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Message from the Deans
So much has been happening in the last few months within the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities that it is truly a challenge in a brief space to provide sufficient expressions of gratitude for all the outstanding work taking place. Of course, we have all been focused on our SACSCOC reaffirmation visit, and as Dr. Evans has pointed out, we are all indebted for the extensive efforts provided by faculty, staff and administration throughout the college. Along with that, however, many of our departments have been engaged in one or more searches to find new faculty members. Here again, our colleagues have done an excellent job, and the efforts are paying off, as offers have been extended and accepted in many of these settings.
Equally important, the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities continues to capably fulfill its role as a major point of connection between the institution and patrons, supporters and citizens of the Gulf Coast region. The exceptional exhibits, performances and lectures hosted by our college often results in major support from patrons and donors. The final presentation of this year's Downtown Lecture Series, featuring acclaimed author Sebastian Junger, was a tremendous success by any measure. The response of the public to the lecture series, a wonderful outreach activity, has been immediate and strong. With the assistance of a number of local donors, next year's Series has already been fully funded.
All these (and so many other) activities have been developed and completed at the same time that faculty members within our departments have continued to provide top-tier instruction for undergraduate and graduate students within the college. Without question, your efforts make clear that CASSH is providing excellent service for all our various constituencies. You are an extremely valuable resource for the entire Gulf Coast region, and I thank you for your continued excellent service.
Dr. Steve Brown, Dean
This month has been very busy for all of us in CASSH. Thanks to you, we survived the SACSCOC visit. This event marked the end of a very long process of improving our policies, procedures, and practices across all areas of university life. It took a lot of hard work by chairs, office administrators, faculty, and student volunteers to get us where we needed to be by the finish line. I'm really proud of the work we did! Also, you took up the challenge to learn the nomenclature surrounding our QEP and integrate it into your discussions with our visitors. Thank you for taking the time to familiarize your self with this institutional priority. The review team was quite impressed with the feedback they received across the campus on our QEP.
And on top of all of this effort at institutional reaffirmation, you still have found time to develop great programming for our campus and surrounding community. So many great events and activities going on! These opportunities make UWF an enriching place of intellectual engagement -- a place I want to be.
Thank you for working hard. The college sees it and appreciates it.
Jocelyn Evans, Associate Dean
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Call for CASSH News Submissions!
Do you have news, events, staff, faculty or students that you would like featured in an upcoming newsletter? Please send submissions for the next newsletter to Brandy Gottlieb by Friday, April 10th to bgottlieb@uwf.edu.
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Featuring Our Students, Staff and Faculty
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UWF Transforms Homeless Vet
Two years ago, Timothy Jones was a homeless military veteran. Today, he is a junior at UWF through the combined efforts of Volunteers of America's veteran transition program, the Department of Veteran Affairs and the UWF Military and Veterans Resource Center. “UWF was my first-choice school,” he says. Jones also says that the resources UWF have given him have "changed his life." Of UWF's resources and personnel, he says, "They have provided me with the tools needed to grow academically, professionally and personally.”
Jones, Executive Chairman of the UWF Men's Empowerment Network and Vice Chairman for the Gulf Coast African American Chamber of Commerce, is a Communication Arts Major at UWF. He credits UWF for his transformation.
"As a student at The University of West Florida, my life has been transformed." He entered UWF as a homeless veteran. Today, he is a veteran with a home. Student Veterans of America also played a large role in his transition.
Jones was recently nominated to be one of three veterans to introduce Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden at the 7th Annual SVA National Conference. Although, he did not introduce Vice President and Dr. Biden, he had the honor and privilege of meeting the distinguished guests.
Jones says, "I am truly honored to be a student at UWF, having the opportunity to wake up and work toward a life that is now possible. #GoArgos."
View Timothy's #IAMUWF feature.
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Dr. Della Ireton-Scott is pictured with Mr. Ken Detzner, FL Secretary of State.
**Click the photo to watch a presentation highlighting Dr. Della Ireton-Scott's accomplishments.
Florida Department of State Presents Dr. Ireton-Scott with a Prestigious Award
Congratulations to Dr. Della Ireton-Scott for being chosen by the Florida Department of State to receive the 2015 Senator Bob Williams Award. The award represents the highest historic preservation award given in the state of Florida. Dr. William Lees, Director of the Florida Public Archaeology Network, says "This is an incredible honor for Della, for FPAN and for UWF, as it is one of the highest historic preservation awards given in Florida."
The Senator Bob Williams award honors recipients for dedication to the field of historic preservation in Florida. According to Florida Department of State, the award "recognizes those public employees whose service is so exceptional that it has changed the course of historic preservation in Florida."
Dr Della Scott-Ireton has worked with the Pensacola Shipwreck Survey, West Florida Historic Preservation, Inc., Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research, and the government of the Cayman Islands before joining the Florida Public Archaeology Network where she currently serves as Associate Director. Dr. Scott-Ireton is a board member of the Society for Historical Archaeology, a member of the Register of Professional Archaeologists, and is appointed to the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee. Dr. Scott-Ireton's research interests include public interpretation of maritime cultural heritage, both on land and under water, and training and engaging avocationals in archaeological methods and practices.
