URSINUSmagazINe

Fall 2012

Childhood Obesity Ursinus Faculty and Alumni Fight the Growing Epidemic

Alumni Weekend Photos | What Is Urban Foraging?Center for Science and the Common Good Opens

New students get to know each other through "icebreakers" during Welcome Week in August.

In This Issue

On the CoverThe image of a lunch box represents the many foods that are contributing

to the growing problem of childhood obesity. Story p. 12. Photo by Jeffrey D. Morgan.

FeaturesRoamin’ Fever 10English professors Meredith Goldsmith, Rebecca Jaroff and Carol Dole traveled to Florence, Italy, to celebrate the sesquicentennial anniversary of the birth of Edith Wharton, one of America’s greatest writers. The three planned and participated in a three-day conference with Wharton scholars from all over the world.

Keep Moving – The Fight to Reshape America’s Kids 12Ursinus alumni and faculty explain why America’s children face such a daunting challenge in fighting the obesity epidemic. We explore their efforts to combat the serious health problem and why they say there is reason to hope for a healthier young America.

Philosophically Speaking 20We sit down with Professor of Philosophy and Humanities Carlin Romano to learn more about why his new book, America the Philosophical, has sparked a literary buzz. A book about philosophy doesn't seem like something that would ruffle feathers beyond academia's walls, but this one has generated reviews that both celebrate and criticize his views. Read our conversation with Professor Romano and you might be rewriting your list of the great philosophers.

Personal Courage 22Lieutenant Colonel Aaron Burgstein 1995 fought a brain tumor and lived to tell about it. His story illustrates the power of family and defines Burgstein’s will to be well.

Campus NewsThe new Center for Science and the Common Good will facilitate a campus-wide conversation about the intersection of science and society. Open this fall, it was made possible with an $800,000 grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). 3

Class Notes Joseph M. DeSimone 1986, Chancellor’s Eminent Professor of Chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was elected into the National Academy of Sciences, one of the highest honors that a U.S. scientist or engineer can receive. 28

EditorKathryn Campbell

kcampbell@ursinus.edu

Director of CommunicationsWendy Greenberg

wgreenberg@ursinus.edu

Class Notes Editor and Staff WriterEllen Cosgrove Labrecque 1995

elabrecque@ursinus.edu

Contributing to this IssueAdena Stevens, Joan Fairman Kanes, Kamaile Long,

Kayana Szymczak, Steve Falk, George Widman, Zeba Hussaini 2014, Kevin Cook, Brian Garfinkel, Jim Roese,

Sibel Sayili-Hurley, Jim Wagner, Carolyn Weigel, Jennifer Wolfe, Erin Hovey 1996, Paul Dempsey,

Carolyn Smith 2011, Laura Moliken, and Ursinus College Archives

DesignJeffrey Morgan

JDM Creative Advertising, LLCwww.jdmcreative.com

Chair, Board of TrusteesAlan P. Novak 1971

PresidentDr. Bobby Fong

Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College

Dr. Lucien (Terry) Winegar

Senior Vice President for AdvancementJill A. Leauber Marsteller 1978

Vice President for EnrollmentRichard DiFeliciantonio

Vice President for Finance and AdministrationWinfield Guilmette

Vice President for Student AffairsDeborah Nolan

The mission of Ursinus College is to enable students to become independent, responsible, and thoughtful individuals through

a program of liberal education. That education prepares them to live creatively and usefully, and to provide leadership for their

society in an interdependent world.

Ursinus MagazineVolume CXI, No. 3 Fall 2012

Third class postage paid at Lansdale, Pa. Ursinus Magazine is published seasonally three times a year.

Copyright 2012 by Ursinus College. Editorial correspondence and submissions:

Ursinus Magazine, P.O. Box 1000, Collegeville, PA 19426-1000. (610) 409-3300

or e-mail: ucmag@ursinus.edu

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Dear Friends,

With hopes that your summer has been refreshing and restful, I write during Welcome Week, in preparation for greeting the Class of 2016. The intervening months since our spring issue have been productive: we’ve welcomed our new Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College Terry Winegar to campus, and we are embarking on new activi-ties to engage more alumni.

A new initiative from the Office of Alumni Relations is The National Council, comprised of regional networks of alumni and parents who have a strong interest in serving as champions of the College within their com-munities. An introductory event in New York City on July 18, hosted by our Trustee, the Rev. Dr. Harold C. Smith 1955, gathered a diverse group of alumni spanning the years 1953 through 2012. A second Council event was held in San Francisco on August 1, hosted by our Trustee, Michael C. Marcon 1986 generating thoughtful and creative ideas. Events were planned this fall for Boston and Washington, D.C., with continued outreach to pre-identified regions.

The National Council will serve as the major platform for engagement and philanthropic activities for key alumni and parent leaders. Through this endeavor, we hope to build greater understanding and appreciation for the College. Look for further information on Council events from the Office of Advancement, and I encourage you to become active in the regional chapter in your area.

In this issue of Ursinus Magazine, we bring you some lessons for healthy living. We report on alumni who are engaged in cutting-edge research on an important national issue, childhood obesity. In addition, Excercise and Sport Science Professor Laura Borsdorf completed the Capitol to Capitol One Ride this summer to raise awareness of the issue.

Our faculty continues to take the Ursinus name beyond the campus. Three professors, Meredith Goldsmith, Rebecca Jaroff (Ursinus class of 1980) and Carol Dole from the department of English, presented at a conference in Florence, Italy, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Edith Whar-ton. You also will read how Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Patrick Hurley has stepped out of the classroom into New York City’s Central Park where he continued his research on urban foraging this summer.

Go, Bears!

Bobby Fong, President

fall 2012 Page 3

GatewayThe

ursinus campus newsGatewayThe

ursinus campus news

The new Center for Science and the Common Good will facilitate a campus-wide conversation about the intersection of science and so-ciety. The Center opens this fall and was made possible with an $800,000 grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). Ursinus is one of 47 small U.S. colleges and universities selected to work togeth-er to create more engaging science education, bring more research ex-periences to students, and increase the diversity of students who study science. The awardees were selected from 182 proposals.

“The Center for Science and the Common Good is designed to ad-vance inquiry into the profoundly significant questions about human good raised in our first-year pro-gram, The Common Intellectual Experience,” says Professor of Poli-tics Paul Stern, a member of the steering committee. “It expresses our view that an Ursinus education should prepare our students to en-gage thoughtfully with the world. Because modern science decisively shapes that world, such engage-ment must involve consideration of the ethical and political implica-tions of science.”

Ursinus is the perfect place to develop such a program, says Gabrielle Principe, Associate Pro-fessor and Chair of the Psychology Department. “Where else but at

Ursinus can a psychology professor sit in the same room as professors in biology, politics, theater, and history and discuss pieces by Gali-leo and Descartes, share our beliefs on what it means to be human, and collaborate on ways to get our students in all disciplines to do the same? One of the things we do dis-tinctively at Ursinus is getting our students to think about big human questions in an interdisciplinary manner,” says Principe, a member of the steering committee. “We do this beginning on the very first day of class in students’ first-year in CIE. The Center gives us the opportunity to build upon this first year experience in ways that enable our science students to continue to exercise the qualities of intellect, deliberation, and judgment first nurtured in CIE throughout their entire four years at Ursinus.”

The Center for Science and the Common Good will serve as a resource for all students who want to learn about the impact of science on society. It will provide opportunities for science students who want to pursue careers in civic leadership and will encourage un-derrepresented minority students who are interested in studying science, says Biology Professor Rebecca Kohn, Director of the Center. Fellows of the Center will prepare for careers in science and civic leadership through courses and internships, with opportuni-ties to explore their interests off campus in the U.S. or abroad.

“Students who are members of underrepresented minority groups will be encouraged to pursue careers in science through early

The Center “not only reflects Ursi-nus College’s rich legacy in the sci-ences, but connects it to our values of civic engagement and working across the disciplines,” says Presi-dent Bobby Fong. “We hope it will enhance the breadth of the liberal arts education we offer while also providing experiences that will lead to post-college success.”

The Center for Science and the Common Good will incorporate the values emphasized in the dis-tinctive Ursinus first-year course, the Common Intellectual Experi-ence (CIE).

Center for SCienCe and the Common Good

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immersion in scientific research in the Fellowships in the Ursinus Transition to the Undergraduate Research Experience (FUTURE) program,” Kohn says.

The generous grant from the HHMI funds a seminar series featur-ing leaders in relevant fields, the appointment of a science writer-in-residence, the development of specially designed courses, and a program of discussions organized and run by student Fellows of the Center. The College plans to house the Fellows and FUTURE students together in campus housing.

We know that these schools have engaged faculty. They care deeply about teaching and how effectively their students are learning about science.”

Ursinus is in the category of “Defin-ing and Assessing Scientific Literacy,” with Bard College, Hunter College and San Francisco State University. Of 215 schools invited by HHMI to apply for the grants, 187 schools submitted 182 proposals. After two rounds of peer review, a panel of 23 leading scientists assessed 84 final proposals and recommended awards to 47 schools.

