LEWISBURG, Pa. — The following are story ideas that may interest you from Bucknell University in April.
COAL REGION REVITALIZATION: Since 2015, Bucknell’s interdisciplinary Coal Region Field Station has connected students, faculty and staff to anthracite coal communities through projects that foster community revitalization and imagine future possibilities. This spring, nine courses have engaged in collaborative community-based projects in coal region towns through the initiative. They include an ongoing project through the Freeman College of Management’s Managing for Sustainability program that led to the creation of Mt. Carmel’s Citizen Recreation Committee. The committee used citizen surveys, taken by the class, to get approval to reopen the community pool. Another project is starting an after-school mentoring program through Mt. Carmel Area High School — one of three projects with the school. A studio art and Managing for Sustainability project is also creating a new visual identity for the Mt. Carmel community. CONTACTS: Shaunna Barnhart, coordinator, Coal Region Field Station, 570-577-1724, shaunna.barnhart@bucknell.edu; Neil Boyd, management, 570-577-1821, neil.boyd@bucknell.edu; Eddy Lopez, art, 570-577-1619, eal024@bucknell.edu.
TRANSLATING TRUMP-KIM TALKS: The decision by President Trump to accept a meeting with North Korea leader Kim Jong-un was a startling development, and Bucknell political science and international relations professor Zhiqun Zhu warns that the future of U.S.-North Korea relations is still in limbo. Zhu says it is both “interesting and puzzling” why North Korea did not acknowledge the potential meet-up until recently when Kim met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He explains it is likely that the North Korean leader was caught-off guard by Trump’s rash decision, given that Trump and Kim have been engaged in a fiery war of words until recently. “It is hard for Kim (or anyone) to believe that Trump is willing to talk without preconditions,” Zhu said. Gauging international response to Trump’s decision, particularly how regional powers like China and Japan will react, should be a focus of Kim’s run up to a potential meeting. With backing from China now, Kim has significantly bolstered his position vis-a-vis Trump. Is Trump ready for the meeting? Zhu says unexpected developments between now and May could still derail planned talks. CONTACT: Zhu, 570-577-2050, zhiqun.zhu@bucknell.edu.
TELLING BUCKNELL’S GREAT WAR TALE: More than 700 Bucknellians served in World War I, and since 2014, a team of Bucknell researchers has conducted extensive research to document their stories. Led by history professor David Del Testa, the Bucknell team has conducted arguably the most extensive research efforts to document an institution’s contributions to “The Great War.” Last May, Del Testa, geography professor Adrian Mulligan and five students travelled to France and Belgium, visiting memorials and sites associated with Bucknellians who served. Among them was honors student Amy Collins ’18, who has studied the lingering environmental damage caused by the war. A second trip is planned for October when the team will expand the scope of their research. Campus events to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day on November 11 are being planned. CONTACT: Del Testa, 570-577-3779, david.deltesta@bucknell.edu
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CONTACTS: Mike Ferlazzo, 570-577-3212, 570-238-6266 (c), mike.ferlazzo@bucknell.edu; Barbara Bell, 203-253-6612, bab050@bucknell.edu