Two Faculty Members Share Annual Stessin Prize for Outstanding Scholarly Publications

Hofstra faculty members Stephanie Cobb, Ph.D. (Religion) and I. Bennett Capers, have been named the 2008-2009 winners of the Lawrence A. Stessin Prize for Outstanding Scholarly Publications, Provost Herman A. Berliner announced today.

Dr. Cobb, an assistant professor of religion, was cited for her book, “Dying to be Men: Gender and Language in Early Christian Martyr Texts,” Columbia University Press 2008.

The book is a study of the communal function of gendered language in the earliest Christian martyr accounts, which date to the mid-2nd century to the early 3rd century. “I argue that the texts claim the cultural commodity of masculinity as a way to make claims to Christian superiority,” said Dr. Cobb. “One way this maps out is that Christian martyrs – both male and female – are always described as manlier (i.e., stronger, more rational, more just) than their pagan and Jewish opponents. While female Christians are manlier than their non-Christian opponents, the texts also place them in traditional Greco-Roman female roles (particularly by connecting them to children), thereby creating dual identities for women: they are manly when confronted with pagan and Jewish opponents but womanly in relation to Christian men.”

Professor Capers, an associate professor of law, was honored for his journal article, “Crime, Legitimacy and Testilying,” Indiana Law Journal 83 (2008), 835-880.

"The article examines the perception, especially prevalent in poor and minority communities, that the police often engage in perjury, and are themselves illegitimate,” said Capers. “The article argues that prosecuting police perjury can contribute to community acceptance of the law as legitimate, and in fact result in a reduction of crime in the general population."

The Stessin recipients will be recognized at the 2009 undergraduate commencement on May 17 at James. A. Shuart Stadium, South Campus. This is the 25th year the prize has been awarded.

Dr. Stessin was a journalist who joined the Hofstra University faculty as a professor of management in 1958 and served continuously until his retirement in 1973. After graduation from the Columbia University School of Journalism he worked at The New York Times and as a columnist and later as an associate editor of Forbes Magazine. Dr. Stessin also published in a wide range of scholarly and academic media. During his lifetime and as part of his will, Dr. Stessin made substantial contributions to Hofstra University, including his contribution to the Endowment Fund, which led to the establishment of the Stessin Prize, an incentive and reward for junior faculty who publish the results of their scholarly work.

Also named for Dr. Stessin is the Lawrence Stessin Distinguished Professorship in Journalism, currently held by Robert Papper, chair of Journalism, Media Studies and Public Relations.