Provost's Column

Spring 2009

It is once again my pleasure to introduce the latest issue of Hofstra Horizons. The faculty whose work is presented in this issue, as in all issues, are representative of our colleagues and their dedication to the University and their disciplines through research, teaching, and other scholarly endeavors. These articles are one way for us to share their interests.

Dr. Denny Taylor, director of the International Center for Everybody’s Child (ICEC) at Hofstra University and doctoral director of literacy studies, spotlights the issues that plague children affected by catastrophic events. In her article, Dr. Taylor details the mission of the ICEC, which focuses primarily on increased educational initiatives to support children in crisis. Dr. Taylor’s vision for the recently established center is most relevant in these times.

The second article in this issue of Horizons features the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE). In October 2008 the CCE and its director, Dr. Cynthia Bogard, were awarded two grants, one from the Motorola Foundation and one from the New York Council for the Humanities, for the Democracy in Performance event, which took place on campus prior to the third and final presidential debate hosted by Hofstra. Democracy in Performance was a reenactment of pivotal events in American history by professional actors as well as Hofstra student actors. Dr. Bogard’s article outlines the CCE’s new as well as ongoing projects, such as the Day of Dialogue and the Green Future Alliance.

In a thought-provoking article, Professors Vincent Brown and Simona Doboli explore the dynamics of brainstorming and creativity. Their group research, which is funded by the National Science Foundation, combines computational modeling and behavioral experiments. Theirs is the first interdisciplinary study of brainstorming that has led to a full-scale neural model of idea generation.

And finally, in a most engaging article, Dr. Gerda Kamberova discusses the importance of 3D computer vision across many fields and disciplines. At present, the algorithm developed by Dr. Kamberova and her colleagues is the only fully automated approach to the recovery of 3D geometry from a set of unorganized images. This innovation is of particular importance in technological, medical and scientific applications.

At Hofstra University, we have excellent teachers who are also leaders in their disciplines. Our faculty is a major component of our University’s success and a most important source of Hofstra Pride.

Sincerely,
Herman A. Berliner, Ph.D.
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs