Convergence Spring 2012 WEB

8/2/2019 Convergence Spring 2012 WEB

1/121 ConvergenceConvergenceSpring 2012

ConvergenceConvergenceA publication for students and alumni of DePaul Universitys MALS and IDS Programs

Susan Jacs, Assciate Directr

When we explain MALS and IDS toprospective students, we describe our programsas sel-constructed interdisciplinary graduateprograms. Oten, the response is So, thisis the program where you can do whateveryou want? Our answer is as varied as theinventive programs our students propose and

pursue. MALS and IDS are not randomlyassembled surveys o many subjects; ourprograms encourage and demand rigorousexplorations o related disciplines. Sometimes,the connectivity between subjects is obvious;other times, our students make surprising andlie-changing discoveries.

What makes these paths interdisciplinary?MALS and IDS have dierent levels o structurebuilt in to their possibilities. Te titles o ourMALS core courses seem general at rst glance,but each course explores distinct emphasesthat stretch across multiple disciplines. For

instance, MLS 401, Perceptions o the Sel,

might survey how dierent literary genresdene the concept o Sel. Tose explorationsmight also include a look at cultural

dierences, scientic parameters, and socio-

economic actors. MLS 409, Environmenand Society, might look at urban armingin tandem with industrial land use, public

policy and how dierent education systems

Its all connected: Interdisciplinary

Studies

MALS/IDS Directr David Gitmer and Assciate Directr Susan Jacs travelled t Giden Putnam

State Par in Saratga Springs, NY r te annual AGLSP meeting. Participants sared est practices,

and learned aut te gelgy, scilgy, and ecnmy cultures tat cnsciusly (r nt) rely n

and care r te water supplies tat allw us t trive.

Adult StudentAairsBernadine Tomas,Assistant Director oAdult Student AairsPage 4

Study AradDr. Sharon Nagy,Director o DePaulsStudy Abroad ProgramPage 5

First PersnDiscveriesFrank Chaten, MALSStudentPage 8

Spring 2012

DePaul Universitys MALS/

IDS Prgram is a memer

te Assciatin Graduate

Lieral Studies Prgrams

(AGLSP), an internatinal

rganizatin ver 120

institutinal memers

tat sare a cmmn

interest in graduate-level

lieral educatin primarily

serving adult students. Te

Assciatin Graduate

Lieral Studies Prgrams is

a rum r te excange

inrmatin and ideas amng

Graduate Lieral Studies

Prgrams, teir students,

teir alumni, and ter

prgrams related curricula

and gals. DePauls MALS/

IDS Directr David Gitmer

currently serves as te AGLSP

President. Fr inrmatin

regarding AGLSP activities

and pulicatins, g t

http://www.aglsp.org.

Get Involved in the AGLSP

PhoToCoUTESYoFAGLSP

Continued on page 3
http://www.aglsp.org/http://www.aglsp.org/



ConvergenceConvergenceA publication for students and alumniof DePaul Universitys MALS and IDS

programs

Editor: Susan JacobsDesign: Lauren DormanWriter/Editor: Angelina Mendez

DirectorsLetterYou Are Now Here!

Tose who read Convergenceaithully may recall a photo ome standing beore the templeo Angkor Wat in Cambodia aew years back. Our Associate

Director, Susan Jacobs, hasselected this photo o me in Luang Prabang,Laos, in March, 2012, or this issue. My returnto Southeast Asia was exciting on a personallevel, but it also contributed to my growth asa scholar, since the bulk o my teaching is inthe religions and cultures o the larger region.Luang Prabang was designated a UNESCOWorld Heritage site because o its intenseBuddhist monastic culture and its irresistiblecombination o traditional Lao and Frenchcolonial architecture. Te town lies on a highpeninsula only about ve streets wide and a

couple o miles long, astride the Mekong andits tributary Nam Khong. One o my mostenjoyable memories rom the trip is crossingthe Nam Khong on a bamboo oot bridge toeat in an open air restaurant nestled in the hillson the river bank opposite the town. SippingBeerlao with Lao barbecue and sticky rice isheaven!

