Faculty Professional Development in the U.S. and Abroad
Many Principia College faculty members spent the summer engaged in research, conferences, and professional development. Making contributions to their respective fields, they collaborated with professionals around the world, and are bringing what they learned back to their classrooms. The examples below indicate the wide range of work faculty members undertook, all of which was supported at least in part by Principia.
Stanford University’s d.school in Palo Alto, California
Professor Dale Matheny, Director of Principia College’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, participated in a program at Stanford University’s School of Design Thinking, known as the d.school. The Teaching and Learning Studio course drew 40 professors from around the world to explore ways to develop skills and confidence through design thinking. “It was truly a world-class course,” Matheny says. “We heard about active, project-based teaching strategies, and I’m already using many of them in Principia’s Innovation course. Later in the semester, I’ll share what I learned in a professional development session for faculty colleagues.”
The 20th-Century Presidency Seminar in Washington, DC
Dr. Brian Roberts (C’88) was one of 30 faculty members selected to participate in the American history seminar The 20th-Century Presidency, held at Stanford University’s Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Center in Washington, DC. The multidisciplinary seminar, led by Bancroft Prize-winning author and historian Dr. Robert Dallek, explored characteristics of 20th-century presidential leadership. “It was a privilege to spend a week with presidential scholars from across the country under the tutelage of one of the leading authorities on the modern presidency,” Roberts says. “The new insights I gained, and the specific presidents we focused on (FDR, JFK, and LBJ) will further enrich my teaching and scholarship.”
102nd Esperanto World Congress in Seoul, Korea
Dr. Cecily Lee (US’69, C’73) spoke at an international forum held in conjunction with the 102nd Esperanto World Congress in Seoul, Korea. Her address, delivered in Esperanto, was based on her doctoral research on the acquisition of intercultural competence. Lee proposed that studying abroad can be a primary delivery vehicle for developing a skill set invaluable to 21st-century living. Drawing on her experience leading 10 Principia abroad programs, Lee described the value of program features common among Principia abroads—pre- and post-program modules, cultural mentoring, intentional reflection, and programmed interactions with host-country peers and families. Follow-up sessions on the same topic were facilitated by Principia language professor Dr. Duncan Charters (HON’14), and Lee’s talk appeared as the lead article in the conference publication, with summaries in Korean, French, and English.
Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University
Professor Joan Wesman, a member of the Mass Communication Department, took an audio documentary course at Duke University's Center for Documentary Studies. “I’m excited to use what I learned this summer,” she says, “to help students understand and get involved with the hot medium of audio podcasts—a creative and powerful medium for storytelling that’s used to share everything from company stories in the public relations world to journalistic news and feature stories.”
The Golandsky Institute at Princeton University and the American Guild of Organists Convention
College organist and Music Professor Dr. Rose Whitmore researched organ pedagogical methods at Princeton University’s Golandsky Institute Summer Symposium. She is using her findings to help her organ students prepare for the American Guild of Organists’ Service Playing Certificate exam. Recognized worldwide, this certification will help students serve their local churches. Whitmore also attended the American Guild of Organists Convention in Iowa City.
The Society of Wetland Scientists’ Annual Meeting in Puerto Rico
Dr. Greg Bruland (C’97) traveled with Taylor Bookout (C’17) to the Society of Wetland Scientists’ Annual Meeting, an international conference for natural resource managers, regulatory personnel, and education professionals. Bookout presented research from his senior thesis on a large restored wetland near campus. “It was quite an honor for Taylor’s research to be selected for presentation at the conference,” Bruland notes.
2017 Resilience Studies Consortium Summer Retreat
Dr. Karen Eckert (C’80), Director of Principia College’s Center for Sustainability, attended the 2017 Resilience Studies Consortium Summer Retreat at Western State Colorado University. “The consortium is an innovative, hand-picked group of small colleges that are leading the way in resilience thinking, a facet of sustainability,” Dr. Eckert says. “I shared the many student-led initiatives on our campus and our progress toward zero waste and carbon neutrality. I also learned a great deal from my colleagues.”
17th World Congress of Jewish Studies
Dr. Gretchen Starr-LeBeau presented “In All the Provinces of the World: Global Investigations of New Jews and New Christians in the 1630s” at the 17th World Congress of Jewish Studies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Following the publication of her most recent book, Judging Faith, Punishing Sin: Inquisitions and Consistories in the Early Modern World, Starr-LeBeau is furthering her research on the worldwide prosecution of Jewish converts to Christianity in the 17th century. “The conference experience has already had an important effect on my classes this semester, particularly in a recent class discussion on prayer, piety, and sacred spaces,” she says.
As these examples indicate, students are the ultimate beneficiaries of the College’s investment in faculty professional development.