This December will mark the 75th anniversary of George Frideric Handel’s Messiah performances at Ursinus College, which have become a winter season tradition. The piece will be sung by the College Choir and Meistersingers, and conducted by Professor John French, holder of the Heefner Chair of Music, on Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m.; and at a matinee, Dec. 2 at 2 p.m., in Bomberger Auditorium. Tickets are $10. Online registration is available at www.ursinus.edu/messiah.

Last year, Dr. French conducted his 50th performance of the Handel Oratorio at Ursinus. French, who has been at Ursinus for 33 years, said he is “truly amazed at the traditions and history of this place. Wonderful students, great faculty and sense of purpose combine to make Ursinus a remarkable college. What an honor to be a part of this tradition – 75 years of Messiah.” He thanked Dr. Philip, and former Trustee and 1942 alumnus William F. Heefner, who supported the music program.

Some Ursinus history: On Dec. 8, 1938, Professor William F. Philip conducted professional soloists and musicians, who joined the student chorus in Bomberger Hall, performing before a capacity audience. According to Ursinus College Archivist Carolyn Weigel, the tradition of presenting Handel's Messiah began in 1937, under the direction on Dr. William F. Philip. The choir gave a modest performance of the piece. The program was so successful that a more complete performance was offered the following year. The College's musical resources were supplemented with professional vocal soloists and orchestral musicians. Since then, the annual performance has become a musical high point of the academic year.

Now more than ever, scientists need to understand the ethical, political, and religious context in which science operates to judge how scientific endeavors can best advance the common good, says Biology Professor Robert Dawley. “The Center for Science and the Common Good will ensure that Ursinus science majors acquire this judgment by encouraging them to make the most of the liberal education that Ursinus offers,” says Dawley, Co-Director of the Cen-ter. “By creating new courses and fellowship programs, and by bring-ing to campus prominent speakers

and science writers, the Center will engage science majors more closely than ever with the humanities and social sciences on campus. For the judgment that our future scientists so urgently need can come only from a truly interdisciplinary and liberal education.”

Vice President of Science Educa-tion at HHMI, Sean B. Carroll says the schools selected to receive grants have shown “they are superb incubators of new ideas and models that might be replicated by other institutions to improve how science is taught in college.

On Traditions and History, a Bright Note

The 22nd annual performance of "The Messiah" on Thursday, December 10, 1959, by the music organizations of Ursinus. Dr. William F. Philip, conductor and Howard L. Gamble, organist. Guest soloists were Carol Bergey, Soprano; Frederick Mayer, Tenor; Gladys Kriese, Contralto; and Chester Watson, Bass.

fall 2012 Page 5

Dr. Thomas P. Loughran Jr. is a professor of medicine and Director of the Penn State Hershey Can-cer Institute in Hershey, Pa. Dr. Loughran, who was instrumental in discovering a new hematologic malignancy, was the first Director of the Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute, appointed in 2003.

Michael T. Piotrowicz entered the financial services industry after graduating from Ursinus College in 1978, and has been focused on working with the owners of privately held family businesses. He founded and established Legacy Advisors LLC, a planning advisory firm serving high net worth busi-ness owners and executives. He also founded the Legacy Foundation, the charitable entity used by Legacy associates.

Robert F. Sing D.O. is a staff physician in the Department of Family Practice, Springfield Hospital, and a staff physician, Department of Family Practice, Chester Crozer Medical Center. He was also the Medical Direc-tor, Pre-Olympic Sports Medicine Conference for the African Nations, Harare, Zimbabwe, in 1984 and was selected to represent Sports America in Nigeria, Africa, to establish and unify the Nigerian Sports Medicine Commission. Active in addressing the frequencies of injuries in women javelin throwers, he is the author of The Dynamics of the Javelin Throw.

Service and Learning abroadThis was a summer of international service for Ursinus students Tracie Johnson 2013 and Nikki Murlo 2014 who travelled to Orange Walk, Belize. As members of the Bonner Foundation’s International Partner-ship Initiative with Peacework, the two were accompanied by five other Bonner Leaders from campuses across the nation.

The partnership was founded as one of the Bonner Global Village Network's pilot sites in May 2012 through the Bonner Global Village Conference in partnership with the Peacework Development Fund, a longtime international Bonner partner organization that works around the world in establishing global partnerships for integrated development. In Belize, Johnson and Murlo taught social entrepre-neurship to primary school youth as a way to help them build their com-munities. They worked in St. Peter’s Anglican School and the Louisiana Government School. The curricu-lum, called Build Yourself, Build Belize, integrates the Bonner Com-mon Commitments and encourages students to create their own jobs through social entrepreneurship. The curriculum will be tested for application in other Bonner Global Village communities in the future. The town of Orange Walk is a largely

new Chair and trustees namedAlan P. Novak, Class of 1971, is now Chair of the Board of Trustees. The board elected officers Joseph M. DeSimone, Class of 1986 as Vice Chair; Carol K. Haas, Class of 1970 as Secretary; and Michael C. Marcon, Class of 1986 as Treasurer. John E. F. Corson, who served for a year as Interim President of the College, and then Chair of the Board of Trustees, has been appointed Chair of the Trustees Emeritus.

The new Trustees are Thomas P. Loughran Jr., M.D., Class of 1975; Michael T. Piotrowicz, Class of 1978; and Robert F. Sing, D.O., Class of 1975.

Novak, who has been an Ursinus Trustee, is President and Founder of Novak Strategic Advisors, a public and government affairs firm based in Harrisburg, Pa. He was the longest serving Chairman of Pennsylvania’s Republican Party (1996-2005) and was regularly recognized on www.PoliticsPA.com’s “Power 50 List” as one of the 50 most politically powerful Pennsylvanians. Novak practices

in municipal law and land use law as well as civil litigation. He is an attorney, Of Counsel, Conrad O’Brien in West Chester, Pa.

Novak is regularly sought by news media to comment on the political process, and his expertise has been noted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, as well as on CNN, Fox, ABC, MSNBC, PBS and on radio. He is half of a team that provides political commentary on the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Network during election seasons.

Alan P. Novak 1971

After their first day of service, Tracie Johnson 2013

and Nicole Murlo 2014 enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.

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Generous Giving

Hispanic settlement and is located 52 miles north of Belize City.

Visit this site to see and read more about their experiences: bonnersabroad.wordpress.com.

The Boren Scholarship Brings Buchele one Step Closer to ‘making a difference’Grace Buchele 2014 is not your typical study-abroad student. As a teenager, she attended boarding school in Japan. Last year, she spent three months in Japan teaching Eng-lish as an intern for Asian Access.

This semester will begin a new adventure for Buchele, who was awarded a prestigious David L. Boren Scholarship allowing her to study Japanese intensively at the In-ternational Christian University in Tokyo. The International Relations and East Asian Studies major from Georgetown, Texas, hopes to one day work in Foreign Service.

“It was never a question that I would work abroad in Japan, either for the government or for companies trying to market their products abroad,” she says. “Being a Boren Scholar, however, pushed my focus once again toward government. The scholarship is unique in a way that it will give me an edge up and help

with employment after college,” says Buchele, whose dream job is to work for the National Protection Agency (NPA) and focus on the political aspect of eliminating human trafficking in East Asia.

Buchele was one of 161 winners chosen from a pool of more than 1,000 applicants for the scholarship, which is sponsored by the National Security Education Program

(NSEP). In addition to her Japanese language courses, Buchele is also studying Japanese government.

The Boren Undergraduate and Graduate Scholarships were cre-ated to encourage the study of foreign languages needed in today’s world, particularly by various gov-ernment agencies, says Ambassa-dor-in-Residence and Professor of International Relations Joseph Melrose, who is also Buchele’s

advisor. “The program involves a service commitment with the U.S. government which in many cases results in a career with the government. Our last Boren Scholar, Marisa Meana, currently works for the U.S. Department of State. “Grace made an excellent Boren candidate,” says Melrose. “She had a long-term interest in Japan and Japanese culture, a strong interest in foreign affairs, and a clear, demonstrated interest

A heartfelt thank you to the more than 1,800 alumni, parents and friends who supported the Annual Fund through the Ursinus fall and spring Phonathon this year. The student callers value hearing why Ursinus matters to you and sharing updates about the College. We look forward to speaking with you again next year. “The Annual Fund, aside from being a vital source of support for our College, facilitates in my Ursinus experience by allowing me to participate in Academic programs and Greek Life,” says Marina McCann 2014, Phonathon student manager. “Each fiscal year means another student like me can receive the support that I receive in order to benefit from close faculty interaction and from extracurricular activities. Every bit counts, and with Phona-thon, the Annual Fund continues on.”

Ursinus Bear Gets a face-LiftA new visual identity for Ursinus College Athletics is being unveiled for the 2012 fall season. The new identity system consists of a group of wordmarks and images to be used on publications, web sites, uniforms and apparel. The new look incorporates Ursinus’s traditional colors of red, black and old gold as well as the grizzly bear mascot. The typography has a traditional collegiate athletics feel, and the new bear image is a simple line drawing that conveys determination and spirit. The new visual identity system will be phased in as new uniforms, apparel and merchandise are ordered.