But Luang Prabang is not an exoticparadise. Tere are no more secret Shangri-Las in our globalized world. When theUNESCO designation came, so did the

tourists. As they have done or thousands oyears, legions o saron-robed monks streamrom the monasteries at dawn to receive theirday's ood in their begging baskets rom theBuddhist laypeople. But pull back just a eweet rom the line o monks and you'll seehundreds o bare-skinned tourists with theircameras, despite polite requests everywhere inthe town to dress modestly and stay across thestreet i you are not a Buddhist participatingin the alms-giving. (I had my telephoto lens!)A ew years ago, the monks became so edup that they announced they were going to

switch to another system o alms-giving, bywhich laypeople would bring their gits to the

monasteries, as they do on other occasionsTe government, earing the loss o tourismthreatened to replace the monks with shaven-headed "re-enactors" in robes carrying beggingbowls. Te monastic authorities decided thaputting up with being a tourist attraction

was better than having their sacred traditionaked. My goal was to nd out how the monkaccommodated this new reality to their wayo liebut I don't have enough space to gointo that here!

Te hilly region surrounding Luang Prabanglooks verdant, and you see sh being hauledrom the Mekong. But deorestation, illegalogging, depletion o sh, and controversiadams are hot topics o conversation away romthe somewhat articial serenity o this tourishaven. We Americans have actually long beeninvolved in the political lie o the region

During the Vietnam War and the larger Indo-China conict, we recruited the ethnic Hmongpeople to ght or the US and they sueredretaliation rom other groups. Large numbero Hmong settled in the US, chiey in the

Midwest and Caliornia, while thousands stillive in reugee campus in Tailand.

How to make sense o the real Laos, at oncear-o and globally immediate? In this issueoConvergence, Susan Jacobs, our AssociateDirector, talks about interdisciplinary studiesas interconnected studies. As a schola

and a tourist and (hopeully) a responsibleglobal citizen, it's incredibly obvious that theinterconnectedness o learning is not simply anidea. Tis is the vision o learning we promotein MALS and IDS, in every individualizedprogram that our students pursue. We inviteyou to become part o that interconnectedcommunity o learners.

Warm Regards,

David Gitomer, Ph.D.

Director, MALS/IDS

MALS / IDSContactInormationMail:

2327 N. Racine Ave.

ofce 202

Cicag, IL 60614

Phone:

(773) 325-7840

Fax:

(773) 325-8306

Websites:

las.depaul.edu/mals

las.depaul.edu/ids

Blog:

densejyusmdern.

cm

Staf ContactInormation

Director:

David Gitmer, P.D.

(773) 325-7840

[email protected]

Associate Director:

Susan Jacs

(773) 325-8689

[email protected]

Program Assistant:

Angelina Mendez

[email protected]

Student Assistant:

Lauren Drman

[email protected]

PhoTobYDAVIDGIToMER

Sarn-red mns streaming rm teir

mnasteries at dawn t receive teir day's d.
http://las.depaul.edu/malshttp://las.depaul.edu/idshttp://densejoyousmodern.com/http://densejoyousmodern.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://densejoyousmodern.com/http://densejoyousmodern.com/http://las.depaul.edu/idshttp://las.depaul.edu/mals



Tis Nvemer, MALS/IDS sted

a screening te 2011 dcumentary

Greenfre, wic explres te lie

and wr te 20t century

cnservatinist Ald Lepld.

Fllwing te screening, participants

were led in discussin y DePaul Pr.

Randy hnld, MALS/IDS Prgram

Assistant Je Andruaitis, MALSstudent Je Tangel and MALS/IDS

Assciate Directr Susan Jacs. our

interdisciplinary guests included ls

rm te Midwest Wetlands Prject,

sta rm te Peggy Nteaart

Nature Museum, and envirnmental

science students rm Lyla

University. Readings rm Leplds

landmar textA Sand County

Almanac inspired ur cnversatin

t explre w te rle etics,

literature, pilspy, plitics

and science cmprise te eart

Leplds cncept te land etic

and respnsile envirnmental

stewardsip.

Tis summer, Susan Jacs

attended te Land Etics Leadersip

Training Sessin at te Ald Lepld

Center in bara, Wiscnsin.

incorporate environmentalism within artand science programs. Once MALS studentscomplete their core courses, they may choosetheir electives rom many areas throughoutthe university.

IDS students create their own graduateprograms; within our guidelines, they may takeas many as six courses rom most departmentsor programs, with the exception o KellstadtBusiness School, which allows our students totake up to ve course selections. So we havestudents combining courses rom at least twoor three areas. Students might combine coursesrom Te School o Communication with NewMedia Studies, Public Administration andPolitical Science. Or Business Management,Writing in the Proessions and PRAD. Wevehad wonderul programs created to combine

Philosophy with the History o Teatre Arts,and History o Art and Architecture withModern Languages, Fine Arts and UrbanStudies.

