovascular effects of affectionate touch between spouses.

The series’ spring schedule closes on April 1 when Kevin E. McHugh, an associate professor in ASU’s School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, will discuss “Movement, Memory, Landscape.”

All lectures take place on ASU’s West campus in the CLCC Building, Room 146, and each begins at 3 p.m. The campus is located at 4701 W. Thunderbird Road in Phoenix.

For more information, contact professor Vincent Waldron at (602) 543-6634.