By Suzy Alstrin
The 2024-2025 Faculty Colloquia series launched on September 12th with presentations by English professor Dr. Graham Johnson, and sociology professors Dr. Donald Gregory and Dr. Cheryl Brown. The series fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, encourages knowledge sharing, and provides a platform for professional development through the exchange of ideas and research findings.
“It’s exciting to see and hear what your colleagues are working on and ask questions; it generates an intellectual spark and enthusiasm that you can channel into your own work,” explained Dr. Johnson. “It’s useful to organize and present your information to an audience of intellectually curious people to generate excitement and get feedback about your ideas. It’s practical if you want to turn them into something larger,” he added. For the Colloquia, Johnson presented insights into C.S. Lewis’s (British, 1898-1963) unfinished poem on Launcelot. Lewis, a scholar, author, and Angilican lay theologian, is best known for his novel, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
Dr. Gregory and Dr. Brown presented their research titled “COVID Lockdown and the Lasting Legacy of Student Alienation.” Dr. Johnson reacted, “Their unique research, analysis, and ideas were interesting, but their presentation was particularly important for anyone who is a teacher. Seeing the data culminated in an academic way was useful because the pandemic affected the students we are currently teaching.”
Students are encouraged to attend the Colloquia throughout the academic year, alongside faculty and staff. Dr. Theresa Ast, Professor of History and colloquium organizer explains why, “I think it is very useful for students to see faculty outside of the classroom and hear us as scholars and researchers, with unique interests of our own.”