Tese examples are not to imply that ourstudents careen about the university withoutstructure. Program proposals must ollow ourguidelines and students must have satisedthe prerequisites o the individual programsrom which they draw their courses. Studentsmust take courses at the graduate level, with

a ew exceptions drawn rom high-level300 courses, and dierent programs havespecic registration policies. Tats where ouracademic advisers and Program Assistants helpstudents navigate through sometimes complex

university systems.As you read this issue oConvergence, youllsee that incredibly imaginative work is well-supported throughout the DePaul community.As our students reach out to aculty across thecurriculum to build their culminating projects,more and more aculty eagerly opt to work

with our students in their interdisciplinaryexplorations. And more and more employersrecognize the value o MALS and IDSgraduates with nely honed critical thinkingskills who gladly accept rigorous challenges inmultiple disciplines.

One o our soon-to-be-graduates askedme during an advising session, Do I reallyhave to stop taking courses just because I haveenough credits to graduate? Im not throughlearning everything I want to know! Our hopein MALS and IDS is that this desire to knowmore never quits, or any o us. Please enjoyreading our student, aculty and sta proles;learn about where MALS and IDS can lead.

Interdisciplinary Studies continued from page 1

Land Etics Leaders cntemplate te

bara Valley, WI.

PhoToSbYSUSA

NJACobS

Ald Leplds Sac, bara, WI.



Program News

Angelina Mendez, Prgram Assistant

Adult students can lead hectic lives, andthey can sometimes eel like they have no

home base where they are especially welcomed.Assistant Director o Adult Student Aairs,Bernadine Tomas, knows the pressures adultstudents ace well. A ormer adult student andcareer changer hersel, Bernadine has been withthe ofce or nearly three years and stronglybelieves in its mission to help adult studentsin their transition to college lie.

Bernadines ofce describes adult students asundergraduate students who are 24 years o ageand older and all graduate students, veterans,and proessional students. Te ofce ocuseson student advocacy and helps students nd

the inormation they need. I students havequestions about anything, rom housing tohealth care to nancial aid to academics, theofce can help nd answers and walk studentsthrough dierent processes.

Working with and teaching adult studentsat the Loop and OHare campuses, Bernadinerecognizes that many adult students do notknow what services and aid are available tothem. Her advice is to ask questions to ndout what is available, and this is where AdultStudent Aairs comes in. She says that even

i students dont think they need the ofcesservices now, they should become amiliarwith them so they can easily utilize them later.

Te ofce also oers considerable outreach

to students, including the quarterly New AdultStudent Receptions, Meals & Massages orMidterms, and Fuel or Finals. Tese allowthe ofce to invest in students wellness,as Bernadine says. Social events also allowstudents to build relationships with others insimilar circumstances, as with networking wineand cheese events and, to include amilies, iceskating events. Writing and math tutors alsooer academic help in the ofce Mondaysthrough Tursdays.

Additionally, adult students can takeadvantage o applying or the ofces quarterly

scholarships or help with tuition and theproessional development unding or helpwith attending conerences and obtainingmembership in proessional organizations.Te Adult Student Association also oers waysto network with other adult students and tolearn about opportunities that otherwise maygo unnoticed.

Bernadine recently took part in a coachingprogram at Coach U, and enjoys applyingthe coaching and mentoring skills shelearned about to her work in the ofce. She is

Adult Student AairsPhoToCoURTESYoF

bERNADINEThoMAS

Te services eredallw te fce t investin students wellness.

bernadine Tmas, Assistant Directr Adult

Student Aairs.

passionate about her eorts to help studentwho are in positions similar to the one she wain as an adult student. She sees the work as hecalling, and is excited about continuing withthat work in the ofce. Bernadine encourage

students to visit the Adult Student Aairsofce, located in the DePaul Center on theLoop campus, during regular ofce hours, 8am to 8 pm, Monday through Friday. Studentscan learn about the services oered there orjust study at one o the open tables, use theavailable computers, peruse the book libraryor enjoy the ree coee and tea, and nd therespite theyre seeking in their busy lives.

More inormation on Adult Student Servicecan be ound here: http://studentafairsdepaul.edu/adultstudentservices/

Te Adult Student Center is located in11017 DePaul Center. You can also contactthe Adult Student Center ofce by phone a312-362-6216 or by email [email protected]

Zellencia Harris, Adult Student AairsDepartment Assistant and MALS Student.
http://studentaffairs.depaul.edu/adultstudentservices/http://studentaffairs.depaul.edu/adultstudentservices/mailto:adultstudents%40depaul.edu?subject=mailto:adultstudents%40depaul.edu?subject=mailto:adultstudents%40depaul.edu?subject=mailto:adultstudents%40depaul.edu?subject=http://studentaffairs.depaul.edu/adultstudentservices/http://studentaffairs.depaul.edu/adultstudentservices/



Apply t study arad nline at

http://studyabroad.depaul.edu

Te Study Arad wesite

prvides great inrmatin n

Graduate Fellwsips and unding.

