Western News Archive
Miami's Public Health program publishes results and recommendations from its contact tracing partnership with Butler County
May 27, 2021
Miami’s program in Public Health, which over the past year has trained over 130 students to work as contact tracers to help manage the COVID-19 pandemic, has published results of its collaborative efforts with the Butler County Health District in the Journal of Public Health Management & Practice …
Hardship or Hope? Miami students study the American Dream in small-town Iowa
May 27, 2021
Studying Storm Lake, Iowa was intentional, but the timing came unexpectedly. Faculty lead Andrew Offenburger, associate professor of history, graduated from Buena Vista University there in 1998 but, back then, didn't realize how globalization shaped the town around him. It wasn't until two years ago, when his Argentinian wife María became a U.S. citizen, that he thought more systematically about the stories of others working toward a life in the U.S. …
Miami students celebrate diversity with Horizon, Lavender ceremonies
May 13, 2021
Graduating senior Alexandra Hernandez can't wait to start the next phase of her life after she earns a bachelor's degree from Miami University this weekend. The Lima, Ohio woman double majored in international studies and Spanish with a minor in Latin American and Caribbean studies. She hopes to teach English abroad later this year or in early 2022 …
Four authors discuss mental health and addiction during Miami's annual creative writing lecture series
May 13, 2021
For the 2021 edition of the annual Marianne D. McComb Series in Creative Writing, hosted by the Department of English, the theme was centered on mental health and addiction. The month-long series was originally scheduled as a two-day conference in 2020 and was adapted to a Zoom event this spring …
"One of the greatest shows on this planet": a Q-and-A with biologist Yoshi Tomoyasu about Brood X cicadas
May 12, 2021
Trillions of cicadas are likely just days away from emerging in Ohio and throughout the Northeast, and Miami University's Yoshi Tomoyasu, associate professor of biology, offered his thoughts on the insects, their evolution and lifecycle, and why humans should embrace their emergence …
MUDEC Students Reflect on Cold War Politics in Croatia
May 6, 2021
Students of HST 250 - Comparative Cold War Childhoods spent the semester learning about the construction of an ideologically binary world on both sides of the Iron Curtain, but their study tour to Zadar, Croatia gave them new insights about the nuances of Cold War geopolitics. Croatia, as part of former Yugoslavia under the socialist regime of Josep Broz Tito, defied communist and capitalist control as a leader of the Non-Aligned Movement …
CAS students tackle interdisciplinary COVID-19 research at Miami's annual Undergraduate Research Forum
May 6, 2021
The 27th Annual Undergraduate Research Forum, held on April 21 over Zoom, featured over 500 Miami student researchers giving a total of 220 presentations. With support from their faculty mentors, students presented their year-long research projects that were conducted in a variety of disciplines and approaches, such as community projects, independent studies, service-learning projects, and creative projects. Of the nearly 200 research projects led by students in the College of Arts and Science, at least 14 were focused on COVID-19 …
Hannon Armstrong Foundation selects Miami for inaugural Climate Solutions Scholarship
May 5, 2021
Rising juniors and seniors at Miami University with a demonstrated interest in sustainability have the opportunity to earn a scholarship that covers tuition, room and board thanks to the Hannon Armstrong Foundation Climate Solutions Scholarship. Made possible through an initial $200,000 grant, the new needs-based scholarships will serve a cohort of up to 5 undergraduate students interested in pursuing careers related to climate action and sustainability …
Students showcase their geological research at Miami's first geoscience symposium
May 5, 2021
The Department of Geology and Environmental Earth Science (GLG) organized their first annual Geosciences Student Research Symposium (GSRS) this spring. Held April 14 via Zoom, the symposium featured 17 research presentations from undergraduate and graduate students …
English professors strive to keep students engaged in an age of entirely virtual learning
May 3, 2021
Teaching English 495, a literature and cultural theory capstone, associate professor Anita Mannur has incorporated cooking sessions as part of her course, with students cooking various dishes and sharing the results. Likewise, associate professor Sara Webb-Sunderhaus, in her third year of teaching at Miami, has switched the intro-level English 111 class to an entirely virtual operation with the assistance of graduate teaching assistants …
Panelists discuss structural factors that impact high-risk group experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic
April 22, 2021
Kathie Brinkman, an Oxford community member who serves as an advocate for her 95-year-old mother in assisted living, and Courtney Hineman, a community outreach advocate for the Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities as well as the co-leader of the Speak Up Self-Advocacy Program, spoke as panelists about the COVID-19 pandemic on April 6 via Zoom …
Students learn about building their own sustainable microhabitat with Nature in Your Yard
April 16, 2021
On April 1, Nature in Your Yard, an online event sponsored by the Western Program and the Western Center for Social Impact and Innovation, offered students a discussion on how providing habitat for wildlife in our home landscapes can help us live in balance with nature …
A new study shows Asian Americans are struggling due to discrimination during the pandemic
April 15, 2021
Data collected from Asian Americans about their experiences of discrimination during the pandemic show some troubling effects, according to Miami University's Vaishali Raval. Raval and her co-researcher, Virginia Huynh of California State University—Northridge, are awaiting review from the Journal of Asian American Psychology for their study, "The psychological impact of racial discrimination towards Asian Americans amidst Covid-19, the so-called 'China' virus" …
CAS expands its focus on diversity, equality, and inclusion for students, faculty, staff, and other members of the Miami community
April 14, 2021
As part of a renewed initiative to help demonstrate Miami University's "philosophy and belief that a diverse academic community is among an institution's greatest strengths," the College of Arts and Science (CAS) has significantly broadened its efforts to develop and offer new programs and resources devoted to diversity, equity, and inclusion …
