Eric GershonDecember 16, 20101min
Laura Stark, assistant professor of sociology, is the author of "“The Science of Ethics: Deception, The Resilient Self, And the APA Code of Ethics, 1966-1973,” published in the fall 2010 issue of the Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences. The paper examines the process by which the American Psychological Association determined that deception could be used as an acceptable research method.

David PesciNovember 5, 20102min
Mention “records and documents of a large bureaucracy” and images of stacks of dense paperwork, rows of beige filing cabinets, and perhaps even a slight sensation of suffocation comes to mind. But mention the same phrase to Laura Stark and her pulse steps up a beat as she sees something quite different: buried treasure. “I am interested in the power of bureaucracies and the discretion people within them have to interpret rules,” says Stark, assistant professor of science and society, assistant professor of sociology. “How people who work in big organizations, including government agencies, apply general rules to specific cases…

Olivia DrakeJune 28, 20101min
Rob Rosenthal, the John E. Andrus Professor of Sociology, will serve as interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs for the 2010/2011 academic year.  Rosenthal brings to this position experience gained as chair of the faculty, as director of the Service Learning Center, and as a celebrated scholar-teacher. Rosenthal's appointment is effective July 1.

Olivia DrakeFebruary 8, 20102min
Following the catastrophic earthquake that struck Haiti on Jan. 12, three Wesleyan faculty, Alex Dupuy, Elizabeth McAlister, and Gina Ulysse have appeared in numerous publications and on radio programs to provide context for thinking about the disaster. Alex Dupuy, the Class of 1958 Distinguished Professor of Sociology, spoke to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp and wrote an essay titled "Beyond the Earthquake: A Wake-Up Call for Haiti" on the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) forum, saying, “There is no doubt that the dominant economic and political classes of Haiti bear great responsibility for the abysmal conditions in the country that exacerbated the impact of…

Corrina KerrOctober 7, 20091min
Laura Stark, assistant professor of sociology and Science in Society, is screening a new documentary on stem cell research policy, called "The Accidental Advocate". All members of the Wesleyan community are welcome to view the film, which explores one person's desire to learn more about the complex—and highly politicized—world of stem cell research. "The filmmaker and her father (a paralyzed former physician who is the protagonist in the documentary) are scheduled to discuss the film, as well," Stark says. The screening begins at 5 p.m. in Film Studies 190 (Powell Family Cinema) on Wednesday, Oct. 7. Please note that the…

Corrina KerrSeptember 22, 20092min
Laura Stark has joined the Department of Sociology and the Program in Science in Society as assistant professor. Her research focuses on the social history and sociology of medicine, research ethics, human subject research, Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), and group/committee decision-making in healthcare. Stark graduated from Cornell University in 1998 with a bachelor's in communication. She went on to obtain a Master's and a Ph.D. in Sociology from Princeton University, ending in 2006. She was awarded the biannual prize for best dissertation from the History of Science Society’s Forum for the History of the Human Sciences for her work titled…

Olivia DrakeFebruary 13, 20091min
Rob Rosenthal, professor of sociology, spoke at a conference titled "Celebrating Seattle's Striking History," sponsored by the University of Washington Department of History. The conference was held Feb. 6 at the Seattle Labor Temple to commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Seattle General Strike of 1919. Rosenthal spoke about the strike, and also about a rock opera he wrote and recorded in 1986 with his band, The Fuse, about the strike. The Seattle Labor Chorus sung two songs from the album. In addition, Rosenthal was interviewed about his song on the NPR station in Portland, KBOO, and the NPR station in Seattle, KUOW.