Te deadline r Fall 2012 and

Academic Year 2012-2013 is May 15,

2012. Apply nw t e cnsidered

r te Study Arad Prgram.

Rhonda Parrow,Graduating IDS Student

"In additin t gaining a radernwledge ase trug graduate

cursewr, I ave als een ale

t participate in tree study arad

internatinal usiness curses in In-

dia, Ireland and Japan; tey arded

me practical nwledge related t

te dynamics cnducting usi-

ness acrss cntinents."

Study Abroad withDePaul!

Study AbroadJane bnsac, Cnvergence

Doctor Sharon Nagy, who was the directoro DePauls Study Abroad Program rom 2007through September 2012, was raised without aconcept o oreign boundaries. Dr. Nagy spentmuch o her childhood in Europe and theMiddle East due to her parents internationalcareers. Growing up overseas inormed bothher lie and her academic interests as acultural anthropologist, Dr. Nagy studies theregion. And it is because o her personal historyliving abroad that she eels participating in aStudy Abroad program is the best manner inwhich a higher educational experience can be

supplemented, no matter the students age.According to Dr. Nagy, the benets o

studying abroad are myriad. She eels bothundergraduates and graduate students willgain similar benets. Its never too late to gaininternational experiences, and really, it is thenumber o times one travels across borders,rather than the age o the traveler, that matters.Experiencing cultural dierences and assessingcultural boundaries are ageless opportunities.Tis is not to say that one cant experiencesimilar opportunities while remaining within

the U.S. But why not travel abroad throughschool when you have the chance?Tere are a variety o ways study abroad

opportunities at DePaul can be tailored tot the prole o an adult graduate student.raditionally, most study abroad programs

have been created or undergraduate students.Over the past several years, MALS/IDS has

worked with the Study Abroad Program tocreate more opportunities tailored to our adultstudents busy lives. MALS/IDS students havetraveled to Ireland, India, Vietnam, Argentina,Germany, Japan and Peru just within the lastacademic year. Here are some tips to ndinga study abroad program that suits your needs:

Work with faculty to establishinternational projects or internships

Get creative! Look for volunteerorganizations that oer course credit

Look into programs that travel over

winter or spring vacations

It may be more challenging or a graduatestudent to study abroad, but its certainly notimpossible, and the benets are maniold.Be sure to watch the Study Abroad website,because locations and opportunities are alwayschanging. Tere might be something newthats perect or you.

More inormation on DePaul studyabroad programs can be ound here: http://

studyabroad.depaul.edu/

Te Study Abroad Center is located at 990W. Fullerton, Suite 1200. You can also contactthe Study Abroad ofce by phone at: 773-325-7450

PhoToCoURTESYoFDR.

ShARoNNAGY

Dr. Sarn Nagy, rmer Directr DePauls Study

Arad Prgram.

Rnda Parrw, wring wit cildren

at a scl in India during er study

arad trip.
http://studyabroad.depaul.edu/http://studyabroad.depaul.edu/http://studyabroad.depaul.edu/http://studyabroad.depaul.edu/http://studyabroad.depaul.edu/http://studyabroad.depaul.edu/



ProgramNews

Angelina Mendez, Prgram Assistant

As we grow older, we sometimes speakabout the lives weve led, in which we actedas dierent people, played dierent roles, orexperienced dierent events. Tough Im notvery old yet, I do eel like Im living a secondlie. Most o my lie is the same (my husband,cats, home, amily, and riends). But I couldnthave moved on without changing at least mydirection.

A native o Chicago, I saw DePaul as a placeto get a great education, and I did. I receivedmy degrees in the English departmentsCombined BA/MA program, and worked

as a tutor at the Writing Center here. Teexperience was rewarding and my educationwas ullling. I elt I was going places; my rstull-time job, at an educational publishingcompany, came right ater my last quarterhere. I checked acts in textbooks. Ater veyears there, I was laid o with hundreds oothers. Ten I took contract positions andreelanced. Tose werent ullling, so I hadto change my ocus.

Family and riends always told me Id be agood teacher, but I never thought so, eeling

I lack patience. But last winter, I startedthinking more about it. I looked into the

programs in Chicago and ound the EarlyChildhood Education program here t my lie.So I took the plunge, like many MALS andIDS students, and became an adult student inthe midst o a career change.

