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Richard Macksey, A&S '54,
'57 Professorship Honors Renowned Teacher of Humanities Humanities professor Richard Macksey, A&S '54, '57 (Ph.D.), says "a lack of focus" is his most defining characteristic. He is known to wander sometimes during a conversation, has a habit of being in the middle of several books at one time, and is certainly hard to pin down to a straight answer. One former student says that asking Macksey a question is like going to a fire hydrant for a drink of water. Dr. Macksey's areas of interest range from classical literature and foreign films to comic novels and medical narratives--all subjects he has taught at one time or another. Yet for an individual with such "a lack of focus," as he calls it, he certainly has managed to accomplish a great many things. Dick Macksey began his Hopkins teaching career in the fall of 1958 as an assistant professor in The Writing Seminars. Since then he has introduced a slew of innovative courses to the arts and sciences curriculum; has published fiction, poetry, translations, and a wide spectrum of academic works; edited journals; helped to found the Humanities Center; and become a much beloved and respected teacher. Dr. Macksey was honored for his teaching ability and dedication to undergraduates in 1992, when he received the University's George E. Owen Teaching Award. Last spring, he was recognized with the Alumni Association's Distinguished Alumnus Award. In May he was honored again, at the dedication ceremony for the Richard A. Macksey Professorship for Distinguished Teaching in the Humanities at the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences. The professorship in his name has been endowed by one of Dr. Macksey's former students, Boston attorney Terry Dangel, A&S '64, and his wife, Bonni Widdoes. Mr. Dangel says he and his wife have endowed the chair in appreciation of Dr. Macksey's special abilities, in particular those as a teacher. "I think this is a great research institution that ought to sponsor great teaching as well," Mr. Dangel says. "Whenever I read an interesting novel, I remember my time with Professor Macksey, and it enhances my enjoyment of the book. And he taught me how to organize and communicate a story, something that I use all the time as a trial lawyer. He just embodies the humanities." Dr. Macksey, who can read and write in six languages, gives the impression that his mind is juggling a million things at once. Neil Hertz, professor of English and director of the Humanities Center, likens Dick Macksey's thought process to a chain reaction. "The man's right, he lacks focus--one thing leads him to another and that in turn leads to a third. And, given his astonishing memory, to a fourth, a fifth and so on," Dr. Hertz says. "This could be a real drag if, say, you rolled down the window of your car at a traffic light to ask Dick directions to some place, while cars behind you began honking 1/25th of the way through his rambling--but no doubt interesting--answer. On the other hand," he adds, "if you are doing interdisciplinary work, an ability to link one thing to another is a positive asset." Throughout his career Professor Macksey has had a habit of filling what he perceives as holes in the curriculum. To that end, in the 1960s he played a large role in the creation of the Humanities Center, an interdisciplinary incubator that sponsors courses in literature, art, philosophy, and history. "In its best seasons," Dr. Macksey says, "Hopkins has always been hospitable to these interdisciplinary experiments. If the initiatives prove promising, the powers can later find a more permanent home for the most deserving cases." The Macksey house, perhaps reflecting his mind, is submerged in books. It is hard to travel more than a few feet in any direction without running into a bookshelf of some sort. His actual library is two rooms of wall-to-wall volumes ranging from the classics to recent fiction. Dr. Macksey teaches some of his courses in this library, which doubles as a projection room. Terry Dangel remembers being overwhelmed by the level of knowledge the young Professor Macksey had. "When I first met him, he was just 29 years old. It seemed to me he had read everything," says Mr. Dangel. "He is extraordinarily brilliant, but he never wears it on his sleeve." Alumni, friends, and colleagues wishing to contribute to the Macksey Professorship should call the Krieger School Development Office at 410-516-8722. Special thanks to the Johns Hopkins Gazette and writer Greg Rienzi for the article from which this was drawn.
