Congrats to UM's New CASE Professor; President's Lecture Announced

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) has announced this year's honorees for U.S. Professor of the Year. In 2006, a Professor of the Year was recognized in 43 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam. Among that distinguished group is Montevallo's own Scott Stephens, Professor of Art. Stephens is now UM's fifth CASE Professor.

CASE is the professional organization for advancement professionals at all levels who work in alumni relations, communications, and development. The Professors of the Year program acknowledges the most outstanding undergraduate instructors in the country—those who excel as teachers and influence the lives and careers of their students. It is recognized as one of the most prestigious awards honoring professors.

For more information on Stephens' recognition:

• UM Press Release
• List of 2006 U.S. Professor of the Year State Winners

In other campus news, President Williams will give a talk on his recent trip to China. Williams will speak about “Strategic Management of Healthcare Services in the People’s Republic of China,” and will include slides and music recorded during the trip. The talk will take place in Merchants and Planters Bank Auditorium in Comer Hall on Monday, December 4^th, at 7:00 p.m.

Vacca Lecture Series Continues; Falcon Men End Record Season

I had the good fortune last week of attending a lecture given by this year's Vacca Professor, Dr. Dmitry Goncharov. The topic, "Gender and Politics in America," was a timely one given recent events in American politics.

The UM Bulletin offers this short introduction to the Vacca Lectures:

An eminent teacher-scholar in the liberal arts is invited periodically to Montevallo to teach a special undergraduate course and deliver public lectures as the Paschal P. Vacca Professor of Liberal Arts. The guest scholar also assists the faculty by reviewing the University’s curriculum and library holdings. Coming from a variety of backgrounds, Vacca professors contribute new perspectives to the learning experience at Montevallo.

Dr. Goncharov will give the second Vacca lecture on Monday, Nov. 20, at 3:30 p.m., in Palmer Commons (Comer 202). The topic will be “Social Prerequisites of Politics in the Post-Communist Societies.”

For those who will not have the opportunity to study with Dr. Goncharov this year, the Vacca lectures offer the chance to learn from an accomplished scholar who offers a unique perspective on politics on the world stage. A reception will follow the lecture.

In sports news, I'd like to congratulate the men's soccer team, who have just completed competition for the year. The team owns a new single season team record for victories, finishing the 2006 season with a record of 14-5-1 overall.

Gale Databases

Expanded Academic ASAP, Infotrac OneFile, and all other Gale Databases should be up and running now. If you have any problems with any of the databases, please contact us.

Temporary Issue with Gale Databases

We've been having problems getting into the Gale databases since mid-afternoon. We're currently working with the vendor to get these issues resolved. In the meantime, please contact us at the library if you're experiencing problems from off-campus. We have a couple of workarounds for the problem and we can still get the article you need from these databases. Some of the databases affected are:

• Expanded Academic ASAP
• Infotrac OneFile

Please call us at (205) 665-6100 and we can assist you in getting the content you're searching for. Stay tuned to this blog for more details.

Montevallo Ghost Stories

It's time for the final installment of Montevallo Ghost Stories...

From "Ghost Legends Continue," By James K.W. Tan.
Alabamian Oct. 25, 1984

"...Hanson Hall too [is] said to be haunted. The ghost in that hall, eyewitnesses say, will make things disappear. Tony Davis, whose cousin lived in Hanson, said that the ghost made his cousin's coffee cup disappear and reappear two weeks later. 'When she turned, her cup was not there any more. She had searched everywhere for the missing cup but could not find it.' However, two weeks later, the cup mysteriously reappeared on the exact spot where she had left it. He also added that his cousin complained of noises that came from the wall.

"In another incident, a few girls were watching television. Suddenly, they saw a light floating into the T.V. room. Needless to say, they ran out of the room as fast as their legs could carry them. They told the hall director about it, but when they went up to the room again, they found nothing."

Halloween Horrors

Pictures from the Halloween Horrors Marathon Reading. A roving band of faculty and students read spooky stories from Poe, Atwood, Dante, Coleridge, Twain, and others. Donations from the reading will help to fund the Montevallo Literary Festival.