Read more on Dr. Ireton-Scott's accomplishments.
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In a Forest of Homelessness: Honor Core II Discovers a Place of Hope
Escambia County is home to a nine-acre sanctuary for the homeless community. Sean's Outpost is the founding organization of Satoshi's Forest and, according to a September 2013 article in Bitcoin Magazine, has become the most well-known charity in the Bitcoin community. Meg Hossler, freshman in the Department of Government's Honor Core II, shares more.
"On Tuesday, March 3, Honors Core II had the honor of hearing Jason King discuss his organization Sean’s Outpost. Before founding Sean’s Outpost and establishing Satoshi Forest, King worked as an electronic entrepreneur. Born and raised in Pensacola, he returned here to work with the homeless and start his organization. During his visit to the class he discussed ..." Read More.
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Students Prepare to Study Abroad
This summer, the emerald coast will meet the emerald isle as twelve theatre students and four art students from the University of West Florida travel to Ireland to participate in the Carlow Arts Festival and collaborate with Carlow Little Theatre as part of the University’s program, “The Irish Experience,” from May 21 through June 11. Read More.
Eight students have been approved to participate in the summer program "UWF in Spain," the highest number of participants since the program has been offered. May 9-31, Laura Arguea will be leading students majoring in Archaeology, Public Relations, History, Psychology, Studio Art, Business Administration, Economics and Health Sciences.
Learn more about the program.
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CASSH "Brags" - Have you Heard?
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CASSH's 2015 Outstanding Students
Congratulations to all of the CASSH students who have been named the "2015 Outstanding Students" in their major. Each student was publicly presented with an award at the March 27 Honors Convocation.
Eric Wayne Bencivenga, Maritime Studies
Hunter Brown, English-Writing
Tyler Bryant, International Studies
Sabrina Cummings, Anthropology
Jessica Farrell, Political Science/Pre-Law
Annastasia Fiala-Gapp, Musical Theatre
Patricia Izbicki, Musical Performance
Kay Jackson, History
Johnson Yager Hannah, Communication Arts
Stefini Pilgrim, Studio Art
James Simpson, Philosophy
Christina Swift, Music Education
Rachel Wright, Graphic Design
Congratulations to Melissa Pisarski, Communication Arts, for being named as a 2014-2015 John C. Pace Scholar.
Congratulations to all students who have been named on both the President's Honor Roll and Dean's List Honor Roll.
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CASSH Student Brags
UWF Competitor Megan Conklin ranked 6th in the nation for Extemporaneous Speaking at the 34th annual Novice National Forensic Championship hosted by Butler University in Indianapolis.
Congratulations to UWF's Forensics team and Megan Conklin for earning a finalist position at the 34th annual Novice National Forensic Championship. UWF competitors included Bernice Aponte, Mahalia Hall, Be Loved Dean, and Meghan Conklin. Chris Fenner, UWF Director of Forensics, was elected as the Tournament Director & President of the organization last year. Fenner says, “This weekend was a great end to our competitive year. The program has really grown this year and added a lot of new talent. It was nice to see those efforts pay off at Novice Nationals.”
Congratulations to Rebekah Hamil, UWF Department of Communication Arts major, for being named as one of thirty finalists to be selected for participation in the Stickell Student Internship Program. The 10- week internship is administered by the Los Angeles Times and the American Advertising Federation. Rebekah will be completing her internship with the Creative Services Department of San Antonio Express.
Congratulations to Mark Hodge, M.A., for being accepted into the Ph.D program in Art History at the University of Florida.
These students presented at recent conferences:
- Mary Gratton has presented at the Phi Alpha Theta Florida Regional Conference at the University of South Florida.
- Stephanie LaGassé, English M.A., and Terry Griner, English B.A., presented at the Sigma Tau Delta (English Honor Society) National Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Congratulations to Meyer Levy and Sebastian Meyer Reyes, M.A. Political Science, who have received acceptance into several Ph.D programs in Political Science including Louisiana State University, the University of California at Riverside, Notre Dame University, Vanderbilt, Pittsburgh and Ohio State.
Congratulations to student award winners for their submissions to the 14th Annual Women's Studies Conference.
- Rebecca Hammock, 1st place, Rape, Revenge, Recycle? -- Horror Films, Adaptations, and Psychoanalysis
- Devin Cole, 2nd place, Equality vs. Liberation
- Sarah Miller, 3rd place, Proserpina Problematic
- Dylan Matthews, Honorable Mention, Écriture féminine in the Poetry of Sappho
- Rebecca Zittell, Best of Show, Traveling Suitcase
- Monika Hauck, Best Poster, Orientation, Identity and Body Positivity
Congratulations to the following students who have accepted internship opportunities:
- Madelynn Braswell is interning at the U.S. Embassy Valletta, Malta.
- Kailey Browning is interning at Rodgers, Kee, & Card Law Firm.
