Professor of Latin American Studies Arturo Arias participated in the Social Science Research Council "Intellectual Agendas and the Localities of Knowledge" Hemispheric Dialogue in October. The event was held in Mexico City. He also chaired a panel on Latinos and U.S. Foreign Policy at the 23rd International Congress of the Latin American Studies Association in Washington, D.C. in September.

Rasool A. Azari, assistant professor of business, chaired two sessions of the 76th Annual Conference of the Western Economic Association International in San Francisco in July. One session was devoted to economic issues and another analyzed exchange rates.

Mathematics lecturer Portia Cornell and executive secretary Casandra Smith received respective high honors for their cornbread and chili recipes in the Faculty Club First Annual Chili and Cornbread Invitational held Nov. 12. The competition was coordinated by chili cookoff expert Mara Winick, whose Texas family has a long tradition of tasty reunions. Don't miss it next year!

Emily Culpepper, a women's studies and religious studies professor, recently served on a panel at the American Academy of Religion conference in Denver. The title of the panel discussion was "To Be of Use: Lesbian/Gay Activists in Religious Studies."

Assistant Professor of Art Valerie Gilman had five pieces of her work displayed in November at the "Small Packages" show at Wood Street Gallery in Chicago.

Xinyan Jiang, assistant professor of philosophy, has been selected treasurer of the International Society for Chinese Philosophy. The group has members from around the world. In July, Jiang traveled to Beijing, China to present a paper titled "Zhuangzi and Feminist Epistemology" at the International Conference on Chinese Philosophy.

Nancy Miller Roth, physical plant facility project manager, has passed the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) exam. She is now applying for state certification with the California Council for Interior Design Certification.

Director of Planned Giving John Serbein has been selected to serve on the Master Trust Committee of the Inland Counties Regional Center. The standing committee of the center's board of trustees manages about 150 trusts, which total about $8.5 million and are used to aid people who are developmentally disabled.

English Professor Judy Tschann reviewed Andrew Dalby's book, "Dangerous Tastes: The Story of Spices" in the spring 2001 issue of Ruminator Review, an independent book magazine. Tschann herself is writing a book on food-term etymologies. Ruminator Review also published an essay by Leslie Brody, assistant professor of English, and will publish Tschann's review of "Aspiring Saints" by Anne Jacobson Schutte.