Issue No. 7

Summer 2006

The Newsletter of the Department of History at Manhattanville College
page 2

 ...

FACULTY NEWS


Group photo of History faculty taken at the first-ever reception honoring graduating Senior history majors, held in the French Parlor, Reid Hall, on May 5th, 2006.  Left to right: Cynthia Medcalf, Terry Kelleher, Irene Whelan, Lawson Bowling, Bob Ashkinaze, and Mohamed Mbodj; not pictured, Colin Morris, Gale Justin, and Don Richards.

Professor Irene Whelan served as History Department Chair for 2005-06.  She was named a Full Professor and launched her book, The Bible War in Ireland, co-published by the U. of Wisconsin Press and Lilliput (Dublin), on both sides of the Atlantic.  In January, Trinity College, Dublin, hosted a book launching, as did the Statio house Hotel in her hometown, Clifden, County Galway, the following day.  In March, her article, "Religious Rivalry & Irish American Identity" appeared in Joe Lee 7 Marion Casey, eds., Making the Irish American (New York University Press), and spoke at Ireland House in New York upon its publication.  She published a column on Irish identity in the "Rise and Reason" section of the Irish Times, the nation's leading newspaper.  In April she attended the annual meeting of the American Conference on Irish Studies at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, where she presented a paper on "Michael MacSuibhne of Ballyconree.  A Lost Voice of pre-Familne Connemara."  She initiated a new course on "City of Light; Paris Through the Ages" in cooperation with Professor Binita Mehta of the Department of French.
Professor Colin Morris  continued to serve as Director of American Studies, Faculty in Residence, Chairman of the Academic Policy Committee,  and advisor to Touchstone, the MVILLE student newspaper.  He developed two new courses, "American Assassins" and "Revolutionary America," and successfully established new internship programs at the Bedford Historical Society here in Westchester County and also at the United States Military Academy, West Point.

Professor Mohamed Mbodj was named a Full Professor in December by the Trustees.  He continued to serve as Chair of African Studies.  During intersession he attended the American Historical Association convention in Philaddelphia.  For the second consecutive year he led a cultural study tour to the northeastern part of Brazil during spring break.

Professor Lawson Bowling
Professor Bowling continued to serve as faculty-in-residence in Spellman Hall, Director of International Studies, N.C.A.A. Faculty Athletics Representative (attending the January convention in Nashville where he met up with his sister, the FAR for Emory, L.B.'s alma mater), and Chairman of the Board on Academic Standards.  He continued teaching the Preceptorial, also serving as its  Director.  As pictured below, he was taken

out in January by some of the Old Guard to celebrate his being named a Full Professor.  Pictured above are Dennis McKenna, L.B., Michael Bonavita, Dan Wynne, Joe Conetta; back row, Pete Malone, Paul Cangro, & Ezra Elliott.
********************************************************



Above:  Prof. Whelan (center) entertains some '06 BAs in History at the first Reception for Senior History Majors she organized, held in the French Parlor, Reid Hall, shortly before Commencement.

to page 3