“We are very excited about the new visual identity,” says Laura Moliken, Ursinus Director of Athletics. “A consistent logo for all of the athletic teams creates a feeling of unity among coaches, student-athletes and teams. The logos look terrific and will help to enhance the branding of Ursinus College’s athletic programs, all of which have a strong tradition and history among the nation’s best liberal arts colleges.”

The project was initiated during the spring semester. The design process was led by a campus team that included representatives from athletics, student life, alumni relations, admissions and communications. A survey sent to faculty, staff, student-athletes and alumni helped identify key issues, concerns and priori-ties to inform the creative process. After an initial presentation of a wide range of design concepts, the campus team narrowed the designs through two rounds of revisions. - By Paul Dempsey

fall 2012 Page 7

Nearly 150 alumni and guests attended the 25th Anniversary Celebration of UC by the Sea on August 11th. The party at the Princeton Bar and Grill in Avalon, N.J., was a return to Ursinus roots. The Chatterband provided live music for a great night of dancing and fun.

in a topic which is of great impor-tance to U.S. policymakers and the general public: trafficking in persons.”

“I want to get out there and make a difference,” says Buchele. “I like to think that the people who reviewed my Boren essay and application [felt] my passion for the cause of U.S. security and anti-human traf-ficking in Asia. I’ve always been ambitious and the Boren is letting me take that a step further.”

- By Jennifer Wolfe

new Coaches for Ursinus athletic department Ursinus College Director of Athlet-ics Laura Moliken has announced the hiring of Stan Exeter as head baseball coach and Kelly Wakeman as head women's soccer coach.

Exeter enters Ursinus after six seasons at the helm of Swarthmore, and succeeds retiring head coach Brian Thomas. “We are excited to have Stan on board," says Moliken. “He brings a great baseball pedigree to Ursinus, as well as a proven track record of success from his days at Arcadia and Swarthmore.”

“I'm excited to take over a highly successful and prestigious program as Ursinus,” Exeter says. “I hope to help the team in any way I can to improve and build upon the success by Coach T.”

Exeter, who was the 2010 Centen-nial Conference Coach of the Year, led the Garnet to 89 wins over the last six seasons, including three straight 20 win seasons. His most successful season was during the 2010 campaign as Swarthmore qualified for the Centennial Conference playoffs for the first time in school history. The Garnet advanced to the consolation final.

Exeter also enjoyed success at nearby Arcadia University. He won two conference championships, including in 2006 when the Knights

five seasons. She was the National Junior Coach DIII Coach of the Year in 2011. She produced five All-American and 17 All-Region,

All-Conference selections in five years.

“I am humbled and honored to be the next head women's soccer coach at Ursinus College,” says Wakeman, who spent one year as an assistant coach at Muhlenberg College. She also was an assistant coach at Whitehall High School and Easton Area High School. She has been involved in coaching club soccer through ENCO United and Lower Macungie Youth Soccer.

Wakeman is a 2004 graduate of Moravian College, where she gradu-ated Cum Laude and she is currently pursuing a Masters of Education degree from Edinboro University.

“I am confident that we will build on past achievements and project the Ursinus women's soccer program into newfound success,” she says. “I’m excited about the opportunity that I have to lead student-athletes as they accomplish the academic and athletic goals that they came to Ursinus to complete.” - By Jim Wagner

went 18-3 in the conference. He led the 2004 squad to a confer-ence crown as the team finished the season ranked in the top 25 by the American Baseball Coaches Association.

A 1992 graduate of Lafayette, he was twice named All-Patriot League as a first baseman. Kelly Wakeman comes to Ursinus after five seasons as the head wom-en's soccer coach at Montgomery College in Rockville, Mary-land. She most recently guided Montgomery College–Rockville women's soccer to a NJCAA DIII

National Championship in 2011, the first soccer championship in the history of Montgomery College. “We are delighted to have Kelly on board," says Moliken. "She has an impressive background in soccer and her familiarity with the Centennial Conference will help her continue to build our women's soccer program."

Wakeman has been the women's soccer coach at Montgomery since 2007, posting a 72-19-1 record in Stan Exeter

Kelly Wakeman

Doug Hovey 1994, Lori Olexa Thorell 1996, John Scorsone 1996, Cynthia Babcock Green 1994, Erika Compton Bulter 1994

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E x h I b I t I o N s o N V I E w

thE

MusEuM oF ArtPhilip and Muriel Berman

ACCESS-ABILITY: Deconstructing and Reconstructing Art for AccessSept. 17 – Dec. 3, 2012Upper GalleryOpening Reception: Sunday, Sept. 23, 2012, 2 – 4 p.m.

The number of area residents who experience some form of disabil-ity – dementia, visual impairments, learning disabilities, traumatic brain injury, and others – is growing. The Berman now joins other museums throughout the United States that serve visitors who come through our door with special needs, launching a series of ini-tiatives to make the Museum’s collections fully accessible to a wide range of differently-abled constituents. Access-Ability: Deconstructingand Reconstructing Art for Access is the Berman Museum’s next

step in implementing some of the most effective practices for creating arts access within its spaces. This exhibition will pres-ent pieces from the Museum’s permanent collection in the context of best practices, in-cluding verbal description and multi-sensory tours, 3D tactile diagrams of 2D works of art and specialized guided tours for visi-tors living with dementia. The Berman has recently be-come a member of the museum network of the organization ARTZ: Artists for Alzheimer’s. We are the first museum in Pennsylvania to develop a rela-tionship with this leader in the effort to harness the power of the arts to open up dialogues and creative engagement for people with dementia and their care partners. This affiliation provides us with the training and resources to make avail-able an in-house accessibility and arts-based support program designed specifically for visitors living with dementia.

For more information about this project and our accessibility ini-tiatives, or to set up “accessible tours,” please contact Sue Calvin at scalvin@ursinus.edu or 610-409-3079.

Join us on October 7 for an opening reception in the Museum’s Main Gallery for two new exhibitions –

FOUR VISIONS/FOUR PAINTERS: MURRAY DESSNER, BRUCE SAMUELSON, ELIZABETH OSBORNE, VINCENT DESIDERIOOct. 6, 2012 – Jan. 13, 2013Main GalleryOpening Reception: Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012, 2 – 4 p.m.

Elizabeth Osborne, Golden 1, 1996, oil on birch panel, 18 x 18 in., Collection of Virginia Bortin

fall 2012 Page 9

These four artists, all associated with the Pennsylvania Acad-emy of the Fine Arts as students, teachers, and mentors, have an affinity with each other in terms of the scale of their work and their approach to content and use of medium. Their work touches the viewer in dramatic ways through rich, saturated color, meticulous line and brushwork, and the mature and con-fident approach each takes to articulating his or her message.

Murray Dessner creates landscapes of color whose layers both recede and explode. They are atmospheric and grounded with elements that evoke land, sea, and sky. Elizabeth Osborne’s highly saturated compositions make use of vivid color com-binations and rhythmic brushstrokes. Architectural elements from interiors and exteriors and horizon lines help to create a sense of place. Bruce Samuelson’s work, while more intimate in scale than that of his colleagues, conveys a similar sense of grandeur. Using the structure of the human torso as his leitmo-tif, Samuelson poses and manipulates the body with a deft and fluid line, occasionally breaking down component parts into abstract yet identifiable forms. Vincent Desiderio creates narra-tive works that incorporate life lessons and events. His detailed representations recall the drama of Baroque painting even as he examines contemporary themes and issues.

The exhibition will be curated by Lisa Tremper Hanover, Direc-tor and CEO of the James A. Michener Art Museum and prior Director of the Berman Museum of Art.

INTERSTITIAL SPACES: VOID AND OBJECTRecent Works by Roger ChavezOct. 6, 2012 – Jan. 13, 2013H.F. and Marguerite Lenfest GalleryOpening Reception: Sunday, Oct. 7, 2012, 2 – 4 p.m.

Roger Chavez is a Philadelphia-based artist whose paintings push the boundaries between genres such as portraiture and still life, still life and landscape, and assert the permeability of such boundaries. According to Chavez, “For me, the sub-ject matter serves as a point of departure, allowing me to find my own forms through exploring the subject. The immediate accessibility of the still life facilitates my focus on the objects themselves, their shadows, shapes, and the space they occupy.”

Chavez’s painterly brushstrokes delineate subtle shadings and spaces. His canvases range from the very intimate to more expan-sive essays in the layering of color and the adding, subtracting, and merging of forms.

Chavez received his MFA from American University and his Cer-tificate in Painting from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. He has taught in the studio art program at Ursinus College since 2004. He is a 2012-2013 Pollock-Krasner Foundation Fellow.

