Please join us Friday, January 25, at 3 p.m. in Fine Arts West 133 for our first Faculty Colloquium of this semester.

Presenter: Hector Aguero, Assistant Professor of Music

Title: Maestro for a Semester

Abstract: During his pre-tenure research leave, Professor Héctor Agüero furthered his professional development agenda and fostered his artistic growth by accepting guest conducting invitations from the New Jersey Youth Symphony, the Elkhart County Youth Symphony (Indiana), and the Goshen College Symphony and All-Campus Band. He was also chosen, through a competitive application process, to participate in the 15th Annual International Conductors Workshop and Competition. Agüero was ultimately chosen as the top winner for this international competition and is now able to add this honor to his growing list of professional accomplishments. Agüero discusses these and other musical activities pursued during his leave semester.

Students are welcome and coffee and treats will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there.

Bill Kelm and Daniel Rouslin
Faculty Colloquium Coordinators

Please join us on Friday, November 30th, at 3 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge for our eighth Faculty Colloquium of this semester.

Presenter: Kathryn Nyman, Associate Professor of Mathematics

Title: How to Get Your Fair Share: Cutting Cakes, Splitting the Rent, and (Friendly) Mathematics

Abstract: A friend approached my collaborator. He and a group of classmates were renting a house. How could they divide the rent fairly so that everyone was satisfied with the price they paid for their room? Whether dealing with property, inheritance, revenue, or taxes, the question of how to divide goods (or “bads”) fairly among a group of people is a ubiquitous problem. We look at elegant ways in which mathematics can assist in keeping family harmony while splitting the leftover pumpkin pie (and more).

Students are welcome and coffee and treats will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there.

Bill Kelm and Daniel Rouslin
Faculty Colloquium Coordinators

Please join us on Friday, November 16th, at 3 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge for our seventh Faculty Colloquium of this semester.

Presenter: David Griffith, Assistant Professor of Chemistry

Title: Following Carbon in the Arctic and Estrogens in Sewage Using the Tools of Environmental Chemistry

Abstract:
Humans have a knack for altering the natural environment. Every year, we use enormous quantities of chemicals to make widgets and cure diseases. Our activities also release chemical pollutants that harm ecosystems, change the climate, and make us sick. Solving these problems and mitigating future risk requires understanding how chemicals move, change, and interact in aquatic environments at a variety of scales. This talk will highlight how the tools of environmental chemistry, such as radiocarbon dating and mass spectrometry, can be used to (1) track carbon cycling in the deep Arctic Ocean under changing sea-ice conditions, (2) monitor sewage consumption by microbes in the Hudson River Estuary, (3) fingerprint synthetic estrogens from birth control pills, and (4) design cost-effective strategies for removing estrogens from sewage in Salem, OR.

Bill Kelm and Daniel Rouslin
Faculty Colloquium Coordinators

Please join us on Friday, November 9th, at 3 p.m. in the Carnegie Building for our sixth Faculty Colloquium of this semester.

Presenter: Robert Walker, Associate Professor of Quantitative Methods

Title: The Educational and Career Impacts of Federal Hiring Preferences for Veterans

Abstract:
Reflecting joint work with Tim Johnson, Grace and Elmer Goudy Professor of Public Management and Policy Analysis at AGSM and Director of the Center for Governance and Public Policy Research, I will talk about two related papers that exploit the entire population of federal employees [47 million person-years] in the Central Personnel Data File obtained under FOIA to explore the impact of US federal hiring preferences for veterans. Researchers have assessed (a) whether military veterans advance in their federal careers at a different rate than nonveterans and (b) whether veterans and nonveterans differ in their educational attainment using either small samples (one percent-samples) or differing definitions of comparable veterans and non-veterans for comparison. Not surprisingly, this research has produced mixed results. With the full population of employee-years and the ability to, as comprehensively as possible define comparison sets, we examine a variety of definitions of comparable veterans and nonveterans to show that there is no causal relation between veterans preference and career trajectories or educational attainment. Our data analysis also highlights the set of confounding factors that have misled previous researchers into finding negative impacts associated with veterans preference.

Note: there will also be a special TGIF reception following the lecture that will be open to faculty from all three schools. This is the second TGIF event this semester with Colloquium speakers from across the University. These opportunities for cross-University gathering and conversation are sponsored by the Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President.

Bill Kelm and Daniel Rouslin
Faculty Colloquium Coordinators

Please join us on Friday, October 12th, at 3 p.m. in the Carnegie Building for our fifth Faculty Colloquium of this semester.

Presenter: Caroline Davidson, Associate Professor of Law

Title: Nunca Mas Meets #NiUnaMenos — The Path to Justice for Victims of Sexual Violence Under Pinochet

Abstract:

International criminal courts have voiced a commitment to fighting gender-based and sexual violence. Although the ICC has been roundly criticized for its Appeals Chamber’s reversal of the court’s first conviction for sexual violence, the ICC prosecutor has made prosecution of these crimes a top priority. The ad hoc tribunals¹ and other internationalized courts likewise made significant strides in acknowledging and punishing sexual violence and raising awareness of the gendered dimensions of violence.

