J/ψ\psi Production in p+p and d+Au Collisions at SNN\sqrt{S_{NN}} = 200 GeV at STAR

We present analysis of J/$\psi$ production over the range $-1.0 < \eta < 4.2$ in p+p and d+Au collisions using di-electron data taken during the 2008 run with the STAR experiment at Brookhaven National Laboratory. STAR's unique forward capabilities, especially the Forward Meson Spectrometer electromagnetic calorimeter, allow us the possibility of investigating the intrinsic charm components of the proton wave function using high-$x_F$ forward particles produced in asymmetric partonic collisions. Mid-rapidity measurements in d+Au collisions extend our understanding of the mechanisms underlying heavy quarkonium production and its transport through cold nuclear matter.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, - to appear in the conference proceedings for Quark Matter 2009, March 30 - April 4, Knoxville, Tennesse

Murakami's Strange Library

Libraries figure in the novels of Haruki Murakami, but not much has been said about what they represent. To address this gap, this chapter explores Murakami’s first exploration of libraries in his 1982 short story ‘The Strange Library’ (‘Toshokan kitan’). Viewing the story as an important step in the development of Murakami’s aesthetic approach to the postmodern Japan of the 1980s, and situating the story within the history of libraries in Japan, this chapter shows how Murakami uses the image of the subterranean library to investigate the violence that lurks beneath the consensus order of hyper-capitalist Japan, and to ask questions about how that order has shaped post-war Japanese subjectivity. What emerges is a bleak assessment of the condition of the subject in the face of power and violence: a theme that Murakami has subsequently grappled with over and over again through the course of his career

Incorporating Experiential Theory into Virtual Strategic Planning Processes

Experiential learning theories, such as David Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle (2015) contribute to more than just learning environments. In this Training Course Linked Capstone I facilitated a six-week strategic planning workshop for the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Group (DIAG) of AFS-USA, an intercultural youth exchange organization. Kolb’s cycle acted as framework for the workshop. The DIAG operates as a virtual team, with members across the United States, therefore I designed the workshop for implementation via the internet and telephone conversation. I consulted research on virtual team structure and participatory practices in strategic planning in order to design a program which solicited participant input while respecting participants’ availability. Some challenges, particularly participant engagement, proved difficult to overcome. And on occasion activities had to be modified or combined in order to better suit the team’s needs. As I became more flexible with the design, participant engagement increased. At the same time, the nature of the workshop environment, predominantly the internet, provided opportunities to incorporate “net-native” concepts that allowed participants to access and engage with the workshop in their own ways and at their own pace, when possible. In the end the DIAG was able to strengthen connections with fellow team members and develop several concepts for future projects and mission statement language. We are now considering expanding the advisory group in order to be able to implement many of the projects developed through this workshop

Edited Collections: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Review essay on: J. Snyder, (Ed.). Religion and International Relations Theory. New York: Columbia University Press. 2011. G.Tameme, W. T. Bagatelas, D.Reichardt, and B. S. Sergi. Studies in Contemporary International Relations and Politics. Leverkusen Opladen: Budrich UniPress Ltd. 2010