Grant Boosts American Indian Program The OSU American Indians Into Psychology (AIIP) program will use the grant, awarded by Indian Health Services, to recruit and fund American Indian students pursuing bachelors and doctoral degrees in psychology. John Chaney, professor of psychology and director of the AIIP program, says OSU ranks second nationally in the number of doctorates in psychology awarded to American Indians. In the combined fields of psychology, engineering and science, OSU ranks first in the nation. The AIIP program at OSU has been continuously funded since 1997 — totaling nearly $2.1 million in funding. Striking the Right Key Since its release this year by Centaur Records, Thomas Lanners’ Touches of Bernstein: The Complete Published Piano Music of Leonard Bernstein has been well received. ClassicsToday gave the CD a strong review, complimenting the associate professor of piano’s mastery and the recording’s sound quality. The CD’s success prompted the Tulsa World to feature Lanners in a July 24 article by classical music columnist James Watts, and National Public Radio’s “Performance Today” program aired a portion of the CD in September to an audience of 1.5 million listeners. Lanners also won a grant from the Aaron Copland Fund for Music Recording in New York City to record the three piano sonatas written by renowned American composer Ned Rorem. The works have never been recorded on one CD. Release of the Norem CD is tentatively planned for the fall of 2006. Chinnubbie and the Owl: Muscogee (Creek) Stories, Orations, and Oral Traditions, University of Nebraska Press (2005), editor Matthew Wynn Sivils, doctoral student of English. This volume, containing nine stories, nine works of oral tradition and five orations, is the first edited collection of the works of 19th century Muscogee (Creek) poet, journalist and humorist Alexander Posey. Posey used his unique style, influenced by Muscogee oral tradition and Euro-American literary studies, to champion his people during an intensely oppression period. Sivils’ collection brings these rare and important literary and historical works to today’s readers. Hello Life, Soho Press (2005). Andrea Koenig, associate professor of creative writing. Koenig’s second novel focuses on the friendship of two quite different, but both unique and universal, 16-year-old girls in the Pacific Northwest to explore the themes of jealousy, love, youthful resiliency, rootlessness, loneliness and the search for self. An engaging read, the book teaches readers as well as its youthful protagonists that differences don’t necessarily divide when confronting life headon without protection. Reviewers describe it as a solid example of finely honed fiction in addition to being heartfelt and compelling. Waiting for Elvis, Leapfrog Press (2005), Toni Graham, assistant professor of English. Described as brainy, bitingly funny, zany, over-the-top and sexy, these 11 interconnected comic stories focus on middle-aged psychotherapist Dr. Jane McAllister, who appeared as a character in Graham’s award winning collection, The Daiquiri Girls. Avoiding stereotypes with a poignantly real character, Graham presents the funny side of loneliness and an unapologetic look at the vulnerabilities and confusion framing woman’s longing for a meaningful relationship that is as scarce as a proposal from Elvis. The Mighty Pen Arts & Sciences faculty continue their tradition of creative and scholarly excellence. Here are some publications of note. Learning the Language of Flying OSU’s English department and the Federal Aviation Administration are producing curriculum to bolster the English language skills of nonnative English-speaking air traffic controllers in the hope of preventing deaths attributed to inadequate English language skills. An estimated 800 lives have been lost due to inadequate language proficiency on the part of aviation professionals, according to the International Civil Aviation Organization. Carol Moder, associate professor and head of the English department, says OSU is well suited for developing a program of this specialty because of its long history of aviation training and the English faculty’s experience in the applied linguistics program. To prevent future accidents, the ICAO will require air traffic controllers to meet a higher standard of English proficiency by the year 2008, Moder says. This proficiency will require clear delivery and understanding of the English language along with the knowledge of standard “phraseologies,” English phrases used internationally by aviation professionals to communicate in the air. The intensive curriculum, launched in May, runs for five weeks and is offered on the OSU-Stillwater campus and at universities abroad. “We believe that through this program OSU will be making a major contribution to improving air safety around the world,” Moder says. Alanna Bradley Oklahoma State University 27
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