The attention given sexual violence and gender in the international courts however is not necessarily indicative of the attention given it in domestic trials of international crimes. This article examines one example of this disconnect—the Chilean human rights trials for dictatorship-era violence. At the very same time that the ad hoc tribunals and the ICC revived the field of international criminal law, Chilean courts have seen a massive wave of cases for dictatorship-era violence, with some 150 cases adjudicated and some 1500 former officials facing charges. Unlike in the international system, however, sexual and gender violence have been largely ignored in these cases. To date, though sexual violence occasionally has been mentioned in passing in a judgment, there has not been a single conviction based on rape as a crime against humanity or torture. Recently though, Chilean courts have begun investigating cases centering on sexual violence.

This article seeks to explain reasons for the delay in justice and what we can learn from the Chilean example. If accountability for sexual and gender violence is a priority for international justice, and the ICC regime is premised on decentralized enforcement though complementarity principle, then a greater attention to the forces at play in domestic justice systems is needed. Chile, a nation whose courts have heard among the greatest number of atrocity crimes of any jurisdiction worldwide, offers some useful lessons for addressing sexual violence on the domestic level.

Part I describes the well-documented phenomenon of sexual violence under Pinochet, the Chilean transitional justice trajectory, and the current (early) stage of proceedings relating to sexual violence.

Part II explores reasons for the delay in judicial attention to sexual violence. Potential causes include: 1) the “pacted” Chilean transition, which led to a preference for truth commission over court cases; 2) the truth commissions’ gendered framing of the issues which then provided the template for prosecutions (consistent with a culture that deprioritized gender and sexual violence); 3) the lack of lawyers for cases other than disappearance or executions, including sexual violence; 4) Chilean domestic legal barriers (insufficient crime definitions coupled with low penalties, narrow definitions, and high standard of proof for rape); 5) victims’ reluctance to come forward (given likelihood of success low, stigma, and traumatic process). It also attempts to understand the changes that are leading to greater attention to these cases now. Possible explanations include: 1) a greater acceptance of international law; 2) an increased focus on crimes against survivors in the Chilean justice system; 3) shifting views on gender, violence against women; and, critically and relatedly, 4) a vocal, internationally-connected feminist movement.

Part III explores possible reasons for the recent attention to dictatorship-era sexual violence in Chile. These include: shifting views on violence against women, increased receptivity of Chilean courts to international law, political mobilization of feminist groups and survivor groups (and support for one another), and an increased willingness on the part of survivors of sexual violence to speak about their experiences, prompted in part by recent events (in particular the use of sexual violence against female student demonstrators in 2011) and by a sense that time is running out due to the age of perpetrators and survivors.

Part IV suggests implications of the Chilean experience for international criminal justice. First, even if prosecution of sexual violence is a priority for ICC, it does not necessarily mean that it will be a priority for domestic jurisdictions, including those that are actively adjudicating human rights cases. This understanding has implications for the ICC’s complementary framework. A country’s failure to address sexual violence may render it “unwilling” or “unable” under the Rome Statute and thus give ICC jurisdiction over these types of crimes. The prosecution of sexual violence also may be an opportunity for fruitful “positive complementarity”² actions—whereby the ICC can assist national jurisdictions through trainings of lawyers and judges. This support could include not only briefings on substantive international criminal law,³ but also training in the latest investigative techniques. Finally, the Chilean experience with the movement seeking recognition of the crime of “political sexual violence” suggests that ICL is a useful tool, and likely more so for crimes committed after a state incorporates the Rome Statute in its domestic law, but it may not adequately capture victims’ experiences or even the perpetrators’ mental state. ICL may bolster demands for an expanded understanding of crimes, but it should not be seen to limit domestic legislative innovation.

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1. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
2. William Burke-White, Positive Complementarity (arguing for a complementarity model that involves ICC actors proactively supporting domestic prosecutions).
3. Although the Chilean prosecutions are technically based on domestic crimes, courts make clear that the underlying facts amount to international crimes, particularly “lesa humanidad” (crimes against humanity) and “crímenes de guerra” (war crimes). This international characterization of the crimes is critical for avoiding application of the statute of limitation and the amnesty.

Note: there will also be a special TGIF reception following the lecture that will be open to faculty from all three schools. This is the second TGIF event this semester with Colloquium speakers from across the University. These opportunities for cross-University gathering and conversation are sponsored by the Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President.

Bill Kelm and Daniel Rouslin
Faculty Colloquium Coordinators

Please join us Friday, October 5th, at 3 p.m. in the Kremer Board Room in Ford Hall for our fourth Faculty Colloquium of this semester.

Presenter: Stephen Patterson, George H. Atkinson Professor of Religious and Ethical Studies

Title: Here Come the Androgynes, Again!

Abstract:

Some may recall Steve Patterson’s first installment on androgyny in early Christianity–where the androgyne symbolized love. Now the second installment: androgyny also symbolized power. Masculine sexuality in the ancient world was all about masculine power. Virility and power are still linked in the construction of masculinity today. But what if a woman could have male power? Believe it or not, early Christians were toying with the idea… and he’s got (more) pictures! This material is part of Patterson’s new book, The Forgotten Creed (OUP), due out on October 1.

