Actor and 1981 Carleton graduate J.C. Cutler, who is currently starring as Scrooge in the Guthrie Theater's production of "A Christmas Carol," is the subject of a Star Tribune feature in the Sunday, Nov. 20 edition. The article talks about how Cutler feel in love with acting during a junior-year study abroad experience in England and how he pursued that passion with his father's support. Cutler is married to his college sweetheart, Judy (Bongs) Cutler '82, and they have three children.

Susan Singer, the Laurence McKinley Gould Professor of the Natural Sciences, co-authored a paper that ran in Nature on Nov. 16. Entitled "The Medicago Genome Provides Insight into the Evolution of Rhizobial Symbioses," the abstract is now available for viewing. The entire paper is available only to subscribers. It marks Singer's first published piece in the esteemed science journal.

U.S. Representative Rush D. Holt '70 D-N.J is profiled in the November 2010 edition of New Jersey Monthly. Holt, the only physicist in Congress, "is an advocate for math and science education, biomedical research, children’s health, sustainable energy and farmland protection, as well as social causes such as human rights and women’s right to choose," says author Robert Strauss '73, himself a Carleton graduate. Strauss recently authored Daddy’s Little Goalie, which Strauss describes as "a funny/sentimental memoir about being the dad of girl athletes, which has plenty of mentions of my rather dubious athletic career at Carleton."

Roy Grow, the Frank B. Kellogg Professor of International Relations at Carleton, spoke with Minnesota Public Radio on Nov. 14 regarding President Obama's 9-day trip through the Asia-Pacific region. Grow appeared on the Midday program with Gary Eichten, outlining the areas where Obama might focus his time visiting various countries, with a special focus on the United States' relationship with China, which continues to grow more competitive on many levels.

Jack Schneider, the Robert A. Oden, Jr. Postdoctoral Fellow for Innovation in the Liberal Arts in Educational Studies, wrote an op-ed piece in the Nov. 13 LA Times entitled "Gutsy — but not always right." In the article, Schneider asks "When, one has to wonder, did so much knowledge move to the gut? When did instinct begin to trump argument?" He goes on to discuss how, 40 years ago, going with one's gut was considered risky and ill-informed. Schneider examines how that trend has changed over time and that current research shows it might not be for the better.

Susan Singer, the Laurence McKinley Gould Professor of the Natural Sciences, was one of the guests on NPR's "Talk of the Nation" regular Friday segment, "Science Friday," as she and other guests discussed alternative ways to teach children and engage them in the sciences on Friday, Nov. 11. Audio from the show is available on demand.

Carleton students who are part of the College's Academic Civic Engagement (ACE) program, along with program director Adrienne Falcon, are mentioned in a MinnPost.com story on Northfield community leader Janet Lewis Muth. Muth has aided a number of local non-profit organizations by basically helping the groups help themselves. "You can help one individual with a given problem, but if you change systems then you help much more broadly," Falcon says in the piece. "Janet is someone who is able to navigate levels from individual help to systems change really effectively." Carleton students joined in Muth's efforts to start a multicultural cook club, with the students eventually taking the lead over from Muth. Falcon and Carleton students also aided Muth in efforts to streamline transportation options for local residents who don't own cars.

Deborah Appleman, the Hollis L. Caswell Professor of Educational Studies, wrote a commentary piece for Minnesota Public Radio regarding her experience in teaching literature and creative writing at the Stillwater state prison during her sabbatical leave in fall 2009. Her piece was in response to a story MPR covered about the prison starting a program that connects inmates with visitors, in hopes of reducing recidivism. The writings from that class are available in a book edited by Appleman called "From the Inside Out: Letters to Young Men and Other Writings Poetry and Prose from Prison."

Jack Schneider, Robert A. Oden Jr. Postdoctoral Fellow for Innovation in the Liberal Arts at Carleton, wrote an opinion piece in the Oct. 5 edition of Education Week entitled "Questioning Our Mania for Education Technology." Schneider's commentary touches on how technology has invaded the classroom and is viewed as a catch-all solution for what ails the American education system. "Funding projects to improve teacher training, development, and retention, for instance, is less sexy than cutting the ribbon on a lab full of lightning-fast computers. But it’s also more likely to help kids learn," he writes.

Senior Max Bearak (Pelham, N.Y.) authored a post for the New York Times "Green" blog, recapping his experience as a wilderness ranger in Nevada's Humboldt National Forest this summer. His main focus was mapping the unexplored areas of Humboldt NF. He secured the position through the Student Conservation Association, which places successful applicants into about 4,200 positions each year. "I’m already longing to return to the wilderness as my classes begin," he writes at the end of this post. "Something out West really beckoned to me, and following that call is a decision I’ll never regret."

Emily Barr '80, former member of the Carleton board of trustees and longtime general manager of Chicago's WLS-Ch. 7, is profiled in the Aug. 29 edition of the Chicago Tribune. The piece talks about WLS's transition as The Oprah Winfrey Show ends and Barr attempts to fill that time slot, as WLS is where Winfrey got her start. The piece looks back at Barr's career, which at its beginnings of her GM tenure at WLS made her a bit of a trailblazer in a mostly male-dominated field.

Steven Schier, the Dorothy H. and Edward C. Congdon Professor of Political Science, was quoted in a lengthy Huffington Post column regarding Republican presidential candidate and current Minnesota U.S. House of Representative member Michelle Bachmann's decision not to release records about her charitable giving history. "It's unusual for a prominent candidate for a major party's presidential nomination to try to prevent serious scrutiny of her/his personal and public life as an adult," he says in the article. "Such resistance merely invites more media scrutiny and will raise questions among contributors and voters about the candidate. It's also a certain loser as a general election strategy after the nomination, when the public wants to get to know a candidate."