Communication, Media, and Performance

At the Annual Conference of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Associate Professor of Theatre Michael Mehler began his first full term as vice president for communications, which includes oversight of TD&T, the journal for entertainment design, technology, and management. While there, he co-moderated an all-conference discussion among Theatre Communications Group executive director Teresa Eyring and Broadway designers Ken Billington, Jane Greenwood, Wendall Harrington, and Douglas Schmidt. Professor Mehler also co-chaired a panel on sustainable model building given by recent Tony Award winner Donyale Werle. Karina Mena ’16 participated in USITT’s Gateway Program, which connects 12 students from across the country with 12 professional mentors. Karina was paired with Sherry Wagner-Henry, director of the Bolz Center for Arts Administration at the University of Wisconsin, and met individually with Eyring and Terrence Spivey, artistic director of Karamu House, one of the oldest African-American theatre companies in the United States.

Source: Academics, Publications & Research

At the Annual Conference of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Associate Professor of Theatre Michael Mehler began his first full term as vice president for communications, which includes oversight of TD&T, the journal for entertainment design, technology, and management. While there, he co-moderated an all-conference discussion among Theatre Communications Group executive director Teresa Eyring and Broadway designers Ken Billington, Jane Greenwood, Wendall Harrington, and Douglas Schmidt. Professor Mehler also co-chaired a panel on sustainable model building given by recent Tony Award winner Donyale Werle. Karina Mena ’16 participated in USITT’s Gateway Program, which connects 12 students from across the country with 12 professional mentors. Karina was paired with Sherry Wagner-Henry, director of the Bolz Center for Arts Administration at the University of Wisconsin, and met individually with Eyring and Terrence Spivey, artistic director of Karamu House, one of the oldest African-American theatre companies in the United States.

Source: Academics, Publications & Research

Students Connect Science and Humanities through Interdisciplinary Research

Leanne Siwicki ’15 repeated the same pose, with Holesh capturing her image as well.

Although the two theater majors looked as if they were practicing for an upcoming performance, they actually were serving as subjects for a psychological study. Holesh and Annie Utterback ’16 are conducting this independent study with Associate Professor of Psychology Aimee Knupsky and Associate Professor of English M. Soledad Caballero.

According to Utterback, a psychology major and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies minor from Sewickley, Pa., the project came out of an interdisciplinary class she took last semester called “Cognitive Humanities – Expressions of Emotion: When Psychology and Literature Converge” with Professors Knupsky and Caballero. The course was created through the support of a New Directions Grant from the Great Lakes Colleges Association.

“The class was about the study of emotion during the 19th century to present day and the reciprocal relationship between science and the humanities,” Utterback says. “It was about how the study of emotion was shaped by literature and theater and medical records. That provided a basis for our project, where Laura and I are studying facial recognition and emotion.”

To conduct this research, Utterback and Holesh selected 20 poses from a manual on gesture and emotion written in 1806 by Henry Siddons, an English actor and theatrical manager now remembered as a writer on gesture. Each page in the book shows an actor making a gesture, with each page labeled with an emotion like “devotion,” “happiness,” anger,” “despair,” or “enthusiasm.”

Utterback and Holesh then asked theater majors Schuchert and Siwicki to recreate the gestures from Siddons’ book while they took photos of each pose.

The student researchers then will project the photos onto a screen and ask study participants to choose which emotion the actors are expressing. Utterback and Holesh will use equipment in the College’s eye-tracking lab to study where participants are looking on the photos in order to make their guesses.

“The eye-tracker will produce what is similar to a ‘heat map,’ allowing us to see where people are looking in the image and for how long,” says Holesh, a neuroscience and psychology double major and biology minor from Gibsonia, Pa. “This will help us to capture their thought process to figure out what emotion it is.”

“We’ll then be able to see if they’re guessing the emotion that the book said it was and how that’s been congruent over time. We’ll also be able to see what part of the gesture is cuing them to the emotion,” Utterback adds. “It will be interesting to see how emotion has developed over several centuries.”

One of the unique components of this study is that it allows the students to conduct interdisciplinary research, meaning the study involves both science (psychology) and humanities (English and theater).

“The wave of the future is really interdisciplinary research, and Allegheny is leading the way by offering research with interdisciplinary courses,” Professor Knupsky says. “It’s about getting students to realize that humanities and natural sciences really are asking the same questions.”

