University of Massachusetts Amherst - Index Yearbook (Amherst, MA)

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FACULTY What you are about to read is a story in the making —a report dealing with the progress being made at your University by your educators. This is a true Fac- ulty Year in Review; here is a picture of what the Uni- versity staffs are doing on their own time for the fur- thering of your education and, in the long run, for the benefit of humanity. The following is taken from a letter to the Index from Dr. Gilbert Woodside, Head of the Department of Zoology and Dean of the Graduate School. The Department of Zoology is convinced that creative work and research should be an import- ant part of the duties of every member of the Uni- versity Faculty. We believe this for two main reasons; first, the research should add to the sum of human knowledge, and second, it should serve to make us better teachers. There is the reason why faculty spend months com- piling statistics for their appUcations for research grants; there is tine reason that hundreds of staff mem- bers spend months of their own free time in research; there is the reason for the continual flow of creative work being done at tliis University— to add to the gen- eral sum of knowledge, increasing their own know- ledge and that of tlieir students, and by publishing their works for the public and for educational institu- tions. We cannot include every department and its work in that our deadline date could not possibly be met by everyone, but we hope to present, nevertheless, a clear picture representation of the work being done. The advancements made in the fields of sciences, mathe- matics, and engineering are an integral part of our daily lives. Much of the progress in science is being made by men and women such as Dr. Gilbert Wood- side, Prof. T. T. Kozlowski, and Prof. Richard Stein, all representatives of the Zoology, Botany and Chemistry departments respectively. Dr. Woodside has just re- turned from his sabbatical at the National Cancer Institute at Washington, D.C., where he studied the structure of a mouse lung with the use of the electro- microscope which magnifies an object 20,000 times its size. The Zoology Department has received a Feder- al Research Project loan to enable the purchase of this instrument. This department, as the others, en- courages its members to apply for research grants which enable them to hire assistants; this relieves an extra burden and allows the faculty member to con- tinue his regular job of instruction. All thirteen mem- bers of the Zoology staffs are engaged in research work, supported by the University Research Council, the National Cancer Institute, The Atomic Energy Com- mission, the U. S. Public Health Service and Sigma Xi. Some of the work includes a study in avian anato- my; the effects of various temperatures on the hatch- ing and development of various species of fish; the growth of the remaining kidnev following the removal of one kidney; an analysis of the effect of glucagon, a blood substance which partially counteracts the effect of insulin; the isolation of the substance given off bv Pediastnim, the green algae, and the description and classification of various mammals. In the Botany field, Professor and Head of the Department, Theodore T. Kozlowski is conducting research on the physiology of wood plants. The General Electric Company is spon- soring Prof. Robert B. Livingston in work dealing with the competitive abilities of organisms. Along with the above there are four other major projects being carried out by faculty members. In the world of chemistry. Prof. Richard Stein is making a mole- cular study of plastics in an effort to learn the rela- tionships between the molecules and the properties of these plastic materials. The Naval Resarch, Plax Cor- porations and the American Chemical Society have all contributed to this project. Prof. Henry N. Little is studying the way chlorophyll is synthesized in plants and also the way nitrogen compounds are metabol- ized in plants. The National Science Foundation has given Dr. Robert W. Wagner, the author of a freshman math text. Introduction to Mathematics, a grant to aid the mathematics department. High school teachers re- ceived the bulk of tlie money in the form of fellow- ships. One of the biggest strides was the setting up of a summer institute for high school mathematics teach- ers from July 1 to August 16 in cooperation with Smith College. The objectives were to enrich the back- ground of the teachers by means of a study of the ba- sis of high school mathematics courses and by a series of lectures on various aspects of modern mathematics, and to cement these studies to the participants ' work by means of a follow-up workshop. The work of Prof. Dickinson in the Mathematics Department is an example of the objectives that the faculty are willing to encounter in order to fulfill their work. The pro- fessor and his wife spent six months in England ring- ing bells! As part of an investigation in the Algebraic theories of campanology. Prof. Dickinson had to crawl in and out of belfries over Cambridgeshire and test the ringing of various bells. The School of Engineering realizes its importance in this technical world. Eleven of the facultv ' mem- bers are engaged in various projects. Dr. Merit P. White, Head of the Civil Engineering Department is working on an Air Force research project; Dr. Kenneth D. Cashin, Assoc. Prof, of Chemical Engineering is performing research through a National Science Foun- dation Grant; Prof. C. A. Keyser of the Mechanical Engineering Department is revising his book, Basic Engineering Metallurgy and is viewing the success of Materials of Engineering, completed last year. Practical, scientific aid to humanity is only one facet of effective research work; another important aim is the enlightenment of the individual, ( 1 ) for pur- poses in all-around education, (2) for the promotion of better understanding among individuals and (3) for the practical application of new theories to life itself. The work accomplished in the fields of social science, humanities, and the arts afi ects these three purposes. The enlightening practicality of Sociology and Psy- chology tend to put them on a middle line between what is commonly thought of as arts and sciences. In the field of psychology. Dr. Robert S. Feldman is at-