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Alumni Association Presents Excellence in
Teaching Awards Last spring 16 faculty members from throughout the University's divisions were honored with Alumni Association Excellence in Teaching Awards. Annually since 1992, each school has received a $2,000 cash award from the Alumni Association for the recipients, chosen by the schools themselves. This year's honorees are as follows: Nitze School of Advanced International Studies--Ilya Prizel, associate professor, Russian area and East European studies, and John M. Harrington Jr., professorial lecturer, international economics; Krieger School of Arts and Sciences--Victor Corces, professor and chair, biology, and Adam Falk, associate professor, physics and astronomy; School of Professional Studies in Business and Education-- Frank Shivers, Division of Undergraduate Studies; Robert H. Kargon, Master of Liberal Arts program; Gail Coffin, Division of Business; and Rowland Savage, Division of Education; Whiting School of Engineering--S. Rao Kosaraju, professor, computer science; School of Medicine--L. Mario Amzel, professor, biophysics and biophysical chemistry; School of Nursing--Rosemarie Brager, instructor, and Kathleen Becker, assistant professor; Peabody Conservatory--Paul Johnson, faculty, double-bass coordinator; School of Public Health--Mark Farfel, associate professor, health policy and management; Donald Burke, professor, biostatistics; and Ronald Brookmeyer, professor, biostatistics.
Click on http://www.jhu.edu/~alumni or phone 410-516-0363 or 800-JHU-JHU1 (800-548-5481) for up-to-date schedule and information.
The Hopkins Fund: Homewood's Future
The Annual Giving programs for undergraduate alumni of the
Whiting School of Engineering and the Krieger School of Arts and
Sciences have been combined into a new entity: The Hopkins Fund.
Contributions to The Hopkins Fund will support scholarships and
teaching in both schools and will assist the Milton S. Eisenhower
Library.
The decision to create one fund resulted from surveys of and
discussions with alumni of the two schools.
Engineering Dean Ilene Busch-Vishniac said, "Because so many
alumni have told us they want to provide direct assistance to
students, 60 percent of The Hopkins Fund monies will support
scholarships, 20 percent will support teaching, and 20 percent
will support the library. This is annual support for
undergraduate education at Hopkins, and gifts from alumni go
directly to their school.
"We realize that Krieger and Whiting students have a common
experience here at Homewood. We wanted to speak to that
commonality and yet preserve individual loyalties to each
school," she explained.
Krieger School Dean Herbert Kessler agreed, adding, "The Hopkins
Fund will improve the student experience directly and efficiently
by reducing the need of many students to take loans or jobs, by
supporting good teaching and state-of-the-art instructional
technology, and by building library resources."
Following nearly a year of research and restructuring, The
Hopkins Fund was officially launched in August with a letter from
both deans. In addition, a volunteer class agent and reunion
program is being reorganized to bolster The Hopkins Fund
effort.
Questions and suggestions regarding The Hopkins Fund should be
addressed to Fritz Schroeder, director of the Office of Annual
Giving, at 410-516-3400, 1-800-JHU-JHAA, or
fschroed@jhu.edu.
Nominations Due December 1 For Next Alumni
Awards
The Alumni Association now has two presentation periods and two
nomination periods for alumni awards. The next deadline for
nominations is December 1. The deadline for the following period
is July 1.
The Woodrow Wilson Award for Distinguished Government Service
honors alumni who have brought credit to the University by
current or recent distinguished service as elected or appointed
officials.
The Heritage Award honors alumni and friends who have contributed
outstanding service over an extended time to the progress of the
University and the Alumni Association.
The Distinguished Alumnus Award honors alumni who have typified
the Johns Hopkins tradition of excellence by their personal
accomplishments, professional achievements, or humanitarian
service.
To nominate someone for any of these awards, please send a
summary of specific reasons why the nominee deserves the award.
(Please limit the length of the summary to one or two pages and
do not send CVs.)
Send the nomination--along with your own name, address,
affiliation, and phone number--to JHU Alumni Awards Nominations,
3211 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218; fax:
410-516-6858; or e-mail:
rebeccab@jhu.edu.