Tis Spring Quarter is my ourth quarterin the program, and Im still excited. In theall and winter, I learned so much about childdevelopment and early literacy. I completed65 clinical hours, working in inant, toddler,Pre K, and Kindergarten classrooms. In thespring, I look orward to working with morePre K students.

While stressul, my studies have openedme up to a world o possibility. Im nervousor the uture, but am assured that I can besuccessul and that all Im learning will helpme. eaching is still my main goal, but Imvery intrigued by developmental therapy withkids one-on-one. My next classes will teach meabout this option.

Te stress rom school is mitigated by mywork schedule. Working in the MALS/IDSprogram has helped me get back into the swingo things at school. Tis ofce has been so

welcoming and comortable in my short timehere. Learning about the programs has been

interesting, and I still have so much to learnBeing on campus, around academics, puts meat ease; I eel supported in my studies and amable to ocus much easier.

In my new position, I eel I have so muchto oer. From my time in publishing, I havea good eye or editing and can understand alkinds o writing. I have so much lie experienceand that lets me put things in perspective. Mytutoring background will also help me in thiposition and my uture as an educator. I spenmuch o my college lie working with otherstudents, and Im condent continuing to

do so. (I any MALS or IDS students needassistance with papers, essays, or researchIm available to help. My email address [email protected].)

My new lie has already come ull circle andIve only been living it a short time. Whilesituations, places, people, my ocus, and mygoals have changed, Im still the same personand even stronger or the things I have beenthrough. With a new direction, I look orwardto not only growing older, but also growingcondent in my lie.

MALS/IDS Program Assistant: OurResident Graduate Studies Expert

PhoTobYLAURENDo

RMAN

I t te plunge, lie

many MALS and IDSstudents and ecamean adult student in temidst a career cange.

Angelina Mendez, Prgram Assistant.
mailto:amendez1%40depaul.edu?subject=mailto:amendez1%40depaul.edu?subject=



Eileen Seiert, WRD ProessorJane bnsac, Cnvergence

Eileen Seiert has taught at DePaul or 25

years. oday, she is the Associate Directoro the First-Year Writing Program and a ulltime proessor in the Writing, Rhetoric, andDiscourse (WRD) department. While shecurrently teaches writing, she has a backgroundin literature. Proessor Seiert received hergraduate degree in Renaissance Literature,ocusing on the early writing o scientists andpoliticians. Graduate school, however, boredher. Proessor Seiert was one o the ew womenin her program, and had even ewer emaleproessors. And she had already cultivated aninterest in expository writing, but at the time,

there were ew graduate degrees ocusing onwriting communication. Ater graduating,Proessor Seiert wrote proessionally or healthand human resource publications. Despite

working in her eld o choice, Proessor Seiertwas drawn to university culture and teaching.When she received an invitation to teach atDePaul, she jumped at the chance, and hasbeen here ever since.

In Winter Quarter 2012, Proessor Seierttaught an exciting, interdisciplinary coursecalled opics in Proessional Writing: Health

Care Writing. She says the course assignmentswere not limited to writing by medicalproessionals, but aimed at addressing the needor accessible medical writing that could reacha variety o audiences. But health and wellnessare issues that aect everyone, and this course

addressed health care and writing about healthcare in such a broad manner. Proessor Seiertscourse looks at the writing o patients and

medical proessionals, research rom medicaljournals, and the writing ound on blogsand popular magazines. Te course movedbeyond just addressing major health issuessuch as cancer or autoimmune diseases, butrather looked at health as a whole body issue.Te course examined issues o child and teenwellness, reproductive health, and nutrition.Additionally, Proessor Seierts course could betailored to accommodate the specic interestso each student, allowing them to ocus onan area o health that may interest them orsomething that may be aecting someone in

their amily.Be sure to keep an eye out or Proessor

Seierts courses through the WRD departmentand cross-listed as MLS courses. ProessorSeiert has had the pleasure o teaching MALS/IDS students in previous courses, and she eelsthey bring a lot to the table. And ProessorSeiert brings a lot to her classrooms. Herproessional interests are wide ranging, romhealth care writing to Chicago architecture(she is currently researching and writingabout Marion Mahony, one o the worlds rst

licensed women architects and co-designer othe capital o Australia). I youre interested inlearning more about Proessor Seierts work,teaching, or upcoming courses, you can emailher at [email protected].

