COLA Connections Newsletter

From the Desk of the Dean

Poet and novelist Paul Laurence Dunbar greets summer with these words: “Let us taunt old Care with a merry air,/And sing in the face of ill.” He also encourages his reader to “renew your joy of heart.” I hope and trust that you will take his advice in the remaining weeks of summer. It might seem that we just continue to work as hard as ever in the College of Liberal Arts. If you’ve been on campus and in Liberal Arts Hall, you will have noticed renovations under way. You will probably have seen us all busily preparing for the fall—already. But we hope that just as the building is renovating, you, too take some time to renew your own motivations and inspirations.

If the summer itself doesn’t inspire you enough, then the two stories featured in this summer edition of the Liberal Arts newsletter should certainly lift your spirits. They point to the excellence and creativity of our faculty, and the leadership and strength of character in our students.

In this newsletter we celebrate Dr. Kelly Norris Martin’s achievement in the classroom as she received the 2012-2013 Richard and Virginia Eisenhart Provost's Award for Excellence in Teaching. Faculty in the College of Liberal Arts have consistently brought this prize home over the years that it has been awarded, demonstrating the genuine care our faculty have for students who come to our classes not only within our degree programs but also for general education electives. Dr. Martin, Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication, inspires students; provides them hands-on, real-world applications in the classroom; and encourages them to think critically and independently. She also encourages and inspires us—her faculty colleagues—to experiment and take risks in our approach to teaching.

We also celebrate the election of Bakar Ali as the new COLA Senator for AY 2013-14. Bakar is a great ambassador for the liberal arts. He encourages his peers, his professors, and all to appreciate the value of the humanities and social sciences. As a double major in Urban and Community Studies and International Studies, Bakar embodies one of the hallmarks of the liberal arts—the integration of ways of knowing. This is an old tradition in the liberal arts, and today more than ever the problems we face in the world require solutions that bring different ways of knowing together. Bakar understands this and applies this integrative principle as a leader.

As you take time for vacation and travel, I hope these stories remind you also of the great pleasures of teaching, learning, research, and community that the academic term holds for us. I look forward to seeing you all in the fall semester! In the meantime: renew your joy of heart!

Speaker and Student Spotlights

		Faculty Spotlight - Kelly Norris Martin For Kelly Norris Martin, the decision to teach at RIT was influenced by a number of factors, including a distinguished former professor at the university. Those influences have also played a role in Martin being the recipient of the 2012-2013 Richard and Virginia Eisenhart Provost's Award for Excellence in Teaching. Read more...
		Student Spotlight - Bakar Ali Bakar Ali knows a thing or two about working hard. The double major in Urban and Community Studies and International Studies, with a minor in political science, plans to graduate in only three years, taking 20 credit hours per quarter since he's attended RIT. Read more...