Grain & Chaff

Bench press

The newly elected GOP majority in the U.S. Senate was perfect fodder for Political Science professor and judicial appointment expert Sheldon Goldman, whose perspectives were widely sought after for post-election media coverage. Goldman scored a trifecta Nov. 7 when he was quoted in The Boston Globe, Christian Science Monitor and USA Today. Goldman's comments were also featured in AP Online, Scripps-Howard News Service and the Washington Times. According to Goldman, Republican control of the Senate means more of President George W. Bush's nominations will reach the floor, but won't win automatic confirmation since Democrats will still be able to filibuster the least palatable nominees. Goldman was also cited in pre-election articles in Congressional Quarterly (Oct. 19) and the Los Angeles Times (Oct. 31).

Poison paradox

Environmental Health Sciences professor Edward Calabrese's research on the health benefits of low doses of toxins is the subject of a five-page article in the December issue of Discover magazine. Calabrese's studies over nearly 40 years underscore the effect known as hormesis, where exposure to poisons that kill or injure at high doses have the opposite impact at low doses. Along with broad implications for environmental regulations, Calabrese said the research could also lead to the discovery of a biological "master switch" that governs when a toxin is doing harm rather than good.

Learning channels

Watching television may not be the worst thing for kids as long as the programs are engaging them properly, according to Psychology professor Daniel Anderson, who was quoted in a Newsweek article (Nov. 11) on the rise of quality shows for children. According to Anderson, his studies of children watching "Sesame Street" revealed that "Television viewing is a much more intellectual activity for kids than anybody had previously supposed."

Also featured in the article is Christine Ricci, who earned her Ph.D. in the Psychology Department and now serves as research director for "Dora the Explorer," a preschool show on Nick Jr.

Author, author

Professor emeritus of English Ellsworth "Dutchy" Barnard, '28, will read from "Verses," his latest collection of poems, on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 1 p.m. at the Jeffery Amherst Bookshop, 55 South Pleasant St. in Amherst.

New horizons

Former assistant vice chancellor and executive director of Development Diane Dukette was recently named director of major gifts and planned giving at the Connecticut Chidren's Medical Center.

Amplifying on amphoras

Professor emeritus of Classics Elizabeth Lyding Will recently addressed international pottery conferences in Greece and Italy.

In late September, Will gave an invited paper on "Amphoras and Trade" at a colloquium at the Danish Institute in Athens. The paper summarized her research on how shipping containers throw light on Roman trade.

Will presented two papers at this year's meeting of Rei Cretariae Romanae Fautores, held Sept. 29 to Oct. 6 at the American Academy in Rome. The first paper, "The Town of Cosa," was an archaeological survey of that site.

The second paper, "Amphoras, Arrentine, Bricks, and Horace 'Odes' 1.4," summarized the history of the noble Roman Sestius family's pottery interests at Cosa and elsewhere. A suggestion offered 20 years ago by Will that Horace's "Sestius ode" describes the Cosa pottery factory is now being accepted by Horace scholars.

Recent publications by Will include "Charles Eliot Norton and the Archaeological Institute of America" in "Excavating Our Past: Perspectives on the History of the Archaeological Institute of America," edited by Susan Heuck Allen. Will also co-authored an article entitled "My Blood of the Covenant," which appeared in the September/October issue of Archaeology Odyssey. The article describes the hitherto unrecognized economic, social and religious importance of raisin wine in the Roman period. Archaeological evidence even suggests it may have been the wine served at the Last Supper, according to Will.