Alumni/ae
Alumni/ae Chapter Notes
Classics and World and Comparative Literature Publication
This issue of the College Newsletter is once again filled with news from Notizie! the Classics and World and Comparative Literature Publication. The responses from department alumni/ae include news of many exciting changes and events in their careers and lives after graduation. Congratulations to all the alumni/ae in new posts and places this year. This fall many alumni/ae can be found in graduate schools around the country. Effie Amitay will enter the Ph.D. program in Classics at Stanford University; Gabriella Bruni begins the Ph.D. program in classical archaeology at UC Berkeley. Victoria Banales has officially advanced to candidacy by passing her qualifying examinations in her program at UC Santa Cruz. Paul Brown has completed his course work for his Ph.D. at Ohio State University and is taking his candidacy exams this fall. Marlene Broemer is recipient of a Fulbright scholarship to Finland for 2000-2001. She will study at the University of Helsinki, working on a study of Anna Akhmatova, comparing her early work to the pre-war poetry of Finland's modernist poet, Edith Sodergren. Special congratulations to Judy Gaughan, who has completed her Ph.D. at UC Berkeley in Ancient History and Mediterranean Archaeology and will be teaching at Syracuse University in a one-year assistant professorship. Greg Jones is now in the Ph.D. program in Classics at Johns Hopkins University; Marilyn Likosky will enter the Ph.D. program in Classics at the University of Washington; and Chris Loots will begin the Ph.D. in Engish at CUNY Graduate Center this fall. Archaeological endeavors, travel, teaching, and writing are keeping these alumni/ae busy: Gentle Wagner, Kathryn Keypas, Dardn Thomsen, Mary Kane-Malone. Fran Spaltro is in England doing research at Oxford University and the British Museum. To submit items for Notizie! editor Pamela Vaughn encourages you to print or type your news: include you name, address, e-mail, date of graduation and major; and send news to the department address below or e-mail to pamelav@sfsu.edu. The departments welcome information from Classics and Comparative Literature alumni/ae. Send yours news, suggestions, and comments to: the Department of Classics and Comparative Literature, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132.
Foreign Languages and Literatures
We are now actively seeking alumni interested in organizing events and in working with us on creating and maintaing a web page for the Chapter, to be linked to the Alumni Association and Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures web pages. We hope to have a forum where alumni can contribute news and communicate with each other and current students and faculty. Please join us! For more information, you may contact Professor Charles Egan at (415) 338-7797.
M.A. TESOL Program
The M.A. TESOL program is currently conducting a survey of its alumni.
Journalism Department
Please check back soon for newsletter information.
Jewish Studies Alumni Circle
The Jewish Studies Program has formed an alumni circle for current students and graduates who have taken courses or a minor in the Jewish Studies program. Interested students and former students can join by becoming an SFSU alumni member and specifying the Jewish Studies Program as their choice of affiliation. Apply through the SFSU Alumni Association.
Museum Studies Newsletter
Museum Studies, an interdisciplinary professional program designed to prepare students for careers in museums and related cultural organizations, has a great newsletter, Minerva for alumnae/I and students of the Program. Last year's issue of Minerva contains a special feature, "Where Museum Studies alumni and students are currently working,"that describes alumni/ae working in many museums locally, nationally, and internationally -- from the Lucasfilm Archives in Marin County to the Interpretation Office of the Museum of London. The newsletter also provides information on new SFSU courses on museum studies and fundraising which are open to enrollment by non-matriculated students through the College of Extended Learning. Each issue also has an interesting articles such as an article last year on Annette Fortin (M.A. 1998), who describes her work repairing and conserving mammoth and mastodon skulls and a few dinosaur bones for the California Academy of Sciences.
Speech and Communication Studies
If you are a student or former student of the department, consider joining the chapter for Speech and Communication Studies alumni/ae. For more information contact the department office at (415) 338-1597.
Technical and Professional Writing Alumni Affinity Group
The Technical and Professional Writing Program formed an alumni affiliation group in 1997 for minors, certificate students, and majors of the program. For more information on the program, alumni notes and news, visit the TPW Alumni Website. Interested students and former students can join the Technical and Professional Writing affinity alumni group by becoming an SFSU alumni member and specifying the TPW Affinity Alumni Group as their choice of affiliation. Apply online through the SFSU Alumni Association website.