Miami alumni advise political science students on finding success on Capitol Hill
April 2, 2021
Three alumni from the Department of Political Science, on March 24 over Zoom, served as panelists to provide advice and insight to political science students about maximizing their time at Miami as well as how to join the Capitol Hill workforce …
2021 President's Distinguished Service Award Recipients Announced
April 1, 2021
Each year, Miami University honors senior students whose service to Miami and our surrounding community embodies Love + Honor with the President's Distinguished Service Award. Their service through campus life, community service, intellectual and cultural leadership or student employment demonstrates the spirit of being a citizen leader of uncommon quality. The 2021 President's Distinguished Service Award recognizes outstanding students who graduated in December 2020 or January 2021, or are set to graduate in May or August 2021 …
Valuing Water MiniConference educates the public on importance of clean water
March 31, 2021
On March 19, the Western Center for Social Impact and Innovation sponsored and organized the four-session half-day Valuing Water MiniConference: An Environmental and Sociocultural Exploration of Water. A service project on March 20 also took place at Four Mile Creek Restoration with Three Valley Conservation Trust …
Bipartisan discussion between Valerie Jarrett and Marc Short on the new administration takes center stage at Miami's Janus Forum
March 29, 2021
This semester's Janus Forum, held on March 16 over Zoom, centered around President Biden's first 100 days in office, the COVID-19 relief bills, and bipartisanship in American politics today. The two speakers were Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to former president Barack Obama, and Marc Short, Chief of Staff to former Vice President Mike Pence …
Humanities Center's Altman Program sheds light on the topic of mass migrations
March 24, 2021
Each year the Miami University Humanities Center hosts the John W. Altman Program in the Humanities, a series of public events and research focusing on an annual theme. For this year's theme on "Migrations" a recent talk was held on March 11 over Zoom and given by University of Chicago professor of East European history Tara Zahra …
Strippel Series Tackles Inequities in Pandemic Response
March 23, 2021
As the COVID-19 pandemic enters its second year, and vaccines are gradually rolling out, researchers have reported troubling disparities when it comes to underrepresented populations. So when it came time to choose a theme for this year's Robert E. Strippel Memorial Fund for Continuing Dialogue on Justice and Human Rights Annual Program, the coronavirus response of the state of Ohio came into focus …
History professor's research focuses on modern Russian history
March 15, 2021
Recipient of the 2018 Distinguished Scholar award from Miami, Dr. Stephen Norris, Walter E. Havighurst Professor of History and Director, Havighurst Center for Russian and Post-Soviet Studies, took time to discuss recent projects. Norris's research focuses on modern Russian history with an emphasis on visual culture and propaganda since the 19th Century …
Freedom Rider Betty Daniels Rosemond shares her story with Miami students
March 15, 2021
Betty Daniels Rosemond, a Freedom Rider who fought for racial justice, spoke with Miami students in instructor of social justice Mark Curnutte's class on Thursday, March 4 to share her experiences as a member of The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in 1961 …
Ohio officials to share insight on the pandemic's impact on health equity and social justice
March 11, 2021
The Center for American and World Cultures, through its Robert E. Strippel Memorial Fund, has organized an online panel series beginning on Tuesday, March 16 to discuss the disproportionate impacts of Covid-19 in underrepresented communities …
GIC Career Day offers insight into the job world from an interdisciplinary perspective
March 11, 2021
On March 3, over 140 students, faculty, and alumni participated in GIC Career Day, hosted by the Department of Global and Intercultural Studies (GIC). The three-part event featured a resume workshop, a LinkedIn and Alumni Connect workshop" …
Miami receives national award for investing in supplier diversity
March 10, 2021
Miami University has been awarded the inaugural Jesse L. Moore Supplier 2021 Diversity Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. The national award honors colleges and universities that take proactive steps to support and engage with minority-owned businesses through supplier diversity offices, unique programs and leading initiatives …
Call for papers is open for National Civil Rights Conference
March 10, 2021
Miami University will host the 10th Annual National Civil Rights Conference in summer of 2021. The conference was originally scheduled for 2020 but was postponed due to the pandemic …
Miami University dedicates Nellie Craig Walker Hall after first Black graduate
February 24, 2021
Miami University officials on Wednesday dedicated the former Campus Avenue Building as Nellie Craig Walker Hall after the university's first Black graduate. The Oxford native graduated from Miami in 1905, having earned a two-year teaching certificate. She became the first Black educator to student-teach in the community's public schools to a mixed-race class …
Miami dedicates residence hall lobbies to honor slain Freedom Summer activists
February 24, 2021
Miami University on Wednesday honored the lives of three slain Freedom Summer activists by dedicating residence hall lobbies after them near the grounds where they trained during Freedom Summer in 1964. Michael Schwerner, 24, James Chaney, 21, and Andrew Goodman, 20, were among approximately 800 volunteers who trained at the Western College for Women, which is now part of Miami's Western campus …
Miami University names Dr. Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins spring commencement speaker
February 18, 2021
Miami University President Greg Crawford has announced that Dr. Carolyn Jefferson-Jenkins will be the commencement speaker at Miami's spring ceremony. The university has not yet announced a decision on whether the ceremony, slated for 10:30 am Saturday, May 15, will be in-person or virtual as officials continue to monitor the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic and the feasibility of large gatherings …
Individualized Studies (Western Program)
