I’m pleased to announce two awards:

*The School’s own Tracy Caldwell was named our Distinguished Faculty Member for 2011-12. A committee selected Tracy from a pool of dozens of nominated instructors. The director of our Master of Liberal Arts (MALS) program, Tracy was honored a few years ago with a national award as Outstanding Faculty Advisor. She’s a keeper. Tracy will be formally recognized at a luncheon at our commencement ceremony in July.

*At the College’s Charter Day breakfast today, President Ebersole presented the entire Liberal Arts advising team with an award for staff excellence. Our academic advisors and support staff were recognized for their dedication, creativity, and general good cheer. I’m proud of all of them: Areatha Fryar, Kat McGrath, Helen Bopp, Jodi Bernstein, Shannon Burke, Jason Burns, Nicole Ciesla, Sonja Comithier, Anne Connor, Christie Dingman, Becky Schenck, Matt Flowers, Tamara Garrison, Pauline Hooten, Scott Kemble (his real first name is a mysterious “R,” but he claims to be a Scott), Becky LaBombard, Sabrina Moakley, Penni Newman (also recognized for her contributions to the Bright Ideas campaign), Gretchen Nortz, Kenny Nguyen, Amy O’Connell, Earlene Rose, Diane Rosney, Andy Russell, Rachel Stolicky, Joanna Woodworth, and Spero Zoulas. They’re ably led by Susan Moyer, whom I recently promoted to Assistant Dean– a well-deserved honor.

I thought you’d like to know that according to CNN, a labor dispute may put the future of Twinkies in doubt. I normally stay out of this sort of thing, but we’re talking Twinkies here. I’m sad to report that Ding Dongs are also affected.

This stunning video captures live images from a single drop of water. There are no special effects used. For some reason I’m not feeling thirsty.

Now this is cool. On May 11, a panel of writing and gaming experts from academia and industry will convene at Excelsior College to discuss the use of educational-based video games – or “serious games” – in education programs. In particular, the summit will focus on digital learning simulations – already a centerpiece in the United States military for combat operation instruction – and how they can be used to enhance higher education, communication and corporate training initiatives.

In case you just can’t get enough video of me– and who can– here’s another one I made for the Online Writing Lab, about why writing is like basketball.

I’m pleased to announce that Excelsior’s Online Writing Lab (OWL) is now operational. Funded by a major federal grant (as in more than half a million bucks), the OWL is a robust resource that will help many people improve their writing. The first three sections of the OWL are now open– check it out. The OWL is available to anyone– not just Excelsior students.

The Excelsior Favorite Poem Night was a great success, with nearly 70 people coming to read and listen. We started reading at around 6:15, and went until 8:00 before mingling some more over coffee and desserts. Around two dozen people shared their favorite poems. Many told us why they loved their poems; it was often quite moving to hear their stories. I made some new friends… all in all a wonderful time.

My favorite poem is Edward Field’s “Icarus,” which I enjoyed reading. It’s a bit depressing I’m afraid. Luckily others were less morose: one participant brought her guitar and sang her poem, another recited Bob Dylan lyrics, and others gave a funky rendition of the Excelsior College mission statement. Yeah, we’re geeks. And we like it that way.

The President and I discussed it and we’re going to make this an annual event. So start thinking about what you will read next year.

Tomorrow night (Tuesday, March 20) is Excelsior Favorite Poem Night at the Arts Center for the Capital Region (see map below). Come mingle with drinks and munchies at 5:30; readings will begin around 6:00.

EC staff, faculty and students are welcome to come and read your favorite poem to us– if you like, telling us why the poem is special to you. More than 60 people have RSVP’d so far. I hope to see you there!

I recently visited the Mark Twain House in Hartford, CT. It’s a fancy home Twain built for his family in the 1890s– all turrets and bricks and Tiffany windows. Quite beautiful, actually. You can see first editions of Twain’s books and even the monstrous Paige Typesetting Machine, a failed invention that drove Twain to bankruptcy. There’s a museum with tours.

I hated it.

I’ve heard the assertion that the 7 billion people alive today outnumber all of the people who ever lived before us. That never seemed quite right to me, but I didn’t bother to do the math. Well, some social scientists have, and have determined that the dead win by a score of 108 billion to 7 billion. The fascinating thing is that Arthur C. Clarke pretty much nailed this estimate in his 1968 novel 2001, where he claimed, “Behind every man now alive stand 30 ghosts, for that is the ratio by which the dead outnumber the living” (in 1968 the numbers were different and his estimate matched almost perfectly with the scientists’).

Hey, I worry about these things so you don’t have to.