Category: Uncategorized (Page 1 of 2)

Summer Fellows Naghme Morlock & Leslie Stamoolis offer new ways to onboard incoming faculty

This summer we have had the privilege of being CAS Dean’s fellows—an experience that we found immensely valuable and meaningful. As part of this fellowship, which was co-funded by dean and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, we had the opportunity to work on onboarding-related efforts for incoming faculty (including those who joined us during the earlier pandemic years), read and discuss “Complaint!” by Sara Ahmed (selected by us as a group) with Dean Caño and the other summer Fellow, Melissa Click, gain a deeper insight into the day-to-day work of our dean, and to have enriching conversations with others around campus (including administrators, staff, and faculty).

When we applied for the Fellowship we were motivated to continue and extend the work we were already involved in as part of the IDEAS in Action Council. Even more so, we both feel extremely passionate about the idea that a sense of belonging and community is critically important for any member of our campus community to thrive. Therefore, our goal at the start of this summer was to begin the development of a more long-term onboarding program for our new faculty. We recognized early on that the development and implementation of a longer-term program would require more lead time, so we shifted to focusing on the initial arrival on campus for this year. Our new goal is to build on what we did this year in the years to come to develop a robust onboarding program for the College (which could be replicated in the other schools throughout Gonzaga).

Incoming Faculty Orientation

As part of this work, we planned a fall CAS orientation session with the assistance of the Dean’s office.  We included a panel to share and discuss with our newer colleagues some things we wish we had known when we first began working at Gonzaga. The goal was to have an honest and frank conversation about the possibilities and also potential challenges and how to navigate the first couple of years in a way that allows them to build community, find belonging and connection, and find their own authentic resonance with the university mission on their journey. The panel turned into a wonderful discussion and several attendees expressed how valuable they found the conversation.

In addition to the orientation meeting, we also developed a resource list to be shared online that contains suggestions and ideas for ways to connect in the broader off-campus community but also includes ideas for recreational activities and places to explore in Spokane. Belonging and community mean much more than just restaurants and organizations; at the same time, many of our new colleagues ask for those recommendations, so we included them. Further, some of these places can be spaces to connect with others who share similar interests or backgrounds.

Throughout the entire summer, during regular meetings with the Faculty Fellows and Dean Caño, we were able to discuss and learn about the work of our dean, observe what leadership with a commitment to DEI looks like, and have an opportunity to connect and get to know each other more. Getting to engage in reflective discussions with each other outside of the regular academic year was exciting, refreshing, and inspiring. So often during the intensity of the school year, there is not the space or time to do this deeper reflective work and it added a meaningful experience to being a Fellow this summer.

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Getting to Know Dr. Maico Demi Aperocho

The College of Arts & Sciences‘ Modern Language & Literature is proud to welcome to its department Fulbright Visiting Scholar Dr. Maico Demi Aperocho. Dr. Aperocho is visiting Gonzaga from the Philippines and will teach Filipino 101 and 102. Maico will also offer a public lecture this month entitled, “Mental Health and Language Matters: The case of Philippine Microstructure“.

We sat down with Dr. Aperocho to learn a little more about his presence at GU and his upcoming lecture.

Can you tell us a little more about your lecture on September 29^th and why you find it important to discuss this subject matter at GU?

Aperocho: The lecture will be based on my dissertation on depressive language in the virtual sphere in the Philippine context. At Gonzaga, we highly value cura personalis, which means that we also give attention to everyone’s mental health. This lecture will shed light on the linguistic features of the depressive language, how language is used by people living with mental health conditions, and what ideologies this microstructure has within a vulnerable community heavily stigmatized in Philippine communities. Everyone in the GU community can appreciate more how important language is in mental health. 

What are you most looking forward to during your time at Gonzaga?

I only have around nine months of academic and professional stay at GU, so I just want to make connections and learn from people, and at the same time, become a Filipino ambassador of language and culture. I am excited also to share what little knowledge I have in my field and advance the causes I believe in, such as language and mental health, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Mental Health and Language Matters: The case of Philippine Microstructure Public Lecture

Description: When it comes to mental health issues, anyone can become vulnerable. This talk will focus on the depressive language used by Filipinos living in the microstructure, the stigmatized, voiceless, powerless, unsafe, and misunderstood; by delving into their language use, language experiences, and ideological representations.

September 29, 4:10pm in the Center for Global Engagement

This all-university presentation is in English, and all are welcome.