- Andrew Luft has accepted a position with the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection with the Port of Seattle.
- Jared Sutherland is interning at Brooks, Warrick & Associates in Milton.
- Kimberly Stoker is interning at the U.S. Probation Office.
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CASSH Faculty Brags
Congratulations to Judy Bennington-Dykes, Instructor in English and World Languages, for receiving an Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award.
Congratulations to Gloria Horning, Instructor with Communication Arts, for being named one of the top 100 most influential people in our community by Inweekly. Inweekly's 2015 Power List, which will feature Horning, will be published in the April 9th edition.
Congratulations to Shannon Holst, Instructor in English and World Languages, for receiving a SGA Distinguished Teaching Award.
Congratulations to Dr. Della Ireton-Scott for being chosen by the Florida Department of State to receive the 2015 Senator Bob Williams Award.
On 27 January 2015, Daniel E. Miller presented a keynote address titled Phenomenon Baroque for the World Federation of Tourist Guide Associations in Prague, Czech Republic, that included 333 participants from 41 countries.
In February, Patrick Moore, Associate Professor of History, coordinated a panel on Public History in the USA which was held at the European Union Archives in Florence, Italy at the invitation of the European University Institute. Moore will also participate as an invited speaker at the Association of Public Historians for the State of New York, April 9-12.
Matthew Pursell published an article in the Interdisciplinary Journal of Maritime Studies, “That Odious Name Sold”: Narratives of the Servant Trade.
Congratulations to Scott Satterwhite, a full-time instructor in English, and Nicole Rae Bucchino, Research Associate with FPAN, for being awarded the UWF Outstanding Master's Thesis Award.
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CASSH in the Media 
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Becca Namniek, Co-Founder and Co-President of the UWF Women's Studies Collective, and Dr. Katherine Romack, Women's and Gender Studies Coordinator, present Professor Rosalind (Roz) Fisher the 2015 Mary F. Rogers Award.
14th Annual Women’s Studies Conference
By Brandy Gottlieb with Contribution by Dr. Katherine Romack
On March 16, UWF’s Women’s Studies Collective hosted UWF’s 14th Annual Women’s Studies Conference. With 24 sponsoring organizations and 29 individual sponsors, this year’s conference featured authors, artists, local non-profits and guest lecturers, while offering new insight into the diverse and complex issues central to women and gender studies. Taylor Willbanks and Becca Namniek, Founders and Presidents of the UWF Women’s Studies Collective, served as chief organizers for the event, and were supported by Dr. Susan Walch and Dr. Kathrine Romack, Women’s and Gender Studies Coordinator.
The goal of the annual Women’s Studies Conference is to make UWF students and the regional community aware of the important work the Women’s and Gender Studies Program... Read more on the 14th Annual Women's Studies Conference and Women's Studies program.
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Department of Music Showcases Talent
All -Steinway School Annual Piano Celebration
On February 16th, the CFPA hosted the All-Steinway School Annual Piano Celebration, which began in 2007 thanks to the generous gift of Helen and Warren Wentworth, who enabled the All-Steinway status. UWF was the second university having this distinction in the State of Florida. During the annual celebration, nine pianists performed the works of Schubert, Liszt, Beethoven, Dvorak, Brahms and Grieg. The annual showcase features UWF's finest piano performance major students. The Steinway Celebration has become a popular yearly concert event in Pensacola. Since becoming an "All Steinway School," many of UWF’s piano students have continued their studies at top graduate music programs, such as the Cleveland Institute of Music, Florida State University, Louisiana State University, the University of Tennessee, Michigan University, Montclair University, etc. Their success brings recognition to our school.
Mozart's Requiem Mass
On January 31, 2015 the Pensacola Symphony and the UWF Music Department collaborated on a performance of the Mozart Requiem Mass at First Baptist Church in downtown Pensacola featuring: the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra; UWF Singers, prepared by Choir Director and music faculty, Blake Riley; voice faculty Sheila Dunn (soprano), Hanan Tarabay (mezzo-soprano) and Howard Reddy (bass); and Organ Faculty, Lynne Lauderdale.
Here's What's Coming Up in Music ...
UWF’s Runge Strings present their annual spring concert, April 2 from 7:30pm – 9:30pm at UWF’s CFPA.
On April 6th UWF’s Center for Fine and Performing Arts will host the last of the Music Hall Artist Series events at 7:30pm, featuring Xun Pan, pianist. Pan conducted his studies at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, Syracuse University in New York, and earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Rutgers University in New Jersey. He has performed throughout Europe, Asia and the United States. Of Xu Pan, the Intelligencer Journal states that “… (he) excites his audience with extraordinary power and masterful technique.” Mr. Pan is a professor of Piano and Director of Pre College Music Division Program at Millersville University of Pennsylvania, and a visiting professor at many universities and conservatories in China.
On April 24 and 25th UWF’s Symphonic Band presents its Film Music Concert. This year’s presentation "Lights, Camera, Academy Awards" includes scenes from a variety of Academy Award winning movies.
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