“I’m very interested in the sciences, but I’m also interested in English and theater. So I really like the interdisciplinary focus,” Utterback says. “I like connecting all these subjects. It requires critical thinking and being creative to tie all these things together. It’s been an eye-opening experience.”

Even though the project is not yet complete, Holesh says she already has learned a lot.

“This project definitely has helped me to read scientific literature, analyze it, and see the process of thinking. The creative process also has helped me with my junior seminar,” she says.

“The study has helped me to realize that psychology and science are a lot different than what I thought they were in high school,” Utterback adds.” Science is a study and a way of thinking more than content. You can scientifically study anything.”

The pair also likes the ability to do hands-on research as an undergraduate student.

“I don’t believe other undergrads are doing research like we are and shaping it in the way we are. Laura and I are involved in shaping what the project is and what we’re researching,” Utterback says.

“One of the main reasons I came to Allegheny was to do research, because I knew the opportunities were incredible. Coming in freshman year, I started doing research. At other schools, I don’t think that’s the experience students get,” Holesh adds.

In addition, they appreciate the close relationships they have developed with professors at Allegheny.

“I truly value my relationships with my professors,” Holesh says. “I adore talking to them about their research. They are more than willing to have you come into the lab and see things and be hands-on.”

Holesh and Utterback plan to continue their research next semester and may use this work as a springboard for their comprehensive projects.

Source: Academics, Publications & Research

Students Connect Science and Humanities through Interdisciplinary Research

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Chris Schuchert ’16 stood in a semi-dark room, arms outstretched, while Laura Holesh ’16 snapped his photo.

Leanne Siwicki ’15 repeated the same pose, with Holesh capturing her image as well.

Although the two theater majors looked as if they were practicing for an upcoming performance, they actually were serving as subjects for a psychological study. Holesh and Annie Utterback ’16 are conducting this independent study with Associate Professor of Psychology Aimee Knupsky and Associate Professor of English M. Soledad Caballero.

According to Utterback, a psychology major and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies minor from Sewickley, Pa., the project came out of an interdisciplinary class she took last semester called “Cognitive Humanities – Expressions of Emotion: When Psychology and Literature Converge” with Professors Knupsky and Caballero. The course was created through the support of a New Directions Grant from the Great Lakes Colleges Association.

“The class was about the study of emotion during the 19th century to present day and the reciprocal relationship between science and the humanities,” Utterback says. “It was about how the study of emotion was shaped by literature and theater and medical records. That provided a basis for our project, where Laura and I are studying facial recognition and emotion.”

To conduct this research, Utterback and Holesh selected 20 poses from a manual on gesture and emotion written in 1806 by Henry Siddons, an English actor and theatrical manager now remembered as a writer on gesture. Each page in the book shows an actor making a gesture, with each page labeled with an emotion like “devotion,” “happiness,” anger,” “despair,” or “enthusiasm.”

Utterback and Holesh then asked theater majors Schuchert and Siwicki to recreate the gestures from Siddons’ book while they took photos of each pose.

The student researchers then will project the photos onto a screen and ask study participants to choose which emotion the actors are expressing. Utterback and Holesh will use equipment in the College’s eye-tracking lab to study where participants are looking on the photos in order to make their guesses.

“The eye-tracker will produce what is similar to a ‘heat map,’ allowing us to see where people are looking in the image and for how long,” says Holesh, a neuroscience and psychology double major and biology minor from Gibsonia, Pa. “This will help us to capture their thought process to figure out what emotion it is.”

“We’ll then be able to see if they’re guessing the emotion that the book said it was and how that’s been congruent over time. We’ll also be able to see what part of the gesture is cuing them to the emotion,” Utterback adds. “It will be interesting to see how emotion has developed over several centuries.”

One of the unique components of this study is that it allows the students to conduct interdisciplinary research, meaning the study involves both science (psychology) and humanities (English and theater).

“The wave of the future is really interdisciplinary research, and Allegheny is leading the way by offering research with interdisciplinary courses,” Professor Knupsky says. “It’s about getting students to realize that humanities and natural sciences really are asking the same questions.”

“I’m very interested in the sciences, but I’m also interested in English and theater. So I really like the interdisciplinary focus,” Utterback says. “I like connecting all these subjects. It requires critical thinking and being creative to tie all these things together. It’s been an eye-opening experience.”