Center for Science

Our Options Have Changed: Consumer Health Literacy in a Changing Environment Oct. 9, 7 p.m.Lenfest Theater Kaleidoscope Performing Arts Center

Population growth, aging Baby Boomers, an expected short-age of primary care doctors and expansion of coverage under the new health care law will require innovative solutions – and more informed consumers. The paradox of the healthcare in-formation age is that consumers have more access to more medical information than they have ever had before. The In-ternet has democratized access to information about health trends, medical data, and information about health resources, but consumers still lack the basic information they need to make informed health decisions. Join in this discussion about how innovations in health care delivery, costs and payment sys-tems have changed our experiences as health care consumers.

The Quest for the Higgs Boson, and Why It MattersOct. 29, 7 p.m. Lenfest Theater Kaleidoscope Performing Arts Center Matt Strassler, Theoretical Physicist, Professor at Rutgers University

Dr. Strassler believes that science is one of the world’s great spectator sports, and should be a source of joy and excite-ment for the public. He explains particle physics and events related to the Large Hadron Collider. He attended Simon’s Rock College, Princeton University and earned his Ph.D. at Stanford. He has worked at the Institute for Advanced Study, University of Washington and University of Pennsylvania, and has been a visiting assistant professor at Harvard.

Common Good SEMINARS

and the

Professors Rebecca Jaroff and Carol Dole did some sightseeing in between presenting at the conference.

Conference edith

Wharton Celebrates a Great american Writer

on

By ellen Cosgrove Labrecque 1995

roamin' fever: English professors Meredith

Goldsmith, Rebecca Jaroff and Carol Dole all feel similarly about Florence, Italy: It was the perfect location to celebrate the sesquicentennial (150th year) an-niversary of the birth of one of America’s greatest writers, Edith Wharton. The three professors traveled to the European city this July for a three-day conference with Wharton scholars from all over the world.

Wharton herself had spent quite a bit of time touring and researching in Florence and even wrote a book inspired by the city, Italian Villas and Their Gardens, published in 1904. Goldsmith, vice president of the Edith Wharton Society and co-director of the conference, spent over a year planning the event with Emily Orlando, a col-league from Fairfield University. Jaroff and Dole presented papers at the academic conference, which was held on Marist College’s cam-pus in Florence, the Scuola Loren-zo di Medici.

“The whole conference came to-gether beautifully,” says Gold-smith. “The only bad part was we had so many people who wanted to attend, and we simply didn’t have the space to accommodate everybody.” Although Wharton’s life and work hasn’t quite reached the levels of Jane Austen popularity, she was a beloved author of her time and remains so today. Wharton was the first woman to win the Pulit-zer Prize for literature (The Age of Innocence, 1921) and 16 of her pieces have been turned into mov-ies for the big screen or made for television. Many of her works are mainstays on high school and college curriculums including Ethan Frome (1911) and Roman Fever (1934).

Wharton scholars from all over the world spoke at the conference on everything in her novels from the architecture to influential men. Jaroff ’s paper and presentation fo-cused on Wharton’s 1917 novella, Summer, while Dole spoke on film adaptations of Wharton’s work in-cluding the 1939 adaptation of her novella, The Old Maid.

“I gave a pedagogic approach on ways to teach Summer,” explains Jaroff. “It’s important to discuss problems in the classroom and ways to open up difficult texts by using different approaches.”

While attending the conference, all three Ursinus professors were especially thrilled to visit the Villa I Tatti, the Harvard Center for Ital-ian Renaissance Studies and the former home of Bernard Berenson, a famous art critic and Wharton’s life-long friend. The scholarly center is not normally open to the public, but Goldsmith and Orlando arranged for the Villa to open their doors to the Wharton scholars. They were given a tour of the house, views of the beautiful Italian garden, and a visit to the bedroom Wharton used during her lengthy visits. “They even set up a special exhibit of Wharton's letters from their collection,” says Dole. “It was wonderful to have that glimpse into Wharton’s life, as well as to visit a beautiful home where Berenson’s art treasures still hang on the walls.”

All three professors also left Florence with new insight on Wharton.

“Wharton had an astounding grip on human psychology,” says Goldsmith. “This shines through in all her works. Lucky for us, she also knew where the best places in the world are in which to travel.”

Page 10 ursinus magazine

fall 2012 Page 11

Conference edith

Wharton Celebrates a Great american Writer

Welcome Week started the fall semester off on the right note. Parents helped their Ursinus students move in for a new chapter in their academic and social lives. In August, Dean Terry Winegar announced that seven full-time and 17 part-time faculty members joined the Ursinus College faculty.

A New semester begins

Welcoming students this fall are President Bobby Fong, Lucien T. (Terry) Winegar, Dean of the College and Vice President of Academic Affairs and Mohammed Yahdi, Ph.D.,

Beardwood Chair of Mathematics, Chair and Associate Professor of Mathematics.

Page 12 ursinus magazine

rsinus faculty and alumni are among many experts committed to increasing awareness of childhood obesity. They are hard at work creating public school exercise programs, conducting diabetes research, formulating nutrition plans and educating the public about how to keep children healthy. as a vibrant part of a global network of leaders, they are committed to fighting this growing epidemic one healthy step at a time.

fall 2012 Page 13

it was 2001 and Jennifer Skye (Laidlaw) donovan 1995 had been living in houston, texas, for only two weeks when she read an astounding article in the local newspaper. houston was considered the fattest city in the United States.

“according to the article, the average age of a type 2 diabetic, which used to be called age onset diabetes, was just 13. “i couldn’t believe people this young were getting a disease that is mostly

preventable with a healthy lifestyle. it had such an impact on me, it made me call the childhood medical center in the area and ask if there was any way i could volunteer my time with overweight kids.”

donovan graduated from Ursinus with a degree in Chemistry and earned her Ph.d. in Biomedical Science and Biophysics at albert einstein College of medicine in the Bronx. While at einstein,

Ursinus Alumni and Faculty Work to Bring Attention to Childhood ObesityUrsinus Alumni and Faculty Work to Bring Attention to Childhood Obesity

By Ellen Cosgrove Labrecque 1995 and Kathryn Campbell

Page 14 ursinus magazine

Donovan studied diabetes type 2 in a lab setting, so her research on obesity was on the cellular level. Although she enjoyed the intellectual challenge her lab work entailed, Donovan didn’t feel like she was making enough of a difference. She had moved to Houston with the intent of eventually working in a neurological rehabilitation center for people with spinal cord injuries and was doing her post-doctoral work, as well as getting her masters in physical therapy at Texas Woman’s University. But once she read

this article, Donovan shifted her career goals.

When she called the hospital that day, she was put in touch with a doctor working with obese children with diabetes. With the help of the doctor, Donovan was given the green light to begin a grassroots exercise program. Every weekend for five hours, Donovan volun-teered her time. She exercised with them, took them on field trips and taught them about healthy nutrition and portion control.

Dr. Christina Wee’s research in obesity focuses on questions of particular relevance to public health and primary care. She works to understand racial and ethnic differences in the costs and health outcomes of obesity and to identify and address the stigma associ-ated with obesity, particularly as it relates to disparities in health care and in medical decision-making. One of the goals of her research is to help guide primary care physi-cians in managing obesity.

Dr. Christina Wee 1989 is Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Associate Director for Research in the Divi-sion of General Medicine and Primary Care at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a major teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. Part of Dr. Wee’s research looks at the role of race and gender in the negative impact of obesity.

“There are populations in which being overweight may be more culturally normative, and this may affect how individuals value losing weight and the treatment risks they are willing to take,” says Dr. Wee, who is also director the Division's Health Services and Behavioral Research Program in Obesity, and Co-Director of the Harvard-wide General Medicine Faculty Development Fellowship Program. She is currently studying how patients with obesity make decisions about whether to undergo weight loss surgery, a surgery which has its risks.

Cases of obesity began to rise in the 1980s and 1990s with changes in lifestyle that resulted from society's increased reliance on tech-nology, people eating more processed foods and in general living a more sedentary lifestyle, says Wee. “Kids now have access to more technology and physical activity has decreased,” she says. The marketing of food also plays a role. “From an economic point of view, it doesn’t makes sense for many families not to ‘supersize it’ if you have a limited income,” she says. “I don’t think anybody chooses to be overweight,” says Wee. “Our weight is a product of our genetic makeup, our environment, and the choices we make in the context of that environment.” Social and economic challenges limit those choices, she says, and those factors often make it more difficult for some people to fight obesity.

Wee’s research includes looking at stigma and the ways in which obese people are judged by society. “We tend to look at a person with obe-sity differently than someone with other health conditions (e.g.) cancer,” says Wee. “Society tends to blame people who are overweight for their condition. We all have personal choice, but the current physical environment makes it difficult for us to make good choices.”

Obesity, she says, has the greatest impact on populations of people who have less ability to make choices in their work and home. “I am optimistic in the sense corporations like McDonalds are taking more responsibility for how their marketing strategies are affecting obesity,” says Wee. “For example, apples now come with some meals and they have reduced the portion of French fries.”

impacts of obesity

fall 2012 Page 15

“We had to do what I call tricky exercise with these kids,” Don-ovan says. “All of the kids were obese and uncomfortable doing straight-up exercising. So what I did with them was vigorous ex-ercise through playing. We did relay races and played games like capture the flag. The only criteria for my games were that nobody was ever standing around. They were always moving.”

