Notables

Richard Klein, professor of Romance studies, has been made a knight (chevalier) in the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government. In the letter that accompanies the award, French Minister of Culture Jean-Jacques Aillagon commends Klein for his writing and honors his contribution to the dissemination of culture in France and in the world. The Order of Arts and Letters was established in 1957 to recognize eminent artists and writers and people who have contributed significantly to furthering the arts. Recipients of the distinction receive a certificate from the French minister of culture and are entitled to wear the insignia of this order, a medal suspended from a colored ribbon of white stripes against a green background. For informal occasions, a discreet lapel pin may be worn in lieu of the medal. Klein, a graduate of the Cornell Class of 1962, joined the Cornell faculty in 1974. He is a former editor of Diacritics, a journal of critical theory at Cornell, and he is the author of three books of cultural studies, Cigarettes Are Sublime, Eat Fat and Jewelry Talks, as well as many articles. He is finishing a book on bullfighting.

Paul Eshelman, associate professor of design and environmental analysis, won Best of Show for Visual Arts in the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC) Juried Design Competition in March in San Diego, Calif. His winning piece is "Sara," a table stand he designed and constructed for people with Alzheimer's disease. "Alzheimer's is a phenomenal disease that erodes the mind, yet leaves, even to the end of its relentless course, hints of individuality. Sara is a furniture piece designed to reach out to the individual who remains," said Eshelman. "With a hand-hold at each corner, widely spaced legs to allow wheelchair access, familiar curved lines, gentle edges against fragile skin and a generous mantel-like surface, the stand focuses attention on the display of photographs, memorabilia and other reminders of individuality." IDEC, founded in 1963, is an international organization dedicated to the advancement of education and research in interior design. IDEC members are interior design educators, practitioners, researchers, scholars and administrators in institutions of higher education. The annual design competition invites, from interior design educators and practitioners, submissions in two categories: interior design and visual arts. Among the entries accepted, the award of Best of Show is given in each category.

At Home and Abroad: U.S. Labor Market Performance in International Perspective, a book by two labor economists in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, won the Richard A. Lester Prize for the Outstanding Book in Labor Economics and Industrial Relations published in 2002. The prize was awarded by the Industrial Relations Section at Princeton University. The book's authors are Francine Blau, the Frances Perkins Professor of Industrial and Labor Relations and Labor Economics, and Lawrence Kahn, professor of labor economics and collective bargaining. The book, which competed against all books published that year in labor economics or industrial relations, also was selected by Choice Magazine as an Outstanding Academic Title for 2002. At Home and Abroad, which was published by the Russell Sage Foundation. shows why, by the late 1990s, unemployment in Western Europe was about double that in the United States, on average. It also explains why wage inequalities between workers widened more in the United States than in Europe between the 1970s and the 1990s, while wage levels rose more in Europe. "At Home and Abroad should be a 'must read' for anyone with an interest in understanding the impact of labor market institutions," wrote Steven Allen in the July 2003 issue of Industrial and Labor Relations Review.

The Episcopal Church at Cornell recently announced the appointment of the Rev. Suzanne Guthrie as Episcopal chaplain at Cornell. She has served most recently as the adviser to the Episcopal Church at Vassar College and has traveled widely as a Christian formation consultant, retreat leader and program facilitator. Guthrie is the author of two books, Grace's Window: Entering the Seasons of Prayer and Praying the Hours and is working on a book of hours for children and beginners. She contributes regularly to The Christian Century, Episcopal Life and The Living Pulpit. Her first book won a Body Mind Spirit award of excellence, and her columns have won prizes from the Associated Christian Press and other organizations. Guthrie becomes the fourth permanent chaplain in the 55-year history of the Episcopal Church at Cornell.