Social Science Department

Five graduate students in the M.A. Historic Preservation Program presented their research at the March 22^nd NH Preservation Alliance conference held at Plymouth State: Audra Klumb presented the NH Fire Lookouts; Lise Moran presented The Athens Old Brick Church in VT; Martha Cummings presented The Preservation and Restoration at the Mary B. Eddy House in Lynn, MA; Dara Dike presented the Ivie Memorial Church in Bethlehem and Mae Williams presented the research on Creating a Sustainable Future for the Laconia State School. Moderated by our historic preservation faculty, Mary Kate Ryan, the panel presentation received high marks from a packed classroom at Boyd. Some of the comments received from the audience hailed the students’ work as “inspiring”, “interesting and a welcome surprise” and “getting young people and students involved was an event that is much anticipated.”

Sheryl Shirley, who has served since 2007 as a Commissioner with the New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights, was appointed by Governor Margaret Wood Hassan to Chair the Commission effective March 21.  The New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights is the state’s primary anti-discrimination agency and is responsible for investigating and hearing complaints of discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations.

Katherine Donahue presented a poster “Is Recreational Boatbuilding Sustainable?” at the annual meeting of the Society for Applied Anthropology held in Denver, CO, in March. The poster, done in collaboration with Brian Eisenhauer, represents work done as a pilot project on the topic of sustainability in boat construction for a PSU Research Advisory Council-supported grant, supporting an undergraduate and a graduate student, this coming summer and fall.

Ling Shao, a visiting scholar this year in Tourism Management and Policy program, has presented several lectures in the Social Science Department on Chinese history and culture, and on tourism in Australia.

“No Vacancy: The Rise, Demise, and Reprise of America’s Motels, ” was released by Plaidswede Publishing. Okrant addressed the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance’s annual meeting on the topic of “The Retrotour,” a technique Okrant, Ben Amsden (CRP) and Thad Guldbrandsen (Vice Provost) designed to preserve remaining 1950s-1960s tourism properties.

David Starbuck delivered a paper entitled “The Archaeology of Forts and Battlefields” to the Annual Meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology on January 10 in a day-long symposium entitled “The American Experience.”  This international conference was held at the University of Leicester in England.  David was also elected Chair of the New Hampshire State Historical Resources Council on January 28.  This is the state board that oversees the NH State Division of Historical Resources and which approves all of the National Register of Historic Places nominations for the State of New Hampshire.

Michael Capsalis was elected Chairman of the Bridgewater NH Planning Board as well as Town Moderator for a two-year term.

Brian Eisenhauer named the Plymouth State University Helen Abbott ’39 Professor of Environmental Studies.