Faculty Colloquium: Andrew Schwartz

Please join us on Thursday, February 27th, at 4:10 p.m. in the Carnegie Building for our sixth Faculty Colloquium of this semester.

Presenter: Wm. Andrew Schwartz, Executive Director, Center for Process Studies
Assistant Professor of Process and Comparative Theology at the Claremont School of Theology Andrew Schwartz

Title: Putting Philosophy to Work: A Relational Worldview for the Common Good

Abstract: Change your thinking; change the world. Philosophy has gotten a bad rap. As an academic discipline, it is mocked as irrelevant to modern society. But bias against philosophy doesn’t mean we don’t have one. We all have a basic worldview. This is as true for whole civilizations as for individuals, a point driven home daily as the dire consequences of the Western worldview—the most urgent being climate change—are now inescapable. But if Western philosophy has brought us to this razor’s edge, would another one be any better?

In this faculty colloquium, professor Wm. Andrew Schwartz will introduce the fundamentals of process philosophy and explore some implications for rethinking science, theology, ecology, and education.

Students are welcome and coffee and treats will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there.

Note: There will also be a special TGIF reception following the lecture that will be open to faculty from all schools. This is the second TGIF event this semester with Colloquium speakers from across the University. These opportunities for cross-university gathering and conversation are sponsored by the Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President.

Bill Kelm and Stephen Patterson
Faculty Colloquium Coordinators


Faculty Colloquium: Mike Chasar

Please join us on Thursday, February 20th, at 4:10 p.m. in Ford Hall 204 for our fifth Faculty Colloquium of this semester.

Presenter: Mike Chasar, Associate Professor of English Mike Chasar

Title: Don’t Stop Believin’: The Poetry of Pop Music

Abstract: When you listen to or sing along with your favorite pop songs—Guns ‘N Roses, Beyoncé, Journey, Ke$ha, Whitney Houston—do you ever imagine that all of their stylized Ohs and Oooohs are something other than emotive overflows or opportunities for singers to display their vocal prowess? Indeed, those very “nonsense” sounds—so frequently overlooked that they are often omitted from liner notes and song transcriptions—are in fact the key to recognizing not only the poetry of pop music but also how it connects to two thousand years’-worth of verse stretching back to ancient Greece. Part dance party, part informal discussion, and maybe part sing-along, today’s presentation will shed new light on how some of the music you love or love to hate makes you one of the largest poetry audiences in history.

Students are welcome and coffee and treats will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there. Also, remember to note the move to Thursday afternoons this semester.

Bill Kelm and Stephen Patterson
Faculty Colloquium Coordinators


Rick Bartow Papers Open for Research

By Jenny Gehringer
PNAA Processing Archivist

Rick Bartow was a prolific Native American artist and blues and rock musician who lived and worked primarily in Newport, Oregon. He was a member of the Mad River Band of Wiyot Indians, an indigenous tribe of northern California, and maintained close ties with the Siletz tribe. The Rick Bartow papers are open for research as part of the Pacific Northwest Artists Archive of the Willamette University Archives and Special Collections. This collection documents Bartow’s life and art career from 1955 to 2016. It contains gallery exhibition fliers, CDs and posters for Bartow’s bands, clothing and glasses, an extensive collection of Bartow’s art supplies and tools, personal correspondence with family, friends, and other artists including D. E. May, Tom Cramer, and John Bevan Ford, photographs, and various books and magazines that represent Bartow’s personal library.

Rick Bartow and son in art studioBartow’s art career began with exhibitions at galleries in Newport, Oregon. In 1985 he was selected for a solo exhibition at Jamison/Thomas Gallery in Portland, Oregon. He exhibited at Jamison’s galleries in Portland and New York until Jamison’s death in 1995. Bartow was then represented by Charles Froelick of Froelick Gallery in Portland, Oregon. Bartow’s work can be found in museum collections throughout the United States including the Brooklyn Museum in Brooklyn, New York; the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts; the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in Indianapolis, Indiana; the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC; the Hallie Ford Museum of Art at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon; the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona; the Portland Art Museum in Portland, Oregon; and the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon. Bartow’s 35-year career as an artist was celebrated through the retrospective exhibition “Things You Know But Cannot Explain,” which traveled through various museums in the United States from 2015 to 2019.

Bartow’s art was often influenced by his traumatic military service experiences during the Vietnam War. He worked in a variety of media and created small and large scale art. His 26-foot tall carving The Cedar Mill Pole was displayed in the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden at the White House in 1997. Bartow’s pair of 20-foot tall cedar sculptures We Were Always Here was commissioned by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. Dedicated on September 21, 2012, the sculptures are on display on the northwest corner of the museum overlooking the National Mall, across from the Washington Monument.

