Page 1: Dean's Welcome
A Few Words from Dean Kathryn Seidel

Recent controversies regarding issues of free speech and academic freedom have made their way into the press and into some state legislatures. Some in academia question if a professor of Biology can still discuss evolution or a professor of Political Science can offer a critique of the policies of elected officials. While these troubling directions are focused on classroom speech, the carryover to research and the spirit of free inquiry which research represents is also important.

This magazine represents a fine example of the results of responsible free inquiry. It is important to all of us to prize these extraordinary achievements. The range of achievements is enormous at our university, from our filmmakers premiering their films at international film festivals, to Rosalyn Howard’s new book, Black Seminoles in the Bahamas, to Shaun Gallagher’s new book, How the Body Shapes the Mind.

These are joined by contributions from friends in our community that contribute immeasurably to the intellectual life of the campus. George and Norma Kotteman have donated a prized modern art collection to the UCF Art Department. This collection is appraised at $2,000,000 and features pieces by vital artists such as Isamu Naguchi and George Rickey. The artworks will be displayed prominently throughout the campus and help our campus become a cultural destination. I imagine these pieces will generate discussion, even controversy. That is a good thing. We also are pleased that Tony and Sonja Nicholson have donated $2,000,000 to the Nicholson School of Communication. They are proud to be associated with a school that prizes ethics in the media and a free press.

Creative activities, many of which you will read about in this magazine, also represent opportunities for free speech and free inquiry. Our campus abounds in lectures that challenge, stimulate, and enrich the intellectual life on campus. For example, we recently held a colloquium, “Sacred Text / Sacred Film?,” which dealt with the responsible interpretation of scripture in film and popular media, especially dealing with the film The Passion of the Christ. Another such symposium, sponsored by the Lou Frey Institute, featured Senator Mel Martinez and his former opponent, Betty Castor, addressing the topic of “Politics and Money.”

As you can see from these events and achievements, the College of Arts & Sciences is at the heart and soul of what we do, who we are as a faculty, and what we would like our communities to become. We reach out to our partners, we celebrate human knowledge even as we apply critical methods to inquiring about the knowledge in which we wish to involve our students. The settings in the laboratories and in the community are equally as important as what happens in the classroom. I am pleased to present to all of you this magazine, which celebrates achievements in all of our areas in this college.

QUEST 2005

DATE
Spring 2005

CONTACT
Sae Schatz
Arts & Sciences
Academic Promotions
407-823-5164
sae@cs.ucf.edu

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