The Grant Writing Workshop lead by Kerry Rourke, Director of the Writing, was informative and inspiring – a good blend of information and hands-on writing.  The best advice Rourke has for aspiring grant writers is to write collaboratively – it provides a venue for queries and feedback.  If you would like some help with a proposal, schedule an appointment with Kerry in the Writing Center, Babson 205

Lisa Colletta, Arts and Humanities, “Forest Lawn, Hollywood, and America”
Forest Lawn, Hollywood, and America” explores the British fascination with the theme-park-like cemetery, Forest Lawn. The cemetery features prominently in the diaries, letters, and novels of various British writers, including Evelyn Waugh, Aldous Huxley, and Christopher Isherwood. It represented for most writers the search for perpetual youth and for immortality associated with the movie business and life in Southern California generally. Promising “eternal happiness for all its inmates” not based on spiritual salvation but offered “at an inclusive charge as part of the undertaking service,” Forest Lawn embodies all that appears wrong with Hollywood and American values. As Waugh writes in “In Love with Easeful Death,” anyone who gives in to the siren song of easy salvation is lost.

Steven Gordon, TOIM, “The Role of Information Technology in Supporting Business Innovation”
Innovation is widely acknowledged to be difficult and complex to manage. Research shows that it requires top management support, committed champions, setting of appropriate expectations, and an ability to deal with uncertainty. However, research is lacking on how information systems, tools, and technologies can support the innovation process. The purpose of this research is to learn how organizations can best develop and use their information technology resources and competences to create and sustain innovation. A multiple case study methodology is used to identify best practices and relate them to innovation success.

Gang Hu, Finance, “Tape Painting: Evidence from Daily Trades by Institutional Investors”
This paper studies the daily trades of 300 institutional investors over a 7-year period. The abstract is not available at this time.