Even though the project is not yet complete, Holesh says she already has learned a lot.

“This project definitely has helped me to read scientific literature, analyze it, and see the process of thinking. The creative process also has helped me with my junior seminar,” she says.

“The study has helped me to realize that psychology and science are a lot different than what I thought they were in high school,” Utterback adds.” Science is a study and a way of thinking more than content. You can scientifically study anything.”

The pair also likes the ability to do hands-on research as an undergraduate student.

“I don’t believe other undergrads are doing research like we are and shaping it in the way we are. Laura and I are involved in shaping what the project is and what we’re researching,” Utterback says.

“One of the main reasons I came to Allegheny was to do research, because I knew the opportunities were incredible. Coming in freshman year, I started doing research. At other schools, I don’t think that’s the experience students get,” Holesh adds.

In addition, they appreciate the close relationships they have developed with professors at Allegheny.

“I truly value my relationships with my professors,” Holesh says. “I adore talking to them about their research. They are more than willing to have you come into the lab and see things and be hands-on.”

Holesh and Utterback plan to continue their research next semester and may use this work as a springboard for their comprehensive projects.

Source: Academics, Publications & Research

Star Wars sound editor inspires future filmmakers

By Katelynn Long, Contributing Writer
November 20, 2014
The Campus

Two production classes gathered into the small screening room in the Vukovich Center to listen to Benjamin Pickering Burtt speak on Monday, Nov. 10.

Burtt is a four-time Academy Award winner for his sound editing skills. He graduated from Allegheny in 1970, where he received his undergraduate degree in physics.

Assistant professor of communication arts John Reilly and professor Michael Keeley took a break from their typical lectures and let Burtt run their classes.

“[Burtt]’s talk was immensely important for the introductory production students because it allowed them to witness the creative measures he took during his early filmmaking days with limited means and rudimentary equipment,” said Reilly. “At the same time, it also allowed them to hear how he still considers the very basic components of effective storytelling even though he now has unlimited production resources and technology at his disposal.”

Read more.

Photo by Joe Bruch

Source: Academics, Publications & Research

Star Wars sound editor inspires future filmmakers

By Katelynn Long, Contributing Writer
November 20, 2014
The Campus

Two production classes gathered into the small screening room in the Vukovich Center to listen to Benjamin Pickering Burtt speak on Monday, Nov. 10.

Burtt is a four-time Academy Award winner for his sound editing skills. He graduated from Allegheny in 1970, where he received his undergraduate degree in physics.

Assistant professor of communication arts John Reilly and professor Michael Keeley took a break from their typical lectures and let Burtt run their classes.

“[Burtt]’s talk was immensely important for the introductory production students because it allowed them to witness the creative measures he took during his early filmmaking days with limited means and rudimentary equipment,” said Reilly. “At the same time, it also allowed them to hear how he still considers the very basic components of effective storytelling even though he now has unlimited production resources and technology at his disposal.”

Read more.

Photo by Joe Bruch

Source: Academics, Publications & Research

By Rachel Wang, Staff Writer
November 6, 2014
The Campus

The art galleries of Allegheny College held the reception of Annual Faculty and Alumni Art Exhibit on Tuesday, Nov. 4. The exhibit featured egg tempera, oil and watercolor paintings by alumnus Jeff Gola, ’82, and also included art works of Sue Buck, Heather Brand, Amara Geffen, Darren Lee Miller, Steve Prince, Byron Rich, Richard Schindler and Ian Thomas from department of art, as well as Cheryl Hatch, visiting assistant professor of journalism in the public interest and Mike Keeley, professor of communication arts.

“It’s always a challenge to figure out how pieces relate to each other, but we worked together as a group to find a good visual presentation so that one body of work by one person would flow in a logical way to another body of work,” said Darren Lee Miller, assistant professor of art and gallery director of Allegheny College. Each artist has different styles and ideas at work in different media. Considering this, Miller tried to make sense of organizing the gallery and locating drawings, paintings, printmaking, photographs and sculptures harmoniously in the gallery.

Read the full story.