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tempting to discover the neural processes which ac- count for the formation and maintenance of behavior rigidity. This work is supported by a grant from the United States Pubhc Health Service. Dr. Jerome Myers has completed six books and articles, and Dr. Albert E. Goss has completed a monograph on Medi- tating Verbal Responses. Instructors Marc Swartz and Frank LinderdSeld of the Sociology Department are writing articles; Swartz ' s, dealing with anthropol- ogy, sex and aggression, and friendship respectively, will appear in Philosophy of Science, The American Anthropologist, and Studies in Friendship. Political Interest and Activity is the title of Lindenfield ' s Mas- ter ' s thesis. History is more than a story dealing with past events; it is a system of facts and ideologies which set the patterns for the future. Eight members of the History Department are making studies on their own in this attempt to make past events logical and present events clearer. This work includes an article on Massachusetts for the Encyclopedia Americana; a paper on The Voter in Early American Politics; Re- tif de la Bretorme, an article in the Age of Reason Portable; research on the History of the Italian League, 1454-1494; an article called Bismarck ' s Po- litical Strategy; studies on selected aspects of con- temporary Argentine society (commissioned by the Department of State); and research for an article on the German Center party in the Weimer Republic. Also, Dr. Frank Prentice Rand of the English Depart- ment is working on a book dealing with the history of Amherst. Knowledge of foreign languages is more than nice to have at one ' s disposal. A knowledge of the lan- guage of others helps us to to understand their culture as well. A mutual understanding of cultures is an important factor in the pereimial search for peace. The entire Department of Romance Languages is en- gaged in the three-year Carnegie Project, which in- cludes many kinds of research and creative work, the preparation of language laboratory materials, new courses and new books. This is a cooperative program with the German Department. Eight faculty mem- bers are engaged in creative work within and outside the set-up of the project. For music to soothe the proverbial soul, Prof. Do- ric Alviani, head of the Music Department, is con- tinually arranging chorale and original compositions for voices. In addition. Prof. Alviani is completing a biography of Arthur Foote, American composer, con- taining a thematic catalogue of certain of his works with analytical notes. The Department of Business Administration realizes the importance of solving the day by day problems which arise in the world of business. Dr. Frank A. Singer ' s article, What Accountants Mean by ' In- come ' , is an example of the attempt being made to clarify the workings of modern-day business. Along with many articles being written by faculty members, the following projects are under way: Dr. Lawrence C. Hackamack is doing research in Dairy Plant Man- agement; Dr. James B. Ludtke is compiling data deal- ing with Life Insurance Management; and Prof. Wal- ter G. O ' Donnell is writing a thesis entitled Value Structure of Corporate Decisions. Home Economics, Nursing and Physical Education (the care of one ' s health and home) provide import- ant practical knowledge necessary for the maintenance of one ' s Uving conditions. Dr. Helen S. Mitchell, Dean of the School of Home Economics, is at present working on a revision of the textbook, Nutrition in Health and Disease, which she helped to viTite. It is used in schools of nursing and in programs overseas for which an overseas supplement is sent out. Dean Mitchell is also lecturing at the Nutrition Institute. In the Nutrition Department, Dr. Anne Wertz is con- ducting experiments in food nutrition. The Exten- sion Service of the School of Home Economics pro- vides State Specialists and Home Agents to teach throughout the state (mass media and practical aid is also used). The stereotyped idea of Physical Edu- cation as an outlet for the muscle-bound is losing its hold to the more intelligent fact that Physical Edu- cation is necessary in clean development of one ' s body and one ' s confidence. Dr. Ben Ricci of the Phys- ical Education Department has been experimenting with a freshman testing program in an attempt to place a boy in a physical activity which will do him the most good, while giving him some kind of en- joyment. The testing program takes into considera- tion the individual ' s previous experience in physical activity. He is also working to set up a low-calorie diet program for over-weights. The College of Agriculture, headed by Dean Siel- ing, is comprised of 11 departments. A magnanimous amount of research work is being developed in all de- partments. The Department of Forestrv and Wild- life Management has been working to find methods of alleviating the losses of crops, caused by attacks of birds and animals; members of the Entymology Department are studying the effects of fungicides and fertilizers; Pomology Department members are doing research into such subjects as the market quality of Mcintosh Apples; Prof. C. V. Kightlinger of Agronomy is making a study in tobacco breeding— the lists go on and on. Men and women devoting work to mak- ing the everyday things in life— tobacco, apples, etc.— more beneficial to you. An extremely important branch of the University and a great source of research work is the Cooperative Extension Service, a branch of the College of Agri- culture, consisting of trained specialists and the 12 county extension services throughout the Common- wealth. Extension agents keep in constant touch with the scientific research being done by the Massa- chusetts Agricultural Experiment Station and by the U. S. Department of Agriculture. It conducts edu- cational projects in three principal areas: Agriculture, Home Economics and Youth Division (4-H). From Bismarck to Mcintosh apples, the subjects of research are almost endless, but they are being taken by the faculty and are being projected into written and tangible form for the benefit of humanity. If we are at any time, unable to comprehend all that is being done, at least let us appreciate those who are doing it.