PhoToCoUTESYoFEILEENSEIFERT
mailto:eseifert%40depaul.edu?subject=mailto:eseifert%40depaul.edu?subject=http://densejoyousmodern.com/



First-PersonDiscveries

PhoToCoURTESYoF

FRANkChATEN

Te MALS prgramas callenged me tcse unanticipatedpats study.

Dr. Frank ChatenFran Caten, Graduating MALS Student

Te rst book I read in the MALS program,nearly ve years ago, was Homers Odyssey.

A major theme o this book is that o thejourney, a very appropriate description indeedo this masters program. Why did I undertakethis particular type o journey? Ater almosttwenty years o practicing pediatric criticalcare medicine, I decided that parts o my brainneeded to be reawakened by studying issuesapart rom my narrow eld o work. It hasntreally been a surprise to me that I enjoyed mytime at DePaul as a Liberal Studies student.

Ater all, the courses I enjoyed most in myundergraduate years were in history, art historyand literature. But the DePaul program allowed

me the exibility to study not just the classics inliterature and philosophy. It also challenged meto choose unanticipated paths. A philosophicalapproach to environmentalism, current issuesin globalization, the modern city, and thehistorical relationship between Christians andMuslims were just a ew o the journeys I was

not expecting. While lielong sel-learning is ogreat value, one o the benets o the mastersdegree has been simply in the suggested courselist every quarter or MALS students. Tere,

I invariably came across a topic that I wouldnot have even considered in the world o sel-learning. Te World o Wine? Hmmm, signme up! Modern Irish Literature? One o thebest courses Ive taken.

But like Odysseus, I nd mysel returninghome at the end o my journeys. My thesis willexplore an issue in organ donation. Specically,is it really an ethical requirement or humansat the end o their natural lives to donate theirvital organs only ater theyve been declareddead? Tis so-called dead donor rule hasunderpinned the organ donation process rom

the beginning o organ transplantation in the1960s. Yet, many cultures and religions havedifculty with untraditional denitions odeath, especially the concept o brain death.Tese untraditional denitions o death,necessary because o the dead donor rule,may actually be hindering, not helping, the

organ donation process. My thesis, under theguidance o Tomas OBrien, Ph.D. in the

Religious Studies Department, will argue thaProportionalism, a moral philosophy rooted

in the Catholic tradition, allows patients toconsent to organ donation at the end o lie (orduring the process o death), and physicians toassist them in organ recovery, even though thisact would lead to their deaths in the traditionasense. Tis approach, outside the realm otraditional secular bioethics, would not haveoccurred to me had I not pursued the MALSprogram.

Ive met lots o interesting people alongthe way and developed some riendships Iotherwise would have missed. Its been loto un and lots o work, especially the writing

in virtually every course. But its been one othe more rewarding things Ive done, leadingme to unexpected places both personally andproessionally.



Dana TurnerDana Turner, Graduating IDS Student

It has been rewarding journey researching

and writing or my thesis project as my nalyear in the graduate IDS program comes toan eventul close. Looking back to when I rstbegan the program, I never imagined suchwonderul opportunities would be in storeor me as a student. However, because o thearray o many resources available to graduatestudents with interdisciplinary interests, I

was able to turn my research inquiries intoa dynamic, satisying pursuit or knowledge.Most importantly, through these experiencesmy lie was enhanced or the better, impactingmy lie proessionally as a student, providing

me with the necessary tools and condence tomeet with scholars rom all over the world as Iprepare to attend an international conerenceon narratology in Paris, France.

Under the direction o my thesis advisorDr. Francesca Royster, I wrote and submittedmy paper on land, narrative and identityto the Narrative Matters 2012 conerenceLie and Narrative sponsored by TeAmerican University o Paris, Te Universityo Paris Diderot-Paris 7 and the Centre orInterdisciplinary Research on Narrative at St.

Tomas University. Tese institutions invitedscholars rom all disciplines to reect upon theproductive interplay between lie and narrative.

Te conerence takes place May 29-June 1 onthe campus o Te American University oParis where I will be presenting my paper in

the Narrative and Culture workshop. I amhonored that my paper was selected out o 613scholars (with a 48% acceptance rate) romaround the world.