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'Day in the Life' Program Offers Career
Insights to Students It was a match made at Hopkins. Assistant State's Attorney Benjamin Harris, A&S '92, and Reyhan Reid, A&S '01, were one of 15 alumnus/student pairs who participated in Hopkins' first "Day in the Life" program, presented early this year by Homewood's Career Planning and Development Office and the Young Alumni Fund. Day in the Life provides Hopkins students with a unique opportunity to explore careers by shadowing alumni for a day. Open to freshmen, sophomores, and juniors, the program is aimed not at job searching or networking but rather at bridging the information gap that often exists between classroom learning and on-the-job realities. For Mr. Reid, a psychology major interested in criminal justice, the experience was quite valuable. "I felt I was able to ask Ben anything, and I really enjoyed hearing his perspectives on the juvenile cases," he recalls. "I sat in on some court cases--they were very interesting--and Ben introduced me to a lot of his co-workers." Although Mr. Reid has no plans to become a lawyer, after his meeting with Benjamin Harris and a subsequent internship in the Public Defender's Office he is considering a career "in the system" as perhaps a social worker or parole officer. Also because of Mr. Harris, Mr. Reid is now enjoying ultimate frisbee, a sport he hadn't played until the alum invited him to join in a weekend game with several other Hopkins grads and friends. Ben Harris is one of over 1,000 alumni registered with the Alumni Association's Alumni Career Network, an online database of Hopkins graduates who are willing to speak by phone or in person to students about the professions they have chosen, the cities where they live, or what life after Hopkins is like. This service is offered free to students and alumni of any of the University's eight divisions. The Alumni Career Network was launched five years ago, and its Internet availability two years ago. The website is currently accessed about 400 times each month, and interest from students and alumni is steadily growing. "Students can get career information from books, but people are really the best source," says Alysia Decker, assistant director of Career Planning and Development. "Talking with a Hopkins alum who shares your interests provides a certain level of comfort, I think. And, for alumni, mentoring through the Alumni Career Network or Day in the Life offers an ideal way to give something back to the University." Mr. Harris agrees. "Career Planning and Development is light years beyond where it was when I was a student at Hopkins," he adds, saying that he plans to stay involved with Hopkins students through the Alumni Career Network and the Day in the Life program. His advice to other alums? "If you have the time, it would be a mistake not to do this. It's fun to take that role as teacher and mentor and to see your work fresh through someone else's eyes." To join the Alumni Career Network as a mentor, visit the Alumni Association website at http://www.jhu.edu/~alumni or see page 78 of the Magazine for a registration form. To participate in the next Day in the Life, planned for January 2000, contact Alysia Decker at Career Planning and Development, 410-516-8056.
Plans Announced for 2000 Alumni Travel
Program
The Alumni Travel Program abounds with adventure, learning, fun,
and good fellowship, as photos from this year's trips to Italy
and Greece attest. Promising more excitement than ever is the
schedule for 2000.
Yachtsman's Caribbean
Vienna Escapade
Lower Caribbean and
Orinoco
Village Life in Fiuggi,
Italy
Rhine and Moselle
Cruise
Village Life in Dordogne,
France
¥ Alumni College in Sorrento,
Italy
Alumni College in Provence,
France
China
Alaska Family Program
Exploring Siam, Java, Bali,
and Spice Islands
Alumni College in Kinsale,
Ireland
'Round the World by Private
Luxury Jet (Hawaii, Sidney, Bali, Bangkok, Delhi, Kenya,
Istanbul, London)
Great Pacific
Northwest
Egypt and Jordan by Private
Plane
Alumni College in
Portugal
For more information on any of the following, write to Alumni
Travel Program, 3211 N. Charles Street, Baltimore MD 21218; call
1-800-548-5481 or 410-516-0363; fax 410-516-6858; e-mail travel@jhu.edu; or visit http://www.jhu.edu/~alumni.
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