Brandeis Magazine

In November, three Brandeis scientists became fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), an honor bestowed upon AAAS members by their peers for distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications. Leslie Griffith, professor of biology, the Nancy Lurie Marks Professor of Neuroscience and director of the Volen National Center for Complex Systems, was recognized for her contributions to the field of neuroscience. Edward Hackett, vice provost for research, received the nod for his contributions to the sociology of science. Gina Turrigiano, the Joseph Levitan Professor of Vision Science, was honored for her pioneering work in neuroscience. The trio’s election brings the number of AAAS fellows at Brandeis to 12.

Sarah Berg has been named director of the university’s Office of Prevention Services and Rape Crisis Center. She will coordinate advocacy services for survivors of sexual assault, relationship violence and stalking; conduct outreach and education to promote a healthy campus environment; and serve as a liaison to student organizations. Before joining Brandeis, Berg was deputy Title IX director of prevention, training and outreach at the University of Colorado Denver.

In a double-overtime heartbreaker, the men’s soccer team lost 3-2 to 11-time national champion Messiah College in the NCAA Division III Tournament semifinals. It was the Brandeis squad’s second consecutive Final Four appearance. Messiah went on to win the championship.

Muhammad Xhemali has joined the university’s Multifaith Chaplaincy as Muslim chaplain. He comes to Brandeis with experience in university settings and at the Worcester Islamic Center. He also has a background in prison chaplaincy. As part of his role, he will serve as adviser to the Brandeis Muslim Student Association, assisting with programs and events.

Five faculty members have received Mandel Faculty Grants in the Humanities, ranging from $5,000 to $10,000, in support of projects focused on the humanities or the humanistic social sciences. Joel Christensen ’01, MA’01, associate professor of classical studies, was awarded a grant for his project “The Many-Minded Man: The ‘Odyssey,’ Psychology and the Therapy of Epic”; Clémentine Fauré-Bellaïche, assistant professor of French and Francophone studies, for “A ‘Protestant Air’ — André Gide, Jean-Paul Sartre, Roland Barthes and the Religion of Literary Modernism”; Laura Jockusch, the Albert Abramson Assistant Professor of Holocaust Studies, for “The Trials of Stella Goldschlag: Nazi Victim, Holocaust Survivor and War Criminal”; Hannah Weiss Muller, assistant professor of history, for “Alien Invasions and Revolutionary Contagion: The Aliens Acts, the 1790s and the Changing Contours of Citizenship”; and Carina Ray, associate professor of African and Afro-American studies, for “Talk of Freedom: An Oral History of Cuban Participation in African Liberation Struggles.”