Donovan worked with the Houston kids for two years while com-pleting her physical therapy degree, and in that time she became hooked on helping children grow healthier for life.

“I know lack of exercise is only one part of the puzzle when you talk about combating childhood obesity,” she says. “But it is the part I have the most expertise to try and tackle.”

When Professor of Exercise and Sport Science Laura Borsdorf was a young girl, there were no team sports for women. “I was a kid who hated physical education,” admits Borsdorf, trim and en-ergetic. “I thought I could do it better.” Maybe that is why she is so passionate about educating children and adults about the benefits of staying healthy and fit.

“The obesity rate continues to climb, we have to get their atten-tion at a younger age,” she says. “When you see diabetes and high blood pressure in children – that’s pretty scary.” Borsdorf stresses the five components of health-related fitness: cardiovascular fit-ness, flexibility, muscular strength, muscular endurance and body composition. She recently edited Physical Best Activity Guide, a text for teachers of elementary physical education. While writ-ing the book, she says, contributors “had a hard time finding kids who were a healthy size.”

This July, despite two hard falls while train-ing on her bicycle, Borsdorf took part in the Capitol to Capitol One Ride to bring atten-tion to childhood obesity. All the proceeds went to fight the disease. She is convinced ed-ucators can make physical education fun. She hopes people will keep searching until they find their niche. “We have to get people to believe that they can take charge of their health,” she says.

The answer does not have to be hard or tedious, says Borsdorf. It can actually be fun. Whether it’s Geocaching or Frisbee, parents and educa-tors must discover ways to inspire and engage children to keep moving. “Everyone needs to find a different level, and find their own play,” she says. “This is a hard sell because it is not about being the best – it is about being healthy.” The risks of ignoring it are too great.

Donovan agrees. In Arlington, Va., she is now an assistant professor at Marymount University

in the Department of Physical Therapy. In addition to teaching classes, she also runs the wellness program at Marymount. She organizes walks on campus, supervises the running club and hires the yoga and fitness instructors. Most importantly, she conducts numerous programs and studies in the Arlington County school district to encourage healthy lifestyles for kids.

“Skye’s research in childhood obesity is elegant in its simplicity,” says Dr. Julie Ries, a physical therapist and associate professor at Marymount. “She is working to demonstrate that if you make fit-ness activities fun, make recess physical, empower kids to make good choices about their nutrition and fitness, all of these things can have a positive impact. At some point, Michelle Obama is going to realize that she has an incredible resource right here, practically in her own backyard, who shares intense passion toward her cause.”

For Donovan, the numerous grants and honors she has received for her programs have helped to fund the equipment and the sci-entific research. She has been honored by the WNBA’s Washing-ton Mystic team, sits on the executive committee of the Arling-ton County Childhood Anti-obesity Campaign and has received grants from the Boeing Foundation and the Parks and Recreation Department of Arlington County.

“Skye is such a strong advocate for children’s health,” says Mi-chele Gregory, health promotion manager of the Parks and Rec-reation Department. “She also has such a warm, demonstrative personality that the kids just want to get out there on the play-ground with her and get moving.” Donovan and her team visit

Professor of Exercise and Sport Science Laura Borsdorf wants people to know that staying fit should be fun.

Continued on p.17

Borsdorf secured a $125,000 Center for Disease grant in conjunction with the PA Department of Education to develop and disseminate programs and cur-riculum geared at increasing physical activity and decrease obesity and other hypokinetic diseases within the PA K-12 schools. As President of the PA Asso-ciation of Health, Physical Education and Dance (PSAHPERD), she developed and implemented “Tools for Teachers Workshops” that helps teachers learn how to utilize technology and the newest resources available in their programs.

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“Part of nutrition education at Ursinus is to teach prevention of obesity in children which will lead to a healthier adult weight and lifestyle,” says Pam Chlad, Associate Professor in Exercise and Sport Science and the Head Athletic Trainer for Intercollegiate Sports. “Adults need an education on proper physiological ways to improve health through better nutrition and effective exercise programs,” says Chlad, a Registered Nurse, who teaches nutrition at Ursinus. “If adults are better informed, it will help in the prevention of child-hood obesity.”

“One of the major areas for obesity prevention is to become aware of times during development when we tend to create more fat cells,” she says. “The first year of life is critical in the prevention of fat cell development and throughout childhood and adolescence, it is also important. If children can maintain normal fat cell volume, there will be less development in the number of cells, which helps to prevent obesity. We can shrink fat cells which fill when we store fat, but we really can’t decrease the number of cells that develop in childhood from excessive caloric intake and inactivity.”

Students who take the Ursinus nutrition classes use several computer pro-grams to help evaluate a diet and create new nutritional programs that offer better food balance between carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

“They can design a nutritional plan to help children during their activities have the correct carbohydrate and protein content in the diet for better energy storage to help them when participating in activities,” says Chlad. “Students learn how to instruct children and athletes how much to eat and when to eat before and after activity. This can help prevent fatigue and restore energy so children can participate more effectively and gain muscle mass which helps to prevent obesity.”

The way to teach nutrition has changed over the years, she says. Classes dis-cuss the potential influence of parents, teachers and caregivers on the preven-tion of obesity by being good role models.

“Parents need to help children become involved in making better food choices and learning how to shop and prepare foods,” she says. “Making good food choices and learning how to improve their nutritional and exercise needs are necessary so that children will learn from them and share the responsibility for creating healthier lifestyles.”

Ursinus students are more aware of the health concerns which can occur from obesity, says Chlad. “I think there is more emphasis on evaluation of fad diets and how they have not impacted the obesity epidemic,” she says. “They realize how difficult it becomes to alter our weight and lose fat in adulthood so prevention is so needed during childhood. Students evaluate body composition instead of weight loss when evaluating the effectiveness of a diet program or exercise program.”

Teachers and parents need to evaluate how to make activity available and convenient for all children. “We need to have children who are at risk for the development of obesity participate in activities such as swimming, hiking, biking or other activities that they find enjoy-able,” says Chlad. “Children who are overweight can find it difficult to play organized sports. It is difficult for working parents to find time during the week to participate in recreational activities with their children. We need to find programs in our recreation centers and afterschool programs to help children have access to many different types of large muscle and aerobic activities.”

Pathway to PreventionTeaching the Teachers“We need to have children who are at risk for the development of obesity participate in activities such as swimming, hiking, biking or other activities that they find enjoyable. Ursinus students are learning how to instruct children and athletes how much to eat and when to eat before and after activity.” - Pam Chlad, Associate Professor, Exercise and Sport Science

Ursinus students are more aware of the health concerns which can occur from obesity.

fall 2012 Page 17

Raising healthy and active kids is more of a challenge than ever before. Par-ents are forced to combat a constant stream of junk food advertisements, not enough recess and physical education time, too much television and video games, and even the lack of sidewalks in neighborhoods.

Jean (Figuli) Anderson 1993 has faced these challenges and then some rais-ing her three boys; Jeffrey, 16, Matthew, 14 and Michael, 8. Anderson, an Exercise and Sport Science major at Ursinus who also was a student athlete trainer for the football and basketball teams, is also an avid runner. Her hus-band, Jeff Anderson, is a colonel in the United States Army and the family has been stationed in Germany, Alaska and currently Fort Riley, Kansas. Keeping her family healthy and active is a priority. So far, she has managed to win the battle against snacks and inactivity with her own kids.

“I think the hardest thing about raising healthy, active kids is teaching them good choices,” says Anderson. “We can’t be with our kids every second of the day. They can choose to eat dessert once in a while, but just one cupcake, in-stead of three. They can have a couple of chips with their sandwich, but they don’t need to eat the whole bag. When my boys do treat themselves when I’m not around, I hope I’ve taught them to choose the small drink, the small fries.”

Good decision-making is also about teaching them to choose to go outside instead of watching television and play video games. “During the school year, we don’t allow them to play video games during the week,” she says. “We let them play video games on the weekend, but they don’t overdo it. I think this is the message that gets lost on parents. If we deny our kids everything, then when they are out of our eyesight, they’ll go wild. But if we teach them how to make good choices instead – from exercising to choosing the right foods – our kids will make the right decisions in the end. It’s all about the healthy-living education.”

“If we teach them how to make good choices instead – from ex-ercising to choosing the right foods – our kids will make the right decisions in the end. It’s all about the healthy-living education.” - Jean (fiGULi) anderSon 1993

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Arlington County schools at recess time and engage students in vigorous activity similar to the ones she did in Houston. While the kids do the games, they wear accelerometers, which are like pedometers, but measure movement in three dimensions instead of one. The kids wear the devices at recess when Donovan’s team is there, and they wear them when they are on their own. In her most recent study, Donovan discovered that the accelerometer readings in-dicated that the level of children’s activity on average increased from seven percent when she was not there, to 40.5 percent when she was running the games.

