Quilted Books as Art

“Dark Ahab” by Lois Morrison, a quilted fabric artist book from the Jaffe collection at FAU (for larger image click here). University Libraries’ Arthur and Mata Jaffe Center for Book Arts is sponsoring “Quilted Books? Gold Coast Quilters Guild Book Arts Competition,” a celebration of quilted fabric artist books through Wednesday, Oct. 31, at the S.E. Wimberly Library on the Boca Raton campus. “Textile arts and book arts share a common foundation in the celebration of the handmade object,” said Arthur Jaffe, the show's curator. The winning entry will become a permanent addition to the Jaffe Collection. The exhibition, which is free and open to the public, can be viewed outside the Arthur and Mata Jaffe Center for Book Arts, third floor east of the library during regular library hour.

Freshman Convocation Mote than 1,200 people—faculty, staff, community members, but mostly freshmen—attended the University's first Freshman Convocation held last month in the Carole and Barry Kaye Auditorium in the Student Union on the Boca Raton campus. Author Susan Orlean spoke and read passages from her book The Orchid Thief. Freshmen were also given cords to wear with their academic regalia when they graduate from FAU.

Top: The band played. Right: author Susan Orlean signed copies of her book.

Seated: Author Susan Orlean with President Brogan. Standing from left: University Provost and Chief Academic Officer John Pritchett, former Dean of Undergraduate Studies Tony Lombardo, Vice President for Student Affairs Charles Brown, Faculty Senate President Eric Shaw, Interim Dean of Undergraduate Studies Mary Ann Gosser Esquilin, Dean of Undergraduate Studies Edward Pratt, Student Government President Tony Teixeira and Associate Provost for Enrollment Management Michael Armstrong.

Ack, Ack, Ack

Kyle Trowbridge’s “Ack, Ack, Ack” exhibition features mixed media on paper, primarily ink, acrylic paint, shellac and tea stains. Read more about the exhibition here.

Engineering Students Demonstrate Autonomy

In August, FAU students (center, with their red vessel) participated in an autonomous surface vessel (ASV) demonstration in Orlando, sponsored by the Office of Naval Research and the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. The event served as a "dry run" for the first international ASV student competition. The FAU team ranked second in autonomous navigation by successfully steering to seven of 12 buoys. The best result was from the University of Central Florida’s (UCF) team who navigated to 11 buoys. The third place team, Villanova, navigated to one buoy. The FAU team was also recognized for having the best vessel layout. FAU’s team included engineering students Jim VanZwieten, Gabriel Alsenas, Sean Marikle, and Erick “Sparky” Busold (with faculty advisor Dr. Rick Driscoll) and was awarded $3,500.