The College of Arts & Sciences is proud to welcome 14 new tenure track and 13 lecturer faculty this Fall semester. This year’s cohort represents 14 different departments, including Political Science (2), Communication Studies (4), Religious Studies (3), Environmental Studies & Sciences (1), Philosophy (4), Biology (3), English (3), Music (1), History (1), Women & Gender Studies (1), International Studies (1), Mathematics (1), Psychology (1), and Theatre & Dance (1). In addition to its size, this year’s cohort includes a diverse array of expertise and identities and is likely the most diverse cohort integrated into the College. From Dean Caño, 

The incoming class of faculty are a stellar cohort, hailing from many different parts of the world and representing a diverse array of disciplinary knowledge, skills, and life experiences. Despite their differences, they all have one thing in common: an excitement to learn from and contribute to the Gonzaga community. I can’t wait for everyone to meet their new colleagues over the course of the year.

Tenure-Track Faculty

Jenaro Alberto Abraham

Department: Political Science

Expertise: Latin American and Caribbean Politics

Fun Fact: I like playing soccer and listening to salsa.

Richard “Chip” Callahan

Department: Religious Studies

Expertise: Religion in American culture; Religion and labor history; Method and theory in the study of religion

Fun Fact: I’ve always been an ocean-lover, living on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, but I am now in love with Spokane and I love the mountains, the lakes, and kayaking on the Spokane River. I’m a fan of bluegrass music, and lately, I can’t hear enough of Billy Strings’s music.

Nigel D’Souza

Department: Environmental Studies & Sciences and Biology

Expertise: Microbial Ecology

Fun Fact: I stress out microbes for a living. I have lived in 7 states across the US in the last 15 years.

Jeremiah Favara

Department: Communication Studies

Expertise: Gender and feminism, sexuality and queer theory, intersectionality, and militarization and media

Fun Fact: I’ve lived in 7 states and 5 countries.

Kendall Fisher

Department: Philosophy

Expertise: Medieval Philosophy

Fun Fact: I love sewing, especially from vintage patterns!

Jens Hegg

Department: Biology

Expertise: Aquatic Ecology

Fun Fact: I enjoy performing Americana, blues, and folk on guitar. Catch me at the Palouse Music Festival at the end of July in my hometown of Palouse, WA.

Sarah James

Department: Political Science

Expertise: American politics and social policy

Fun Fact: Before going to graduate school, I was a high school principal.

Miranda McLeod

Department: English

Expertise: Creative Writing, Composition, English Literature

Fun Fact: I’m a new gardener and would love to get to know people who have experience growing in the area. Please invite me to a seed swap!

Sarah Porter

Department: Religious Studies

Expertise: Byzantine Studies

Fun Fact: I lost my 7th-grade spelling bee on “springbok.”

Darian Spearman

Department: Philosophy

Expertise: Africana Philosophy

Fun Fact: I’ve lived in many places around the country, but I am happy to be returning home!

Meg Stohlmann

Department: Music

Expertise: Choral music and education

Fun Fact: I jumped out of a plane 5 times (when I was in the Air Force in another life) and earned my jump wings :).

Corinne Sugino

Department: Communication Studies

Expertise: Communication Studies, Asian American rhetoric, cultural studies, post-racialism

Fun Fact: I enjoy hiking and am excited to explore the surrounding area/nearby national parks!

Joseph Vignone

Department: History

Expertise: Medieval Islamic science, religion, and literature

Fun Fact: I’m developing a course on historical video games as a form of public history, and am looking for collaborators!

Lecturers

Josh Anthony

Department: English

Expertise: Creative Writing

Fun Fact: I recently got into disc golf.

Kevin Brown

Department: Religious Studies

Expertise: Systematic Theology (ecclesiology, ecumenism, Christology, liberation theologies, hermeneutics, spirituality, pneumatology, fundamental theology, Second Vatican Council)

Fun Fact: I am a life-long, die-hard Dodgers fan. My dad’s family happened to move from New Jersey to California the same year the Dodgers moved from Brooklyn to LA, so the roots of the fandom go back several generations.

Krista Kubiak Crotty

Department: Psychology

Fun Fact: I love the mountains, hope to see you on the slopes this winter!

Avery Dame-Griff

Department: Women’s & Gender Studies

Expertise: How the Internet transformed transgender political organizing from the 1980s to the contemporary moment.

Fun Fact: I’m distantly related to Milton S. Hershey, the founder of Hershey’s Chocolate.

Albana Dwonch

Department: International Studies

Expertise: International Studies. Modern Middle East, Networked Social Movements

Fun Fact: I am an avid reader of literary fiction, and in my free time, I translate novels from English into my native language. It is like linguistic therapy for me and it keeps me connected to my language and my culture, Albanian.