“Around 10 years old is when recess stops be-ing cool,” she says. “So when I am not there, the kids sit around a lot, especially the girls.” Donovan is now in the midst of expanding her program by creating a resource website, called “Go Play,” that will include instructions for the games as well as how to train staff to run these games. Additionally, she is working on putting together kits to give to schools that will include basic equipment like jerseys, plastic markers, and balls.

“We want this to become a sustainable effort,“ says Donovan. “The more schools that are able to run these programs on their own, the hap-pier I will be, and the healthier the kids will be.”

“Getting parents to really think through

the long-term consequences of today’s

children’s sedentary lifestyles is one of the

keys to reducing childhood obesity

and restoring outdoor play.”

Gabrielle F. Principe, Associate Professor and

Chair of Department of Psychology

SNACK ATTACK GOOD CHOICES

vs.

How one Ursinus mom has educated her kids about healthy eating habits

Continued from p.15

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Pediatric obesity is an imbalance of calorie intake and caloric needs

Donovan is also starting to form relationships with physicians, psychologists and nutritionists in Arlington County to see how she can include them in her programs — from creating diet plans to educating family members along with the students.

“It’s not going to be just one entity that fixes the problem,” she says. “The overall solution has to come from every different side and every different angle. But in the meantime, I’ll continue to do my part.”

The disconnect between what scientists know and how we rear and educate children is what motivated Gabrielle F. Principe, Associate Professor and Chair Department of Psychology, to write her book Your Brain on Childhood: The Unexpected Side Effects of

Classrooms, Ballparks, Family Rooms, and the Minivan.

One of these disconnects, says Principe, is that we know that un-structured outdoor play is good for children’s brains and bodies, yet this once common feature of childhood has almost disap-peared from the lives of most children today.

“Today’s children spend an average of less than 30 minutes a week in free outdoor play. However, the typical elementary school age child spends more than 40 hours a week with high technology, like computers, smart phones, and videogames – a virtual full-time job,” she says.

It’s clear, she says, that children’s diets play a major role in child-

Instilling Healthy Routines

While obesity has been referred to as an epidemic, it might now be considered a pandemic given the extent of the problem across the developed world, and now it is emerging in less developed countries, says Wendy Slusser, MD, MS, FAAP, Associate Clinical Professor UCLA Schools of Medicine and Public Health. There are many contributing factors to this change in chil-dren’s health. “The causes of obesity include genes, inter-environment, sleep and eating patterns, calories, screen time and stress,” says Slusser, a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Slusser is currently the principal investigator on the Prevention of Childhood Overweight through Parent Training Intervention Project, focused on low-income preschool children and their parents, and other projects.

The risks for being an overweight child are profound. “The short-term risks are poor emotional health, poor school performance, musculoskeletal complaints and gastrointestinal complaints,” she says. “The long-term are hypertension, diabetes type 2, heart disease, musculoskeletal prob-

lems, poor emotional health, polycystic ovary disease and pos-sible infertility.”

One study* determined that if children reduced their caloric consumption by 350 kilocalories per day or compensated by increasing their physical activity – the equivalent to 110-150 minutes of walking per day – that children would return to the mean body weights of the 1970s, says Slusser, Medical Director for UCLA FIT for Healthy Weight Program Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA.

So what other strategies will help schools, doctors, and most importantly, families to help change this trend? “If you have to summarize the simplest approach it would be to instill healthy routines,” says Slusser. “This includes planning the day to allow enough time to eat breakfast in the morning, including quality PE in the school day, allowing for sufficient time to eat lunch in the school day, eating a dinner at home with your family and the television off and going to bed at an hour that ensures the child gets enough sleep (around 9-10 hours depending on the age of the child).”

*From: Swinburn B, Sacks G, Ravussin E. Increased food energy supply is more than sufficient to explain the US epidemic of obesity. Am J Clin Nutr. December 2009 90 (6) 1453-1456.

Jennifer Skye (Laidlaw) Donovan 1995 works to help children stay fit.

fall 2012 Page 19

hood obesity, but so does the mostly indoor and sedentary life-styles of many of today’s children. Principe says in the 1960s, less than five percent of American children were obese. Childhood obesity has more than quadrupled since then.

“This worrisome change puts children at a greater risk of develop-ing hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease than ever,” she says. “Obesity is the result of actions that, one at a time (playing video-games, eating a high caloric snack), are not particularly danger-

ous, but that repeated over months and years can have harmful consequences. However, we have a hard time seeing the negative effects of things that don’t immediately cause harm, even if we know the long-term risks. So we don’t fear that the couch and the TV set might cause obesity in our children because we don’t see it happening. Getting parents to really think through the long-term consequences of today’s children’s sedentary lifestyles is one of the keys to reducing childhood obesity and restoring outdoor play.”

Obesity is not just about the BMI (Body Mass Index) number, says Dr. Alexander Onopchenko 1979. “It is about how the extra weight ad-versely affects health and how losing the weight positively diminishes or prevents the co-morbid disease burden,” he says. “Other evidence of obesity as a disease is that it has all the etiological components of any other disease with a genetic predisposition, physiological derange-ments that occur due to the enlarging fat mass and environmental components that are interacting with the genetic predisposition.”

Thirty-seven and a half percent of the adult American population is obese. “Some good news may be that it seems that obesity rates may be leveling off,” he says. “The bad news is that the rates are exceedingly higher than previous historically observed. Each subsequent generation seems to be increasingly disproportionately affected by this epidemic.”

Onopchenko is a bariatric surgeon performing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and Lap-Band placement. His patients must meet the NIH criteria of the definition of morbid obesity (BMI=40 or BMI 35-39.9 with medical co-morbid-ities attributable to obesity). “The average patient of mine has been dieting for most of their lives, most with some degree of success, only to regain their weight over the longer term,” he says. Most of his patients are in the prime of their lives. “It makes it a very rewarding practice to be able to impact so positively and change the qual-ity and even quantity of my patients' lives,” he says.

According to Onopchenko, there are many contributing factors to this epidemic, some explain-able, some not. “Humans have developed as calorie conserving oraganisms. We consume calories and then guard a determined weight set point with extremely complex brain to gut and gut to brain hormonal pathways that have multiple feedback loops that are very difficult to permanently alter as anyone trying to lose weight on a diet will attest. Combine this with a progressively sedentary lifestyle, and that combination of physiological and environmental influences are all contributing factors.”

The root of the problem? “Our physical evolution is not occurring as fast as our progressively sedentary lifestyles aided by exploding technological advances,” says Onopchenko. “This is an oversimplification but what we eat, how much we eat and how little we physically do combined with genetic predisposition has produced the epidemic. Other less obvious but more profound etiological factors may yet be identified and clarified, such as the use of hormones and genetic manipulation of our food supply. The pervasiveness of high fructose corn syrup as an additive to food itself may play a significant role.”

Other factors have contributed to the rise in obesity. “Breast-feeding has been linked to lower rates of childhood obesity and though breast feeding rates are recently increasing, it can be dif-ficult for fully employed mothers and single parents. This begins a downward spiral in nutrition for children,” Onopchenko says. “A peek at the average ‘kid's menu’ of chicken fingers, macaroni and cheese, hamburgers and hot dogs all washed down with a soft drink deliver huge amounts of calories, mostly of carbohydrates and fats to our toddlers and children. Once in school, school menus have notoriously been as bad. Combine that with the amount of ‘screen time’, sitting and viewing a screen whether it is a TV, computer, hand held electronic game, compared to physical activity and it is little wonder that children are disproportionately affected by this disease.”

Dr. Alexander Onopchenko 1979 MD,FACS, FASMBS founded the Center for Surgical Weight Loss and Wellness at Atlanticare, an American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery desig-nated center of excellence. He has performed over 1,700 bariatric operations and is board certi-fied by the American Board of Bariatric Medicine as a medical bariatrician.

bMInot just a number

Page 20 ursinus magazine

Philosophicallyspeaking

Professor of Philosophy and Humanities Carlin Romano’spublished his new book, America the Philosophical, in May. Reviewed by more than 10 national newspapers and magazines, including The Wall Street Journal and The New Yorker, the book also was featured on the cover of The New York Times Book Review, which described it as “ambitious...convincing...an encyclopedic survey of the life of the mind in the United States.”

fall 2012 Page 21

In the spotlight for most of this spring and summer, Professor of Philosophy and Humanities Carlin Romano has been busy traveling across the country to talk about his book, America the Philosophical.We caught up with him and asked a few questions about his rejection of the myth of America the “unphilosophical,” and argument that America today towers as the most philosophical culture in the history of the world. Romano is Critic-at-Large of The Chronicle of Higher Education and served as literary critic of The Philadelphia Inquirer for 25 years. His criticism has appeared in The Nation, The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Village Voice, Harper’s, The American Scholar, The Times Literary Supplement and many other publications. A former president of the National Book Critics Circle, he was a finalist for the 2006 Pulitzer Prize in Criticism, cited for “bringing new vitality to the classic essay across a formidable array of topics.”

