Larry Jones, PhD, professor of history, is well known for his work on the rise of Nazism and the establishment of the Third Reich. As part of his research, Jones locates archival materials that make it possible for him to reconstruct the series of events that culminated in Hitler’s appointment as the Chancellor of Germany in January 1933. His research projects have regularly involved undergraduate research assistants who learn the techniques of archival research and frequently use those techniques in writing their theses for the History and All-College Honors Programs

At the same time, Jones regularly teaches courses at Canisius on the causes and consequences of the Holocaust with particular emphasis on the moral and ethical implications of the mass murder of an estimated eleven million civilians and non-combatants, six million of whom were Jewish, by the Nazi regime in World War II

After taking his course on The Holocaust in Historical Perspective as a freshman, Bridget Sendziak ’14 began working with Jones as his research and editorial assistant. Bridget quickly became an indispensable collaborator on his projects, for which she earned CEEP funding. Among other things, Bridget helped edit, check and proofread the manuscripts of two books that Jones was preparing for publication, The German Right in the Weimar Republic: Studies in the History of German Conservatism, Nationalism, and Antisemitism that appeared with Berghahn Books in in 2014 and more recently Hitler versus Hindenburg:  The 1932 Presidential Elections and the End of the Weimar Republic that Cambridge University Press released in January 2016.

As a History and English dual major with a minor in French, Bridget was able to use her academic training in her work with Jones and even used her reading knowledge of German to help check his research. Jones’s collaborative efforts with his students represent an excellent model in mentoring, an opportunity to integrate different fields of knowledge and the ability to provide students with the magis (the more) that characterizes a Jesuit education.

Submitted by: Sara Morris, associate vice president, academic affairs

Don’t miss the next Meet-the-Faculty Recital on Thursday, February 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the Montante Cultural Center.  Canisius College jazz ensemble director and trombonist Dave DeWitt performs with the Pete Ciraolo All-Star Big Band in a program entitled “Thank You Carl, Bill and Al,” which pays homage to the great jazz trombone players Carl Fontana, Bill Watrous and Al Grey.

This recital is free and open to the public.  Call the Fine Arts/Music Office for additional information at Ext. 2536 or visit www.canisius.edu/artscanisius.

Submitted by: Ellen Barnum, director, ArtsCanisius

Each year, the Canisius College Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Award recognizes a student and/or a non-student (faculty, staff or administrator) who represent the ideals of Dr. King. Toward this end, nominations are being solicited for the award(s) to be presented at the Spring Honors Convocation. The nominee(s) must demonstrate a commitment to qualities in one or more of the following areas:

• Social justice (a society which affords individuals and groups dignity and a just share of the benefits of society)
• Racial harmony
• Civil rights (the equal protections and privileges given to all citizens by law)
• Human rights (the basic rights of individuals to life, liberty and justice)
• Advocates for the poor
• Change through non-violence or advocates non-violence

Please take a moment to nominate college members for this honor by using the online form available by clicking here. MLK Award nomination forms are also placed around campus. Nomination submissions are accepted from faculty, staff and current students of Canisius College only. The deadline for nominations is Friday, February 19, 2016. Please note that members of the MLK Awards Selection Committee are ineligible to be nominated for the award. Committee members are listed below: Gary Everett, retired director of public safety – chair Brandon Lewis, student co-chair Tom Ciminelli, director, facilities management Karen Dutt-Doner, PhD, professor, teacher education Bob Butler, PhD, professor, English Holly Fetter, PhD, associate professor, counseling and human services Eileen Herbert, director, public relations John Maddock, associate athletic director, external affairs Matthew Mulville, senior associate dean of students Evangeline Powell, dispatcher, public safety Rev. Michael Tunney, SJ, director, mission and identity Joe Van Volkenburg, assistant to the director, campus ministry Submitted by: Marketing and Communication

The lecture Farmwork Solidarity – Central America, the Border and Western New York will be held on Monday, February from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. in Science Hall.

Speaking at the lecture will be West Cosgrove, Western New York Coordinator for Rural Migrant Ministry (RMM). He worked for 20 years on the U.S. – Mexico border and founded Casa Puente, a border-work hospitality house in El Paso, Texas. Before that he was Lay Missioner with Maryknoll, living and working in Venezuela for eight years.

The lecture is co-sponsored by Canisius Campus Ministry, the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures, Peace Action-Canisius and the Latin America Solidarity Committee and Economic Justice taskforces of the WNY Peace Center.

Submitted by: Terrence Bisson, PhD, professor, mathematics and statistics