Submit your own Notes and News
We invite you to join the chapter and submit your own notes and news. Submit news items to: College of Humanities Alumni/ae Chapter San Francisco State University 1600 Holloway Avenue San Francisco, CA 94132 Let us know what you are doing and give us some responses to the questions below. We want to hear from you. Question 1: How have you used your studies in your employment? What knowledge and skills are critical for students to acquire for the workplace of the future? Question 2: How has your education affected or benefited your personal quality of life and your community activities? Question 3: What do you value most about your studies in the humanities?
Biographical Notes and News
Throughout the year our website will feature biographical notes and news from College of Humanities alumni/ae.At the end of this selection are instructions for college alumni who wish to submit news and notes of their activities. The following individual notes come from our alumni/ae: Brooker, Barbara Rose ('80, English; '91, Creative Writing): My studies in English literature and creative writing integrate my life and work. I am writing, publishing, and teaching. Without my education I could not pursue the work I have. My education gave me self-esteem and heightened my curiosity for the evolution of life, art, philosophy, and art history. Dyquisto, Erika ('95, English literature): I would not have the job I have without having the education I do. I have used my skills from my English literature degree in proofreading and copyediting academic, technical papers. My studies have also broadened my view of people's experiences and enhanced my management abilities. Studies in the humanities give one an ability and common framework to converse with people of all ages, cultures, and socio-economic backgrounds on a range of issues. Jeanmonod, Pierrette (English and French): Having a B.A. in French and an M.A. in English has broadened my knowledge of both languages and allows me to be an international interpreter for USA Gymnastics and FIG (International Gymnastics Federation) based in Switzerland. The official language of the Olympics and gymnastics is French. The fact that I am bilingual also helps a great deal for teaching reading. Many students taking college reading classes also come from bilingual backgrounds and encounter the same difficulties with English that I used to have. Koenig, Carolyn ('95, Journalism): I am a travel, food and wine writer and a member of the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association and Bay Area Travel Writers, Inc. My work has appeared in San Francisco Focus, Country Inns, Voyageur, Mountain Living, Senior Travel Tips, and other national and regional publications. I am Editor of Romantic Traveling, a quarterly print newsletter. Last year I served as Managing Editor of California Outdoor Recreation, the state's first visitor guide devoted solely to outdoor recreation. Manders, Shirley W. ('83, Creative Writing; '88, Drama): I teach senior citizens to write and record their autobiographies. I also tutor ESL students in English, as well as have private classes in acting. During summer, I teach creative writing to teenagers and also tutor students individually. Morris, Bruce D. ('69 and '72, English): My studies in linguistics at S.F. State made me aware of the binary structures underlying all languages and all symbolic codes. I was able to apply this awareness to the study of communication protocols in industry. I value my studies in the humanities for having acquired a sense of the historical continuity of human existence. Being flexible and seeing all knowledge as one knowledge are the two most important skills needed for the future workplace. Orque, Matias ('80, English/Creative Writing and '77, Health Science): My baccalaureate degrees provided the credentials required for licensure as a registered nurse. I worked at San Francisco General Hospital as an R.N., until my recent retirement. My knowledge in the humanities enabled me to be more understanding, compassionate, and tolerant of the opinions, feelings, and cultural sensitivities of others. These are essential qualities for caregivers in nursing. The science and art of nursing must be complemented by lessons in the humanities to be relevant to the needs of the general public and the community as a whole. My education has bridged my learning experience in the health care field, gained in 20 years as a U.S. Navy Corpsman and as a combat medic with the U.S. Marine Corp . . . as a registered nurse. As a "Veteran's Upward Bound" program student, I received excellent guidance and support from my counselors, professors, and the staff of the university. Effective English communication skills, knowledge in human relations, and computer technology are needed for the workplace of the future. Scholten, Pauline ('75 Journalism): As a technical writer, I use the interviewing and research skills I learned in Investigative Journalism, and the writing and editing skills I acquired in my years as an English and Journalism major. My