Social Science Department

Krisan Evenson

Krisan Evenson spent the fall semester teaching a directions course and first year seminar sections on themes that included the child soldiers issue, and a host of global problems facing our world, capping off with an online third-year course on Canadian politics and government in the Winterim 08 session. In the spring, she launched a new version of an introductory course on Canadian Studies, and rounded out experiences for political science students on European politics and political analysis. Her research program on children and armed conflict moved forward through the year, with a conference presentation in Syracuse NY in late September 2007, and another with faculty here at PSU in late February 2008. Evenson remains active with such pedagogic and academic discussions as online teaching and learning (presenting a session with OTLT in February, participating in another in April), undergraduate writing (see her article in the Out of WAC newsletter, Vol 15, No.2), and with professional issues of adjunct roles in higher education. But it’s not all work: Evenson hosted a coffee hour with students at the HUB on Fridays, mentored several students entering the professional job market, and became a faculty advisor for a new campus organization designed by then-first year student Bryan Funk, called Ending Genocide Around the World or EGAW(check us out on Facebook!). Her projects for this year include two new fall courses (on criminal profiling, and on secrecy, homeland security and freedom), a new winterim course on person-to-person diplomacy and Afghanistan, and some professional writing projects.

During the past year Bruce Heald has been fortunate enough to have two books published by the History Press from Charleston, SC and London, England. The first book is titled Fence Building & Apple Cider – Memories from New Hampshire’s Lakes and Mountains. The second book is A History of the Boston & Maine Railroad. This book explores New Hampshire’s rugged heart by rail. Heald is pleased to say that they are selling well.

After coming back from England in March Stephanie Green hit the books and has subsequently spent the entire summer studying for the theory comprehensive exam, neither fun nor exciting.The Greens had their backyard landscaped and had about 30 trees taken down (many of them leaning towards the house), a benefit of this is that their seven retrievers have more room to play. They have started showing two of the younger dogs, Meir and Emmett, and they have consistently come in last in their classes (smile) but the Greens have no fear for they are still babies with a lot of maturing to do. They have a new Ragdoll kitten called Walter who joined the family at the end of August.

Gordon Riedesel and his wife Pat have started a personal property appraisal business. They completed the Appraisal Studies in Arts and Antiques certificate program at the Rhode Island School of Design this June and have done several appraisals already. Although Gordon’s specialties are American furniture and art glass and Pat is in textiles, they appraise general households and collections. Gordon says the skills needed for personal property appraising are those of a scholar. Good research and writing are fundamental; patience, inquisitiveness, and love of discovery can bring success; and understanding markets and appropriate values make it all work. Sounds fun, doesn’t it?

Riedesel has been tying flies for fly fishing for the last three years. It’s fun to catch and release trout with flies you made yourself. If you need some additions to your fly box, let Gordon know.

Steven Whitman has been extremely busy getting the EcoHouse project going and off the ground this fall as one of the co-advisors along with Bill Crangle and Brian Eisenhauer. In Spring of 2009 (May) Steve will be teaching another Sustainability course in Australia. These Sustainability courses have been a success in past semesters and are very well liked by students.

After finishing his first semester(Fall 2007),Tony DeLuca is happy to report that he truly enjoyed his teaching experience at Plymouth as well as the opportunity to develop and/or revamp three courses to serve the needs of History and Social Sciences majors. The three courses, (1) War and Peace: World War I and the Versailles Settlement, 2) Europe in the Twentieth Century and Beyond, and 3) The Renaissance and Reformation also contribute to the Connections component of the all-college curriculum. In addition to offering these courses, Deluca gave a faculty presentation on “Gorbachev, Glasnost, and The Formation of a New Political Culture.” In early March, he pursued his other passion by spending a week in Wengen, Switzerland skiing in the Alps, exercising his German, and absorbing the benefits of European popular culture.