Photo by RACHEL WANG

Source: Academics, Publications & Research

By Rachel Wang, Staff Writer
November 6, 2014
The Campus

The art galleries of Allegheny College held the reception of Annual Faculty and Alumni Art Exhibit on Tuesday, Nov. 4. The exhibit featured egg tempera, oil and watercolor paintings by alumnus Jeff Gola, ’82, and also included art works of Sue Buck, Heather Brand, Amara Geffen, Darren Lee Miller, Steve Prince, Byron Rich, Richard Schindler and Ian Thomas from department of art, as well as Cheryl Hatch, visiting assistant professor of journalism in the public interest and Mike Keeley, professor of communication arts.

“It’s always a challenge to figure out how pieces relate to each other, but we worked together as a group to find a good visual presentation so that one body of work by one person would flow in a logical way to another body of work,” said Darren Lee Miller, assistant professor of art and gallery director of Allegheny College. Each artist has different styles and ideas at work in different media. Considering this, Miller tried to make sense of organizing the gallery and locating drawings, paintings, printmaking, photographs and sculptures harmoniously in the gallery.

Read the full story.

Photo by RACHEL WANG

Source: Academics, Publications & Research

By Summer Burglass
Appears on The White House Blog

Ed. note: Applications are now being accepted for the Summer 2015 White House Internship Program. This blog post introduces readers to Larry Hailsham, a former intern who worked in the Office of Presidential Correspondence in the summer of 2014. When asked about his internship experience, here’s what Larry wrote.

I remember starting my application to apply for the White House Internship Program and the hesitations that I had. I wondered if I should even apply. But the moment I hit submit, there was no going back. A few short weeks later, I was interviewed and accepted into the program, something I would have never expected.

I thought I had realized I was accepted into the program, but as I entered into the gates on my first day as an intern at the White House, I still didn’t believe it. That’s right, even on the first day, I didn’t believe it. I never would’ve thought that I would have this opportunity, and there I was.

Interning in the Office of Presidential Correspondence provided me with a deeper understanding of how important an open dialogue between the American people and our President is. Every day, many Americans take to the pen or keyboard and write the President in search of help and support, and he responds. To me, this proved to be an amazing process. Realizing that the President reads 10 letters a day and wants to stay in touch with the American people was refreshing.

Throughout the internship, I also had the opportunity to volunteer with summer school students at Woodrow Wilson High School. Having the opportunity to not only work at the White House but in the community allowed me to understand how important service to others is. The students I had the opportunity to work with constantly amazed me at their drive and determination regardless of the circumstances they were dealt.

I started to feel at home at the White House. It was no longer just a big historical building to me — now, it had people in it. From the weekly speaker series with senior staff to the hallway encounters with fellow interns, the White House Internship Program provided me with a deeper understanding of public service and what government can achieve.

Summer Burglass is the Staff Assistant for the White House Internship Program.

Source: Academics, Publications & Research

By Summer Burglass
Appears on The White House Blog

Ed. note: Applications are now being accepted for the Summer 2015 White House Internship Program. This blog post introduces readers to Larry Hailsham, a former intern who worked in the Office of Presidential Correspondence in the summer of 2014. When asked about his internship experience, here’s what Larry wrote.

I remember starting my application to apply for the White House Internship Program and the hesitations that I had. I wondered if I should even apply. But the moment I hit submit, there was no going back. A few short weeks later, I was interviewed and accepted into the program, something I would have never expected.

I thought I had realized I was accepted into the program, but as I entered into the gates on my first day as an intern at the White House, I still didn’t believe it. That’s right, even on the first day, I didn’t believe it. I never would’ve thought that I would have this opportunity, and there I was.

Interning in the Office of Presidential Correspondence provided me with a deeper understanding of how important an open dialogue between the American people and our President is. Every day, many Americans take to the pen or keyboard and write the President in search of help and support, and he responds. To me, this proved to be an amazing process. Realizing that the President reads 10 letters a day and wants to stay in touch with the American people was refreshing.

Throughout the internship, I also had the opportunity to volunteer with summer school students at Woodrow Wilson High School. Having the opportunity to not only work at the White House but in the community allowed me to understand how important service to others is. The students I had the opportunity to work with constantly amazed me at their drive and determination regardless of the circumstances they were dealt.

I started to feel at home at the White House. It was no longer just a big historical building to me — now, it had people in it. From the weekly speaker series with senior staff to the hallway encounters with fellow interns, the White House Internship Program provided me with a deeper understanding of public service and what government can achieve.

Summer Burglass is the Staff Assistant for the White House Internship Program.

Source: Academics, Publications & Research