For more information about this amazing collection, please see the finding aid. The Rick Bartow papers were processed thanks to the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) grant Willamette University received to increase accessibility to the Pacific Northwest Artists Archive.


Faculty Colloquium: Kyle Stephenson

Please join us on Thursday, February 13th, at 4:10 p.m. in Ford Hall 102 for our fourth Faculty Colloquium of this semester.

Presenter: Kyle Stephenson, Assistant Professor of Psychology Kyle Stephenson

Title: Better Sex Through Science: Building and Testing an Online Program to Treat Sexual Dysfunction

Abstract: Female Sexual Dysfunction (FSD) – distressing and long-lasting impairments in sexual desire, arousal, orgasm, or pain – affects 15-30% of women worldwide. FSD is associated with poorer relational satisfaction, mental health, and overall quality of life, making it essential to create, test, and disseminate effective treatments. Research has suggested that Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness-Based Therapy (MBT) are effective in treating FSD when provided face-to-face by professional sex therapists. However, only a small portion of women who could benefit are receiving these treatments. Access is limited by many factors including embarrassment, cost, and lack of available expertise. Web-based interventions hold the promise of addressing many of these barriers, vastly expanding access to traditionally underserved populations. Over the past four years, our research team has constructed eSense: an online platform housing self-guided, evidence-based therapy for FSD. Three feasibility studies have suggested that eSense is a clear, usable, and potentially efficacious program to address FSD. This talk will include information on the nature and causes of FSD, a description of evidence-based sex therapies, an overview of eSense with example therapeutic activities, and a summary of results from feasibility studies.

Students are welcome and coffee and treats will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there. Also, remember to note the move to Thursday afternoons this semester.

Bill Kelm and Stephen Patterson
Faculty Colloquium Coordinators


Faculty Colloquium: Haiyan Cheng

Please join us on Thursday, February 6th, at 4:10 p.m. in Ford Hall 102 for our third Faculty Colloquium of this semester.

Presenter: Haiyan Cheng, Associate Professor of Computer Science Haiyan Cheng

Title: Computational and Data Science for All

Abstract: Computational science uses computer’s superpower and mathematical algorithms to solve large-scale scientific problems. Data science explores information from large quantity heterogeneous datasets to gain insights and build forecast models with statistical methods. Would it be great to combine strength from both worlds?

In this talk, I will give a brief introduction of computational science and data science, then showcase some of the research projects I was involved in computational and data science applied to air quality modeling, presidential elections, predictive policing, and DNA binding hotspot forecasting. In all these projects, mathematics and computer science play important roles, together with problem-solving skills and subject knowledge from various disciplines. Inspired by those projects, I developed and taught data science classes for both CLA and AGSM data certificate programs. In both classes, student teams worked on various projects, which demonstrate that computational and data science projects are intrinsically collaborative, and are indeed relevant to all.

Students are welcome and coffee and treats will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there. Also, remember to note the move to Thursday afternoons this semester.

Bill Kelm and Stephen Patterson
Faculty Colloquium Coordinators


Faculty Colloquium: Cecily McCaffrey

Please join us on Thursday, January 30th, at 4:10 p.m. in the Carnegie Building for our second Faculty Colloquium of this semester.

Presenter: Cecily McCaffrey, Associate Professor of History

Title: “Reimagining the Old Forests of Central China: From History to Botany and Back Again.” Chinese Forest

Abstract: In the 18th century, Qing dynasty elites depicted the old forests (laolin 老林) of central China as troublesome places, a refuge of rebels and bandits. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, British and American “plant hunters” ventured into these same spaces searching for specimens of endemic species. Today the mountainous region hosts national forests and nature parks: the Shennongjia National Nature Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Centre of biodiversity. This paper attempts to forge a composite image of the old forests by overlapping and layering observations from a variety of sources including local histories, travel writing, photographs, and reports of botanical expeditions. The objectives of this project are two-fold: first, to use latter-day sources to inform an understanding of place in historical terms; second, to consider the ways in which historical constructions of place intersect with contemporary formulations.

Students are welcome and coffee and treats will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there.

Note: There will also be a special TGIF reception following the lecture that will be open to faculty from all schools. This is the first TGIF event this semester with Colloquium speakers from across the University. These opportunities for cross-university gathering and conversation are sponsored by the Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President.

Bill Kelm and Stephen Patterson
Faculty Colloquium Coordinators


Faculty Colloquium: Peter Wogan

Please join us on Thursday, January 23rd, at 4:10 p.m. in Ford 204 for our first Faculty Colloquium of this semester.