Specically, I am participating in theNarrative and Culture workshop discussinghow my paper relates to cultural anthropologyand ethnography in narratology studies. Here,I will speak on my ideas and experiencesas well as results, problems, and questionsthat suraced in my work. As stated by theconerence organizers, Narrative has aproound impact on our understanding o

what it means to be human; o the choiceswe make as persons; o the nature o healthand wellness, teaching and learning; o themeaning o history; o how social groups workthrough conict; and o how the cultural andpolitical world is ordered. Tis has been mycore understanding o the eld o narratologyas well. And, so, it was natural or me to use theeld as a means to explore the many questionsI had surrounding rural southern culture, land,and its impact on the construction o identity.Land and geographical place remains to be an

important theoretical consideration amongnarratologists; it was my hope that I couldperhaps contribute my ideas in a meaningulway.

It means a lot to me that I was able to nallyaddress some o the questions that have, Ibelieve, helped shape my identity and also acommunity and generations o people. It hasconrmed or me that I am making the rightdecision to apply to Ph.D programs next year.I am so thrilled to attend this conerence inParis; it will truly be an experience o a lietime!So much hard work and dedication has gone

into my thesis project; I couldnt have askedor a better way to end my studies at DePaul.

Congratulations toOur MALS/IDS 2012Graduates

Princess bec

kate Camaran

Fran Caten

Mary EdwardsAmelia Garcia

Zellencia harris

keena Lemns

Laura McLauglin

Amy Mncer

Rnda Parrw

Paulette Pierre

Micael Rast

Je Tangel

Dana Turner

Tis as een ne temst callenging tings I'veever lved!"- Linda hajan, MALS

Grapic rm Narrative Matters 2012 Cnerence.

PhoToCoURTESYoFDANATURNER



First-PersonDiscveries

Anna kamelair, IDS

I didnt ully understand what my degreein Psychology would prepare me or. Atergraduating with a BA rom UNC Asheville, Ibegan working in healthcare I. I knew that iI wanted to do anything with my backgroundI would need to continue my education, butnone o the prescribed uses or a Psychologydegree beckoned to me. Yet, I still personallyloved pursuing it. At some point I discoveredcognitive psychologist Donald Norman,who writes extensively on the concept ohuman-centered design. Tis really grabbedmy attention; I had ound an intellectual

niche where my interest and knowledge opsychology could be applied to my long-standing love o design and creativity.

Both Chicago and DePauls IDS programwere the perect t. Chicago has a strongdesign community and the IDS programwould allow me to tailor a unique curriculum.I dreamed o being in Chicago and elt that ithad more opportunities; a larger city wouldoster my new endeavor and my desire to growpersonally. Originally rom Atlanta, I lived in

Asheville, North Carolina, or the previous

six years and got used to the easy liestylein that laid-back mountain town. Moving to

Chicago has been a huge readjustment, butit is important to stretch your comort zone.It is easy to become complacent, and I aminvigorated by the prospects o a challenge; ithelps me remain exible and mentally agile.

My proposed list o courses looks likea smorgasbord, but all are integral to mycurricular concept. Fall quarter, I took classesin Psychology, Marketing, and New MediaStudies. It was exciting to see how these cross-departmental classes play o o and reinorceone another. Winter quarter, I was enrolled inUsability Engineering, Qualitative Research

Methods, and Consumer Behavior and haveound the themes more interrelated than Ianticipated. I see this as connecting the dots;grasping the interrelatedness o concepts isone o my skills.

My ultimate goal is to work as a designresearcher or consultant. In studying thehuman-actors component o design, myaim is to consult with companies to developtheir products toward increased useulness,as well as aesthetics. Everything has psycho-anthropological derivatives, and we can use

our understanding o these concepts to solveeveryday challenges intelligently and efciently

One thing I particularly enjoy about this eldis that design is a broad and varying conceptand has a multitude o applications. I thinkthe construct o user-centered design is howto rame problems dierently and see themrom the reerence point o those aected whilemaintaining a global perspective.

An important aspect o the IDS programis taking responsibility or your educationand aspirations. You have to clearly denewhat you want to accomplish and accept thechallenges that come with creating your ownacademic identity. As an IDS student, youre

not going through this process with a set opeers working toward the same goal, so thereis the responsibility o making yoursel andyour mission known. I can be quite shy innew settings and Ive had to ght that hereapping into available resources and somenot-so-shameless sel-promotion are essentiato IDS survival. Any student who takes on thedesigning o their own curriculum must havethe skills and motivation to do so. Its prettynity that DePaul University puts so muchaith in its students.

Student Anna Kamelhair BuildsHer Program

PhoToCoURTESYoF

ANNAkAMELhAIR

As a larger city, Cicagas mre pprtunitiest ster my newendeavr.