Students are welcome and coffee and treats will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there.

Bill Kelm and Daniel Rouslin
Faculty Colloquium Coordinators

Please join us on Friday, September 28th, at 3 p.m. in the Carnegie Building for our third Faculty Colloquium of this semester.

Presenter: Pamela Moro, Professor of Anthropology

Title: Glorious Jollification: Violins, Violin-Playing, and Masculine Social Life in 19th Century California and Nevada

Abstract:

Violins were important objects in the vernacular musical life of the mid- and late-19th century American west. Violin playing was integral to sociality and the work environment of the gold- and silver-rush mining camps of Northern California and Nevada, contexts shaped by masculinity and race. This study pays particular attention to the memoirs and archival papers of miner, journalist, and amateur violinist Alfred Doten. Doten’s writings reveal vernacular violin playing in relation to masculinity and violins as sentiment-laden material culture.

Before presenting my research paper, I will briefly introduce my forthcoming book (Violins: Local Meanings, Globalized Sounds) and talk about my professional career as an anthropologist with a specialization in ethnomusicology. Students are welcome and coffee and treats will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there.

Note there will also be a special TGIF reception following the lecture that will be open to faculty from all three schools. We will have three TGIF events each semester with Colloquium speakers from across the University. These opportunities for cross-University gathering and conversation are sponsored by the Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President. Please join us and watch for a message next week with other TGIF dates.

Bill Kelm and Daniel Rouslin
Faculty Colloquium Coordinators

Please join us Friday, September 21st, at 3 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge for our second Faculty Colloquium of this semester.

Presenter: Michael Marks, Professor of Politics

Title: Small States and Middle Powers: Metaphors of Size and Position in International Relations

Abstract:

Metaphors of power are at the core of the study of international relations. Power represents the idea that humans have the ability to translate agreement into action through the
harnessing of material means. Power is not the essence of the material world nor material resources themselves. It is a metaphor for the intangible qualities of persuasion that give material resources their force. This presentation examines the metaphorical notions of size and position as two ways in which power is conceptualized in international relations. For theoretical purposes, the debate between the metaphorical position of states relative to each other and their size revolves around the role power is thought to play in shaping outcomes. Approaches that conceive of states metaphorically as “big” or “small” are less prone to hypothesize changes in size as major sources of instability in international relations than approaches which conceive of states altering their position “on top,” “in the middle,” or “at the bottom” of a hierarchically ordered arrangement of states.

Students are welcome and coffee and treats will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there.

Bill Kelm and Daniel Rouslin
Faculty Colloquium Coordinators

Please join us Friday, September 7th, at 3 p.m. in Fine Arts West 133 for our first Faculty Colloquium of this semester.

Presenter: Dan Rouslin, Professor of Music

Title: Coming Full Circle

Abstract:

Professor of Music, Dan Rouslin, known to his students affectionately as “DR,” discusses how his life in music was formed and the special role the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E Minor played in its development as he prepares to perform it with orchestra on September 9 at the start of his final year at Willamette.

One of DR’s early milestones was the winning of the concerto competition as a high school senior at the National Music Camp in Interlochen, Michigan. As a winner, he performed the Mendelssohn with the National High School Symphony Orchestra, which consisted of some of the most highly skilled young musicians from all over the United States. However winners were only allowed to perform single movements, and DR has, until now, never performed the entire three-movement work.

The 1843 Concerto in E Minor, Opus 64 for Violin and Orchestra by German composer Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, is one of the central works in the classical violin repertoire, and an important work in the development of Romantic music in Europe during the 1830’s and 40’s. Mendelssohn broke with the classical models of Mozart, Haydn, and early Beethoven by eliminating much of the sense of clearly delineated sections, while retaining other elements of classical form. Even the notion of separate movements, which correspond to chapters in a novel, or acts in a play, starts to blur as the composer links movements I and II with a transition rather than separating them with a traditional pause.

DR will discuss this work in some detail, and also relate it to his own decision to become a musician. He hopes that many of you will be able to attend his live performance of the work two days after the colloquium in Hudson Hall at 3 p.m.

Students are welcome and coffee and treats will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there.

Bill Kelm and Daniel Rouslin
Faculty Colloquium Coordinators

Please join us Friday, April 27th, at 4:15 p.m. in the Hatfield Room for our twelfth and last Faculty Colloquium of this semester.

Presenter: Jenny Orr, Professor of Computer Science

Title: “Explorations in Machine Learning”

Abstract: Machine learning (ML) drives much of today’s smart technology, from Siri to smart cars. The recent resurgence and success of ML are primarily due to three factors: the explosion of data, dramatic increases in processing speeds, and the emergence of powerful, new learning algorithms, particularly deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN) for image analysis.

I will present a brief overview of ML and DCNN and illustrate how they are used in several image-based applications including handwritten digit recognition and atmospheric cloud coverage. Cloud coverage estimation is important because it is one of the largest sources of uncertainty in today’s climate models. Students are welcome and coffee and treats will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there.

Ellen Eisenberg and Bill Kelm
Faculty Colloquium Coordinators