Presenter: Peter Wogan, Professor of Anthropology Coins in water

Title: Awe and Aesthetics: Coins in Water

Abstract: Why are so many people in the U.S. and elsewhere attracted to the sight of coins lying in shallow water, such as fountains, ponds, and other “wishing wells”? My answers are based on a blend of research traditions in cultural anthropology and social psychology. First, research on aesthetic preferences has repeatedly shown a preference for landscapes with an element of mystery, a sense that more information could be gained through exploration. I suggest that, similarly, coins lying in shallow bodies of clear water present visual mystery through their novel, complicated patterns. Second, reactions to such coins subtly fit the two prototypical qualities of awe: need for mental accommodation, and perceived vastness. I argue that these aesthetic and awe reactions are particularly connected with images of social groups, as well as possible resistance to class inequality and state control.

Students are welcome and coffee and treats will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there. Also, remember to note the move to Thursday afternoons this semester.

Bill Kelm and Stephen Patterson
Faculty Colloquium Coordinators


Additions to the Betty LaDuke Papers

By Jenny Gehringer
PNAA Processing Archivist

LaDuke painting women and birds Additional materials for the Betty LaDuke papers have been processed and are open to researchers. This collection documents Betty LaDuke’s prolific career as a painter from 1950 to 2018. It includes her photography and sketchbooks from various international and domestic travels as well as materials that document her advocacy and representation of cultural traditions and women artists around the world. This collection also contains personal documents concerning her family and friends.

LaDuke has completed several large-scale projects, including multi-panel exhibitions and murals. Her creative process involves developing a series of sketchbooks and taking numerous photographs during her travels which then form the basis for her larger works and exhibitions. Other thematic elements in her work include animals, rituals, and celebrations, which she uses to illustrate similarities among geographically and traditionally disparate cultures.

LaDuke has exhibited extensively throughout the United States and is represented in many public collections, including Willamette University’s Hallie Ford Museum of Art (HFMA). You can discover LaDuke’s work on campus through rotating exhibits at the HFMA and a permanent display at the third-floor of the Putnam University Center.LaDuke painting Pear Harvest

For more information about this amazing collection, please see the finding aid. You may also access additional information and resources concerning LaDuke and her art through the libguide Betty LaDuke: Social Justice Revisited. The Betty LaDuke papers were processed thanks to the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) grant Willamette University received to increase accessibility to the Pacific Northwest Artists Archive.


Finals Week: Extended Study Hours

The Hatfield Library will be providing extended hours for final exams this fall. Branches on snow.

Also, don’t forget about the free cookies provided by Bon Appetit and coffee provided by the library…usually the cookies are made available after 10 p.m. Cookies will be available on Dec. 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th each night until they run out.

These are the hours for the end of the term:

Friday, Dec. 6 — 7:45 a.m. – 1 a.m.
Saturday, Dec. 7 — 9 a.m. – 1 a.m.
Sunday, Dec. 8 — 9 a.m. – 3 a.m.
Monday, Dec. 9 – Thursday, Dec. 12 — 7:45 a.m. – 3 a.m.
Friday, Dec. 13 — 7:45 a.m. – 1 a.m.
Saturday, Dec. 14 — 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 15 — CLOSED

Winter break begins on Monday, Dec. 16. During the break, the library will be open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed on the weekends. Also, the library (and the rest of campus) will be closed from Dec. 23 through Jan. 5. Regular hours resume on Jan. 21.


It’s a Winter Wonderland at the WU Archives

By Jenny Gehringer, Rosie Yanosko, and Stephanie Milne-Lane
Willamette University Archives and Special Collections

‘Tis the Season to share some wintery materials from the Willamette Archives and Special Collections! Our collections include many unique and fun materials that reflect a variety of winter and holiday traditions. The Archives crew have prepared three images to warm your hearts during these chilly days and long nights!

Blue Christmas invitation Holiday parties are a fantastic way to celebrate this chilly season – and an invitation to a Tom Cramer Christmas party is a coveted item! Tom Cramer, a nationally known Oregon artist, is famous not only for his beautiful paintings and wood carvings but also for his epic parties. The Tom Cramer papers include several of his Christmas party invitations, each designed and drawn by Cramer. This collection is part of the Pacific Northwest Artists Archive and is open for research.

Polar bear water Does the arrival of December have you yearning for snow? Or perhaps you’re looking for some winter fashion inspiration? The Chuck Williams Collection, which will be open for research in early 2020, has you covered on both fronts. Williams’ extensive research materials on national parks and environmental issues offer a wealth of images and information to get you through the winter months.

Star trees with lights While the beloved Star Trees on Willamette’s campus brings joy to students, staff, faculty, and Salem citizens all year long, during the holiday season they seem to shine even brighter — both literally and figuratively. Planted in 1942 to commemorate Willamette’s centennial year, the Star Trees (five Sequoiadendron giganteums) twinkle during the month of December when they are strung with lights. This photograph from December 7, 1997, captures the Start Tree Lighting Ceremony festivities. This year the Star Tree Lighting & Holiday Celebration ceremony takes place on Wednesday, December 4th. Be sure to join the fun!