Your view of philosophy seems to be a “big tent” view – you count a lot of different kinds of thinking as philosophi-cal thinking. What’s not under the tent, in your view? This question came up a lot on my book tour. Some people wrongly thought that I believe everything more than a cough or harrumph amounts to philosophy. It’s pretty clear in the book that I don’t. Philosophy requires clarity, logic, proper relation of evidence to claims, an openness to counterevidence, sustained attention to the questions at hand, appreciation of how knowledge is authoritatively structured in the real world, and other intellectual virtues.

One mistake too many people make, however, is to think that there’s some scientifically precise amount of each intellectual vir-tue that constitutes philosophy. The word, the concept and the practice are too culturally open for that. Way back in the Nico-mathean Ethics, Aristotle voiced the view that we should not de-mand more precision of a concept than it appropriately bears. Wittgenstein in the twentieth century expressed a similar thought when he remarked that a blurred concept is still a concept.

That said, all sorts of weak reasoning don’t count for me as phi-losophy, from the incoherent ramblings of delusional people on the street to the non sequiturs of supposedly clear-minded sorts.

The other key mistake that many people make, including a fair number of intellectuals, is to believe that philosophy is only the thinking and writing produced by people officially stamped as professors of philosophy. I argue in America the Philosophical that there are many writers and thinkers who meet the standards of philosophy without being professors in the academic discipline, and many philosophy professors who don’t meet those standards – often because of the artificiality and insularity of their work.

Some have noted that philosophers in America (and Eng-land) more often have some sort of earlier science training or interest, and philosophers in Europe more often have some sort of earlier literature training or interest. What intellectual background, if any, is most suitable for thinking philosophically?

I’m not sure the early training divides up quite that way, but it’s fair to say that during the so-called “professionalization” of philosophy that took place in the English-speaking world in the last 80 years, “science” became more of a paradigm for English-language philosophers than for the French, Germans or Italians – though in a globalized age, it’s really safest in philosophy to judge thinkers one by one.

I’d give an extremely ecumenical answer to your question, with one surprise element. An excellent philosopher should try to understand everything: science, literature, mathematics, history, other languages and cultures, and more. Because truth in all areas requires a broad understanding of experience writ large. That’s also why I’d add the surprise element: journalism.

Reading newspapers and magazines – building up one’s database on top of background knowledge in science, history and other ar-eas – equips one to see through the artificiality and simplification that accounts for many a false philosophical theory or position.

What three philosophy books should Americans read?Three books are never enough to understand any complex sub-ject, so I’ll translate that question into, “Which three philosophy books might Americans read first?”

One still can’t go wrong by starting with Will Durant’s classic The Story of Philosophy. Durant wrote it for a general audience, in an entertaining and lustrous style, yet it accurately explained the ideas of many great philosophers to generations of Americans who bought it through the Book-of-the-Month Club.

Second, I’d recommend that they read either Max Lerner’s Amer-ica as a Civilization, or Henry Steele Commager’s The American Mind. Both are as much history as philosophy, and hardly up to the minute, but they offer rich accounts of how ideas have mat-tered to America and Americans.

To bring those visions of Lerner and Commager up to the present, with a more iconoclastic view of how philosophy and America hang together, a third book comes to mind, but modesty forbids.

CourageIn the Fight of His Life

By Kathryn Campbell

Personal

Page 22 ursinus magazine

fall 2012 Page 23

ieutenant Colonel Aaron Burgstein 1995 went to the doctor in February 2010 for what he thought was a ruptured disc in his neck. Driving back to work, within 20 minutes of leaving the MRI, his doctor called to tell him they had found a brain tumor. The hardworking father of two girls was busy with a wonderful family and a successful career in the United States Air Force running a 150-person squadron. The news, he says, was like a punch to the chest.

Just eight days after his diagnosis, he underwent a five-hour sur-gery for the jellyfish-like tumor. The surgeons at Medical Uni-versity of South Carolina successfully removed 40 percent of it. Burgstein endured six weeks of radiation which was followed by six months of chemotherapy.

“I would not wish brain surgery upon anyone,” says Burgstein, then-commander of the 1st Combat Camera Squadron in the USAF.

But he survived. And that, he says, had been his number-one goal. The neurosurgeon performed “miraculous work,” he says. “The scar is barely visible and more importantly I can walk, move, and hold my girls.” Mostly now it is only barbers who ask him about the line across his skull.

Though Burgstein may have faced his diagnosis fearlessly, it was an intense and emotional time for the family. Burgstein describes his wife, Cindy, as “phenomenal” and “amazing” in leading the family during this event in their lives. “She kept it together for the family.”

When she first learned that her husband would have to undergo brain surgery to remove the tumor, Cindy said her first thoughts were dire. “I wondered what I was going to do with my life and the girls when he was gone and then I thought about all of the time he would miss watching the girls grow up,” says Cindy. She coped, she says, by taking one day at a time. A very strong family always ready to help them also was critical to their survival, she says.

“It was amazing to see such a huge community outreach,” says Cindy. Friends whom they had met all over the world during a combination of deployments and assignments in the U.S., Japan, Korea and Germany, reached out to them. It spurred in the heal-ing process. “We were only in Charleston for a few months and

I had neighbors and folks from the military community watching the girls, caring for our dog, bringing us food and offering to help in any way they could. Aaron received texts, calls and letters from friends all over the world – even those that were deployed to the desert. It was a truly moving experience.”

Their daughters, Naomi, now 8, and Talia, 6, did not fully grasp the magnitude of the situation. “I told them that Dad had a boo- boo in his head and the doctors needed to fix it,” says Cindy. “I let them know that he would need our help for a little while so the boo-boo could heal. They were able to understand enough to help out and stay strong. The toughest part for them was the fact that the drugs altered Aaron's moods and it was difficult for us all to be patient with each other. He took a drug that the doctors

Aaron describes his wife, Cindy, as “phenomenal” and “amazing” in leading the family during this event in their lives. “She kept it together for the family.”

referred to as ‘grumpy pills’. With two small children and a dog in the house, grumpy is not easy to take. I just wanted my husband back.”

As a way to cope and to heal, Burgstein returned to running as soon as his doctors gave the okay. The 41-year-old always loved running, something he considers a social sport. He started out slowly, gradually increasing to longer runs. While learning to live with headaches more intense than migraines, pain when chewing and emotional exhaustion, the running helped him to focus on attainable goals.

“I’m probably a bit obsessive about it,” he says. It was a hobby he shared with close friends and Cindy. “She has run with me through thick and thin, good times and bad and through my cur-rent fight,” says Burgstein, who earned a degree in communica-tions at Ursinus. After the surgery, he lost almost 50 pounds. It wasn’t the chemo that made him drop the weight, he says. Though six months of food aversions and slight nausea contributed, he believes the weight loss was the result of the running and an im-proved diet. “There’s a freedom to running – it can be just you and the road,” says Burgstein, who tries to run 30 miles a week. “It’s just you and your thoughts. I get some solitude, some quiet and some time to think, which helps with my recovery.”

Page 24 ursinus magazine

During his recovery, his work and his Air Force squadron col-leagues encouraged him. “My bosses showed amazing confidence in and support for me throughout this time,” says Burgstein. “I can’t thank my squadron enough … they never missed a step.” This May, he and his family and friends participated in an orga-nized run called The Race for Hope DC, a 5K course in the na-tion's capital, to raise awareness for the fight against brain tumors by raising funds for research. It is one of the largest fundraisers in

the country benefiting the brain tumor community, and the pro-ceeds support National Brain Tumor Society and Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure. Typically reserved, Aaron wants to share his story with as many people as possible. His goal is for others who may have to face adversity to know there are survivors who can listen. “This was a life-changing event and something to overcome,” he says. “It’s part of who I am now.”

“There’s a freedom to running – it can be just you and the road,” says Burgstein, who tries to run 30 miles a week. “It’s just you and your thoughts. I get some solitude, some quiet and some time to think, which helps with my recovery.”

Cindy and Aaron Burgstein took their daughters on a cruise when Aaron was well enough to travel.

Lieutenant Colonel Aaron Burgstein 1995 (in yellow T-shirt) surrounded by family and friends at The Race for Hope in Washington, D.C.

If you want to:• Support student and faculty research,• Sustain the quality of a liberal arts education,• Increase the value of your Ursinus degree,• Work with a knowledgeable philanthropic partner,• Enjoy the full benefits that the IRS has to offer, and• Feel good about transforming current students’ lives...

Then give us a call at Ursinus College Office of Advancement

610.409.3585 or

Toll-free 877.give-2-UC

Put Your Money Where Your Is!

fall 2012 Page 25

Alumni Weekend 2012 brought over 500 alumni and friends to Ursinus College this June. The Classes of 1952, 1957, 1962, 1987, 2002 and 2007 celebrated special milestone reunions, however, alumni of all years were able to enjoy the weekend’s festivities.