Laura McLaughlinLaura McLaughlin, Graduating IDS Student

My original Statement o Academic Purpose

outlined my desire to take a deeper look atthe idea o organizational culture and theimpact that it plays, both in the context oan organization as well as in the larger contexto community. As with many InterdisciplinaryStudies students, my curriculum becamequite dynamic and the idea o organizationalculture spanned into the disciplines o HumanComputer Interaction, Marketing, PublicRelations and Advertising, Sociology andCommunication. I became aware that themethods in which we choose to communicatecan have as much o a bearing on the cultures

we nd ourselves working in as some o thetheoretical perspectives that drive the dialogueo organizational culture.

HCI (Human Computer Interaction)taught me the importance o communicatingin visually impactul ways based on how we,as consumers o inormation, decide what wewill look at and how we take in and processthe inormation we see on the screens that havebecome a prevalent part o our lives. Tis wasreinorced with the New Media Studies and

Writing and Rhetoric classes taken through the

School o Communication. Te Marketing,Organizational Culture and Ethics course work

taken through DePauls Kellstadt School oCommerce taught me that there is, in act, amethod to the seemingly mad way we act as

consumers and as participants in the largercontext o the organizations that we work or.Add to this the sprinkling o Sociology andhow we dene and live in our own individualspaces that we share with each other to ormcommunity, and my studies at DePaul havegiven me much more insight into the ideao Organizational Culture than I could haveimagined.

Te classes that I chose ollowed a passionthat I ound intriguing and have becomea great compliment to my proessionalbackground. Because o the exibility o

DePauls Interdisciplinary Studies programI can now make contributions that comerom a unique perspective that is groundedin methodologies rom a variety o academicdisciplines, while at the same time addpossibilities o new perspectives and solutionsnot previously thought o. So Tank YouDePaul, or such a great program that notonly provides the opportunity or such agreat learning experience, but or taking thechance on the creativity o the students thatyou teach. You truly do empower us all to

make a dierence.

MALS/IDS StafUpdates

2012 rugt many gd

canges r ur prgram sta. Je

Andruaitis cmpleted is Masters

in New Media Studies, and mved

n t a ull-time we develpment

psitin. he cntinues t wrwit us as reelance we manager

r te AGLSP site. Jane bnsac

cmpleted er bA in Englis, and

secured a psitin as prgram

assistant at Nrtwestern University

Scl Law. We appreciate te

many cntriutins tey ave made

t ur prgrams, and cngratulate

tem n cmpleting teir studies

and mving rward pressinally.

We are very lucy t ave

Angelina Mendez step in as Prgram

Assistant; Angelina egan wring

wit us last year as a student

assistant wile se cmpletes er

MA in Ed degree; se cmpleted

er bA and MA in Englis ere at

DePaul, and rings excellent writing,

editing, and act cecing sills rm

er pressinal wr in pulising.

our new Student Assistant, Lauren

Drman, transerred t DePaul rm

University Tled, and is wring

twards er bA in Arts, Media andDesign. We appily rely n Laurens

print and we design expertise,

wic will eep us ling gd.

DePaul students cmprise an

incredily gited talent pl!

Yu may cntact Angelina

Mendez at [email protected]

and Lauren Drman at ldorman@

depaul.edu.

Lauren Drman and Angelina Mendez

o see Lauras business website, go to http://theglassrooster.com and to see her coverageon ABCs Chicago show 190 North, goto http://190north.com/episodes/190-Big-Deal:-The-Glass-Rooster-Canning-Classes/8364442.

PhoToCoURTESYoFLAURAMCLAUGhLIN
mailto:amendez1%40depaul.edu?subject=mailto:amendez1%40depaul.edu?subject=mailto:ldorman%40depaul.edu?subject=mailto:ldorman%40depaul.edu?subject=http://theglassrooster.com/http://theglassrooster.com/http://190north.com/episodes/190-Big-Deal:-The-Glass-Rooster-Canning-Classes/8364442http://190north.com/episodes/190-Big-Deal:-The-Glass-Rooster-Canning-Classes/8364442http://190north.com/episodes/190-Big-Deal:-The-Glass-Rooster-Canning-Classes/8364442http://190north.com/episodes/190-Big-Deal:-The-Glass-Rooster-Canning-Classes/8364442http://190north.com/episodes/190-Big-Deal:-The-Glass-Rooster-Canning-Classes/8364442http://190north.com/episodes/190-Big-Deal:-The-Glass-Rooster-Canning-Classes/8364442http://theglassrooster.com/http://theglassrooster.com/mailto:ldorman%40depaul.edu?subject=mailto:ldorman%40depaul.edu?subject=mailto:amendez1%40depaul.edu?subject=


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