education was critical in obtaining my first job, and provided me with skills that I use on a daily basis in my work. The most important skill for a graduate seeking work in my field would be the ability to write in a clear, well-organized manner. My exposure to great writers and the practical experience I received in writing, especially journalism in my studies in the humanities, have made it possible for me to earn a living as a professional writer for the past twenty years. Soghoian, Florence M. ('66, English): My education in the English/Humanities Departments at S.F. State enormously enriched my life both personally and professionally. My introduction to the Human Potential Movement (Maslow, Rogers, Rollo May, and others) in Hayakawa's Communications courses plus other courses during the '60s impacted greatly in the way that I related in my personal life and professional life. I used these concepts along with Dr. Caroline Shrodes' "Bibliotheraphy" very effectively in my 7th and 8th grade English classes. I made an excellent movie and wrote original plays using these concepts. After a long and successful career as a teacher of English, drama, and the social sciences, I have published a book, Portrait of a Survivor, just released by The Christopher Publishing House (24 Rockland Street, Hanover, MA 02339). The book approaches "Survivor" in the deepest sense, the Existential definition of not just physically living through the ordeal [of the Armenian Genocide, 1915-1924], but, more importantly, with the spirit still intact. The book asks the question: "What was it about Shnorhig (my mother), and Vartouhi (my grandmother), that enabled them to endure the atrocities of that terrible genocide 80 years ago, the only two of a family of 18 to survive?" It is a very important story that I want the world to know about. West, Gabriella ('95, Creative Writing): I have been published in two short-story anthologies from Alyson Press, Early Embraces(1996) and Hot Ticket(1997). My writing group, which started in 1989 with several other people from the Writing Program is still going strong. I'm also particularly thrilled that my fiction was first published in Transfer(#56, 1990). It was an excerpt from a novel-in-progress that later became my thesis. I was very lucky to work one-on-one with Molly Giles. Willis, Cheryl ('78, English/ Creative Writing): I use my English, grammar, and composition skills on a daily basis in my work. My education enhanced my appreciation of arts, culture, and literature. It also influenced my personal quality of life. I am a reading junkie. I love the theater and appreciate music, and art. I also use skills gained in the humanities in my community volunteer activities.
News for Alumni/ae
Upcoming Events & Exhibits
The House That Jack BuiltPoet Peter Gizzi, editor of The House that Jack Built: the Collected Lectures of Jack Spicer, will talk on Jack Spicer and his poetry in a context of California assemblage art, including tapes of Spicer reading and a screening of Bruce Conner’s short film Report, based on the JFK assassination. Thursday, September 30, 3:30 p.m., the Poetry Center, HUM 511.
The H.D. BookPoet Ron Silliman, editor of In the American Tree, will discuss Robert Duncan’s extensive critical homage The H.D. Book. Thursday, October 7, 3:30 p.m., the Poetry Center, HUM 511.
Jessica Hagedorn Jessica Hagedorn, poet, screenwriter, multimedia artist and acclaimed author of Dogeaters and Dream Jungle, will appear, Monday, October 11, 12 noon in HUM 133. Co-sponsored the Poetry Center, SFSU Bookstore and SFSU Asian American Studies.
Check back soon for more events!
San Francisco State Alumni Association News and Membership
You can join any of the College of Humanities alumni chapters listed below by contacting the University Alumni Association Office by telephone: (4l5) 338-22l7 or by email: alumni@sfsu.edu. Applications and much more news about alumni are available online. Click here for the SFSU Alumni Website. College of Humanities Alumni Chapter Foreign Languages and Literatures Alumni Chapter Jewish Studies Alumni Circle Speech and Communication Studies Alumni Chapter Technical and Professional Writing Alumni Affinity Group
Scholarships and Awards
Carolyn Irene Howard Memorial Scholarship
Re-entry students planning to major in Liberal Studies, Areas I or IV, or in any academic major of the College of Humanities are encouraged to complete their studies through a generous scholarship fund established to honor the memory of Carolyn Irene Howard, an alumna of San Francisco State University.
She was educated in the San Francisco public schools in the 1940s through Lowell High School. She attended the College of the Pacific and then went to New York City to work for Time Magazine for a few years. After returning to San Francisco, she worked in advertising until it became necessary for her to make a career change. At that time, she decided to enroll at San Francisco State University and took classes in the Humanities, Language and Literature Division.
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