Those who made the trip enjoyed long-held traditions. The an-nual Lobster Bake Dinner took place Friday. Despite the move indoors to Wismer Center, the rain did not dampen the bright spirits of the more than 200 guests who enjoyed live music, good food, and even better company. New additions to the Ur-sinus Alumni Weekend included an Estate Planning seminar, an All Campus Special Reunions Cookout on Saturday, Sum-mer Fellows presentations, as well as a Champagne Brunch with Bobby and Suzanne Fong. New to the lineup, the Young Alumni Council sponsored the first Young Alumni Happy Hour on Friday evening at Appalachian Brewing Company. Despite a tornado warning, more than 100 young alumni, friends and Ursinus College staff gathered to reconnect.

The Class of 1962 celebrated their 50th Reunion this year. Members of the class led two panel presentations: Pathways to Art and Rewards of Volunteerism. The Class of 1962 Reunion Committee enjoyed great success, surpassing their original fundraising goal of $1.3 million, raising a total $1,431,179.45, with a record class participation of 65 percent. This outstand-ing success was the result of a combination of great co-chairs, Peter Wise 1961 and Sue (McGoldrick) Habgood 1961 and the exceptional efforts of an outstanding 50th reunion committee.

- Abbie Cichowski 2010 Associate Director of Alumni Relations

alumniWeekend

2012

Page 26 ursinus magazine

Don’t miss the fun next year!

SAVE THE DATE: Alumni Weekend 2013 will take place on campus May 30 - June 2

fall 2012 Page 27

Page 38 ursinus magazine

2012Family Day September 29 Ursinus College Campus

Health Care Panel October 9, 7 p.m.Our Options Have Changed: Consumer Health Literacy in a Changing EnvironmentLenfest Theater Ursinus College Campus

HomecomingOctober 26 – 27Ursinus College CampusCan’t Miss Events: • NEW: Friday’s Grizzly Gala - Cocktail Party featuring the Slippery Band • Bears’ Brews & Bites sponsored by the Bruins Club • Organization Reunions Return • Ursinus Bears vs. Johns Hopkins Football Game• Admission 101 • Career Services Engage and Connect!• Family Art & Sports Pavilion• Bears’ Trap After-Party sponsored by the Young Alumni Council

Visit www.ursinus.edu/homecoming for more details and registration. Washington, D.C., National Council Focus Group Event November 14, 7 p.m.-9 p.m. B. Smith’s Restaurant in Union StationWashington, D.C. www.ursinus.edu/NationalCouncil

Messiah by George Frideric Handel December 1, 7:30 p.m.75th Anniversary PerformanceCollege Choir and MeistersingersNEW: Matinee December 2, 2:30 p.m.Bomberger Auditorium, Ursinus College Campuswww.ursinus.edu/Messiah

2013Baccalaureate CeremonyMay 9Ursinus College Campus CommencementMay 10 Ursinus College Campus Alumni WeekendMay 30 – June 2Ursinus College CampusIncludes reunion celebrations for the Classes of 1953, 1958, 1963, 1973, 1983, 1988, 1993, 2003 and 2008www.ursinus.edu/AlumniWeekend

Visit www.ursinus.edu/alumni for additional information about current alumni events and programming.

Coming Events: 2012-2013

fall 2012 Page 39

Some Mysteries Solved Thanks for Letting Us Know

Ann Helfferich Mackenzie 1977 wrote: “It was a pleasant surprise to get the mail today and see my mother on the back cover of the Ursinus Magazine. Our mother, Marjorie Justice Helfferich, Class of 1951, is seated on the left of the page between the two gentlemen. She is the beloved mother of Bill, Ann and Wendy Helfferich all who are graduates of Ursinus and the wife of William Ursinus Helfferich II, class of 1951. Both of our parents are deceased so it was truly a gift today to see her beautiful face, and loving spirit, whose spirit was always full of grace, on the back of the Ursinus Magazine. In fact I have a huge smile on my face thinking of memories of both my mother and father. I am grateful to the editors for choosing that particular picture to put on the back cover. It truly is a treasured start to the weekend.” Bill Helfferich 1975 also noticed his mother in the photo: “I can identify one diner on the back cover of your spring 2012 issue. The very attractive blonde in the left side of the photo and in front of the window is my mother, Marjorie Justice Helfferich 1951. I’m pretty sure the building is Freeland Hall, which served as the dining hall before Wismer. Thanks for the memories.”

Carl Bomberger wrote: “My father, Daniel Bomberger, Class of 1951, thinks he recognized a few of the people in the ‘Please Pass the Gulden's’ photo. He wasn't sure who all of the people were, but he identified (from left to right on the opposite side of the table, facing the camera) Marjorie Justice, Tom Davis and Don Akin.”

And this nice note from Charlie Law 1957: “Thanks for another informative and timely issue of Ursinus Magazine. I'm writing in answer to your photo recognition request. The blond young lady seated (right bottom), at the dining table in the photo found on the back page of the spring 2012 issue of Ursinus Magazine, possibly could be Edwinna ‘Mims’ Lawley. She was a member of the Class of 1957, but withdrew to finish her education at another college. I give this a fifty-fifty chance of being right.”

Ursinus Magazine readers responded to our request to help identify the happy alumni in this “Please Pass the Gulden’s” photo.

Page 40 ursinus magazine

Patrick Hurley, Assistant Professor of Environment Studies, spent part of his summer focused on his urban foraging research. Ur-ban foraging has become a growing trend in which people search for and collect food and other plant-based natural resources that grow in and around cities. So just what grows there, you might ask? In New York City, where Hurley did his field work this July, an edible plant called lamb’s quarters can be plucked from side-walk cracks. “We also collected species samples of dandelion, mugwort, spicebush, and wine berry in four different parks in Queens,” says Hurley, who collaborates with two scientists from the U.S. Forest Service, Dr. Marla Emery, a research geographer, and Dr. Richard Hallet, a research ecologist.

Among the savory treasures waiting to be harvested across the United States are fiddlehead ferns, figs, kumquats, and plums from public trees. People also hunt for and cook with black wal-nuts, wild mushrooms, and dandelion greens. Gathering fruit, vegetables, and vines for baskets from parks is getting more popu-lar, but it’s not new. It’s a practice that relies on strong plant iden-tification skills, given that some plants that are edible have poi-sonous look-alikes. Still, more people living in cities are learning about the nature and bounty surrounding them through foraging.

“Foraging represents an often overlooked interaction with nature by city residents,” says Hurley, who says there are many different ethnic groups among those who collect food that grows in city parks and other wild places. He has traveled with Ursinus students to New York City and Philadelphia to study the available species.

Outside his campus office, Hurley even harvested gingko nuts. “I harvested gingko nuts from the female trees that are along the walkway from Pfahler to Main Street. Most people are familiar with this spot, given its rather awful smell in the fall when the fruits fall to the ground.”

What might not be familiar, he says, is that gingko nuts are a

traditional ingredient in Korean and Chinese cooking. “The ‘nuts’ also are purported to have benefits for memory (i.e., gingko biloba supplements). The nut must be extracted from the fruit, dried in an oven, and then roasted before it can be eaten,” he says.

Two other important points, says Hurley, are the need to wear rubber gloves during the process, since the flesh has a compound that irritates the skin. “And the smell never quite goes away dur-ing this entire process,” he says.

Urban foraging comes with risks. For one thing, in some areas it is against the law. Chemicals are another danger, says Hurley, whose work is focused on human-environment interactions. “In addition to familiarizing ourselves with areas in the Borough of Queens, my collaborators and I undertook pilot research to ex-amine the levels of heavy metals found in plant species that are known to be harvested by foragers in the city,” he says. “Foraging carries with it certain risks, among them issues regarding correct species identification and potential exposure to toxins. While some foragers in our interviews have indicated that they harvest in the city’s cemeteries because these areas are not sprayed with herbicides, others say they don’t precisely because they say that cemeteries are sprayed with these chemicals. Our field tour of selected cemeteries in Queens revealed that both situations are possible. We observed great differences in the vegetation type and condition in the cemeteries we visited.”

So why is the harvesting practice growing in popularity? “Urban environmental scholars and activists are emphasizing the impor-tance of ‘bringing nature back’ into our cities,” says Hurley. “This ranges from efforts to create new parks and innovative green spaces that facilitate engagement by the public with the outdoors.” But just how prevalent and important foraging is to this process remains unclear. Hurley and his collaborators hope to help fill this gap.

Kathryn Campbell

FIEld NotEs

AGrowingTrend

fall 2012 Page 41

Assistant Professor Patrick Hurley examines a rose shrub for its rosehips, the berries from which one can make jam. Behind him is the new Freedom Tower under construction in Manhattan. Hurley’s research on urban foraging

in New York City and Philadelphia examines food sources in cities and the people who collect them.

PO Box 1000Collegeville, PA 19426-1000ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

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URSINUSmagazINe

Save the Date! Homecoming Weekend – October 26 & 27, 2012

• NEW! Grizzly Gala – Friday evening, 8 p.m. to Midnight Cocktail Party featuring the Slippery Band - All UC alumni, students, faculty and staff welcome!

• Bears’ Brews & Bites sponsored by the Bruins Club• Bears vs. Blue Jays Football Game• Visit www.ursinus.edu/homecoming for more info

Don’t Miss...Don’t Miss...