Four MCLA professor's Awarded Tenure

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Ann Billetz
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts President Mary K. Grant, Vice President for Academic Affairs Steven Green and the Board of Trustees recently announced that four faculty members have been granted tenure. They include: Ann Billetz, of the Department of Biology; Michael Birch, of the Department of English/Communications; Graziana Ramsden, of the Department of Modern Languages; and Ann Scott, of the Department of Education. An assistant professor at MCLA since 2002, Billetz holds a Ph.D. in regulatory biology and a M.A. in biology from Cleveland State University in Ohio, and a B.S. in biology from Walsh College in Michigan. She was a research fellow at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation’s departments of Cancer Biology and Biomedical Engineering. A member of the American Society for Microbiology, the Society of Protozoologists, and the American Society for Enology and Viticulture, Billetz’s publications include articles in the Journal of Orthopaedic Research and in Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology. She teaches courses in biology, cell biology, biochemistry, human anatomy, microbiology, parasitology and human biology at MCLA. Also at MCLA since 2002, Birch, teaches courses in the areas of semiology of sound and image, theory of genre and audience reception. Other courses include those in the history of broadcasting, sport and popular music, video/audio production and history of documentary. His numerous publications include “Narratives of Madness in Media,” “Representations of Schizophrenia in Television News,” and “Creating Accepting Communities: Report of the Mind Inquiry into Social Exclusion and Mental Health Problems,” about the representation of mental health in the media. An assistant professor, Birch holds a Ph.D. in politics and communications from the University of Liverpool in England, an M.A. in cultural studies from Lancaster University in Bailrigg, Lancaster, England, and a B.A. in drama, focusing on theatre and television, from King Alfred’s College in Winchester, England. Ramsden, an assistant professor at MCLA since 2002, received her Ph.D. in Hispanic Languages and Literatures from the University of California at Santa Barbara,and a Laurea in Lingue e Letterature Straniere (equivalent to a Master’s degree) in Peninsular Spanish Literature from the University of Venice in Italy. She teaches courses in Spanish and Italian, literature, and film and civilization. Ramsden serves on numerous committees at MCLA, and her publications include “Manuel Puig, Pedro Almodovar and the Politics of Camp” in The Mind’s Eye, and “Cinema as the Site of Identity and Desire: El beso de la mujer anana by Manuel Puig,” in the Utah Foreign Language Review. Forthcoming papers include “Anarchy and Incest in ‘The Carnivorous Lamb’” for MCLA, and “Amores Perros and New Punk Cinema,” for West Virginia University’s Colloquium on Stage and Screen Today. Scott, who has been at MCLA since 2002, earned her Ed.D. in the Language, Literacy and Culture Program at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, her M.Ed. in multicultural education at UMass-Amherst, and her B.A. in comparative literature from Smith College. Scott, an assistant professor, is the recipient of many academic honors, awards, and grants. Her published articles include “Latino Mental Health” in the Human Resource Association Conference Report, “Family Centered Services for Youth: Keeping Families Together” in Resources, “Minnie Mouse Meets Paulo Freire: Media Literacy, Praxis and Multicultural Education” in National Association for Multicultural Education. Her video productions include “Success Stories: The Mentor Program at Holyoke Community College and The Care Center.” For more information, go to www.mcla.edu .
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MCLA Announces Four Finalists for Next President

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts announced four finalists for the position of president, following a national search. 
 
The finalists were selected by the MCLA Presidential Search Committee and will participate in on-campus visits scheduled for the weeks of April 6 and April 13.
 
The successful candidate will replace President James Birge, who is retiring at the end of the term. 
 
The four finalists are David Jenemann, Michael J. Middleton, Sherri Givens Mylott, and Diana L. Rogers-Adkinson.
 

David Jenemann
David Jenemann is dean of the Patrick Leahy Honors College and professor of English and film and television studies at the University of Vermont, where he oversees recruitment, retention, curricular innovation, and advancement for an interdisciplinary college serving undergraduates from across the university, including UVM's campuswide Office of Fellowships, Opportunities, and Undergraduate Research. 
 
An internationally recognized scholar, he has published three books and numerous articles, with research spanning intellectual and cultural history, mass media, and the intersection of sports and society.
He holds a doctor of philosophy from the University of Minnesota and completed the Institute for Management and Leadership in Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education.
 
 
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