Category: Faculty Life

To remain “alive” and active as a research and scholar is critical. In addition to satisfying my own personal curiosities and commitment to the scientific study of human memory and cognition, doing so provides the energy and enthusiasm I find necessary for teaching. Moreover, it provides a model for students that illustrates among other things,…

Working with students, helping them develop their individual ideas and vision, taps into this fascination and stimulates my thinking about my own work. Discussing their ideas with them opens up worlds of possibility in my own mind. Priscilla Briggs Associate Professor in Art and Art History ### Excerpted from Teaching, Scholarship, and Service: An Anthology…

Giving [students] opportunities to respect and express awe for the mysteries of life is as important as communicating what we know. Learning resolves mystery and reveals mystery; learning is about opportunities to explore ‘new scenes, new things, new Worlds’ and this is one reason I love the academic life. Pamela Kittelson Professor of Biology ###…

I value collaborative scholarship. This isn’t because working collaboratively is easier; in fact, it can be considerably more difficult. It is simply that I find the most fruitful discussions occur across disciplines and among participants. One of the advantages of working at a liberal arts institution is this appreciation for interdisciplinarity, and I seek out…

I prefer to do things quietly. That is my style, and that is the approach with which I am comfortable. A Dagara proverb admonishes us in the following terms: “A koli kyâpulé puÉ na a tîîkpeh mi be” [it is in the tiny bottles that one usually finds the most potent medicines]. The moral of…

I have enjoyed the many opportunities I have had to serve the campus and St. Peter community. Gustavus aims to prepare students for ‘lives of leadership and service’ and I hope to be a positive role model in this manner. My involvement also demonstrates my commitment to the College, my department, my colleagues, the students,…

I am committed to the college’s goal of encouraging and supporting a diverse community. This stems from my conviction that diversity is the fodder for creativity – different perspectives enrich our understanding of topics and challenge us to see the world in a more nuanced way. Margaret Bloch Qazi Associate Professor of Biology ### Excerpted…

My scholarship continues to focus thanks to the suggestion and careful edits of many other scholars on campus. I am so very fortunate that so many other members of the community took the lead before me in service so that I may benefit from their insight and wisdom as I stepped forward. Michele Koomen Associate…

Teach-ins are one way to harness the incredible knowledge base our faculty, staff, and administrators possess, and by doing so show our students the multifarious dimensions of these events … It is my job as a teacher to help frame the questions and seek the answers … They are questions that point towards the responsibilities…

I value the interdisciplinary nature of my field of study and work to incorporate an interdisciplinary and international approach to what I teach … My courses seek to model and teach intellectual diversity and critical thinking as students engage in controversial and value-laden questions facing this nation. My commitment to helping students develop the skills…