April 2009
In Every Issue
Today's feature
Judas Escariot can be viewed as the hyphen that appears in the term Judeo-Christianity, says Susan Gubar, an IU Distinguished Professor of English. Some view the Twelfth Apostle as the lynchpin of Christian anti-Semitism, while others see him as the person who facilitated the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Judas' contradictory depictions throughout the centuries — in legend, text, painting, poetry, fiction and film — nevertheless have one profound truth, Gubar says: "Through Judas, we can understand our own propensity for wrongdoing, vacillation and betrayal as well as our wish to disavow that capacity."
Gubar's book will be named to the 2009 Editor's Choice list in the April 12 Sunday New York Times. More »
Headliners
The 20th class of IU faculty members to be tapped for membership in the Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching has been named.
Research
IU and UNC research suggests that the NCAA and athletic leagues should scrap the public lottery ticketing process for one that offers fans the chance to buy ticket "options" that could be exercised once tournament teams are known. Such a system could yield big benefits for consumers and leagues alike, researchers say.
Technology
An online learning tool called Computer Assisted Learning Method, developed by an IU chemistry professor, has great potential nationwide for teaching the STEM disciplines -- science, technology, engineering and math -- in high schools.
Outreach
Save the landfill! IU Bloomington and IUPUI are hosting free electronic waste recycling days, April 30-May 2 at sites in Bloomington and Indianapolis.
Health
A study published in the April 2009 issue of the medical journal Acta Pædiatrica is the first to report that birth defect rates in the United States were highest for women conceiving in the spring and summer. The researchers also found that this period of increased risk correlated with increased levels of pesticides in surface water across the U.S.
FYI
The UniCom project at IU allows teams of collaborators to overcome the challenge of being physically separated by taking advantage of tools to work virtually. UniCom is available on all eight IU campuses.
Arts & Humanities
An IU religious studies professor has garnered a $150,000 grant to pursue four book projects related to divine healing. Candy Gunter Brown notes that according to some surveys, 70 to 80 percent of U.S. respondents believe God heals people in answer to prayer and that in many Latin American, Asian and African countries, where Pentecostal growth is occurring most rapidly, as many as 80 percent of first-generation Christians attribute their conversions to the divine healing of themselves or a family member.
Events
An evening with composer Stephen Sondheim, in conversation with NPR's Scott Simon, on April 30 in Bloomington is a precursor to a gala event marking IU Bloomington's Department of Theatre and Drama's 75th year anniversary, on May 2.