Blake Edwards

Department: Theatre & Dance

Expertise: Theatre arts

Fun Fact: A long time ago in LA, I was in a play with Meryl Streep’s son. She came to see the show. Afterward, she congratulated me and said I was a very good actor. I told her that she was also proficient.

Hussein El Ebiary

Department: Biology

Expertise: Microbiology

Fun Fact: I played college basketball for 4 years. I’m an athletic nerd!

Anthony Fisher

Department: Philosophy

Andrei Kochegarov

Department: Biology

Expertise: Microbiology

Ryan McWilliams

Department: English

Expertise: American Literature

Fun Fact: My grandfather taught at Gonzaga, but my first time setting foot on Gonzaga’s campus was for summer basketball camp.

Kelvin Rivera-Lopez

Department: Mathematics

Chandler D. Rogers

Department: Philosophy

Expertise: Environmental Philosophy, 19th Century Philosophy

Tao Zhang

Department: Communication Studies

Expertise: Intercultural Communication, Critical Communication Pedagogy

Fun Fact: Swimming and hiking are my favorite hobbies after work. I also love eating anything potato, for which I earned the nickname Lady Potato.

This past weekend, I was able to experience my very first Fall Family Weekend. OK, so I missed Kraziness in the Kennel, but I did enjoy seeing the fruits of faculty and student labor and learning more about what excites and animates our students. What I experienced gave me a much-needed jolt of inspiration and energy when I was beginning to feel a bit stretched. From my conversations with faculty and staff, I don’t think I’m alone in finding October both exhilarating and exhausting.

My weekend started with attending the Homerathon, billed as the “most epic tradition at Gonzaga University.” I didn’t stay for the entire 12+ hour epic reading of Homer’s The Odyssey, but I did stop in with my 10-year old sidekick, who was off from school that day. It was so inspiring that he committed to reading a little bit next year if someone could help him with the Greek pronunciations (and wear some cool ancient Greekwear). Classics for the win!

Showcasing Undergraduate Research

Saturday, I visited several College of Arts and Sciences students at their posters, during the Undergraduate Student Research Showcase, which represented the culmination of their scholarly and creative work in their majors. I learned about patterns of racial segregation in the Midwest, the representation of political and cultural themes in Milton’s Paradise Lost (which still resonate today), the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on older adults living in assisted living facilities, music and dance as a manifestation of the varieties of the immigration experience. I also learned more about neofascist behavior in social media networks, intravenous drug use patterns among incarcerated people, algorithms to solve equations related to chemical energy more efficiently, and behavioral signaling and competition in insects.

But what was truly inspiring was how all of these students were able to share their knowledge and passion for their topics. As a long-time mentor of doctoral students, I had to keep checking myself: “These are undergraduate students!” I enjoyed hearing what they hope to do next. Among this group of students are future K-12 teachers and professors, doctors, attorneys, public servants, researchers, and therapists. And to see family members’ beaming with pride about their students’ work was a treat.

Music makes the soul

Later in the evening, I attended the Gonzaga University Choirs concert We’ll All Rise Together, led by our amazing Department of Music faculty, Dr. Amy Porter and Dr. Jadrian Tarver. How uplifting it was to enjoy the voices of our students, and after only about six weeks of practice! Compositions varied from traditional to contemporary and included African-American spirituals and Spanish choral pieces, showcasing that choral and musical excellence requires diversity. I hope the rest of the audience was uplifted and transformed by what they experienced. I can’t wait to see what our talented conductors and students bring to us next!

Fall Family Weekend is not just for students and families. As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, October is often when we begin to feel depleted, but Fall Family Weekend revived my sense of wonder and instilled new hope even as we still move through this pandemic. And looking even farther into the future, I know we’re going to be OK because we’re launching thoughtful, compassionate, and curious students into the world.

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Learn more about the College here and here.

On August 20^th, Toni Lodge (Turtle Mountain Chippewa), CEO of the Native Project, and Margo Hill (Spokane), Associate Professor of Urban and Tribal Planning at EWU, co-hosted an event celebrating the recently renamed Whistalks Way.

The event also celebrated the woman who inspired the name, Whist-alks, a Spokane woman, warrior, and wife of Yakama sub-chief Qualchan. She fought in Plateau War battles alongside her husband and, upon his hanging at the hands of Colonel George Wright, rode into Wright’s camp and threw her spear into the ground in front of him. Her defiant challenge asserted that Plateau Peoples would not be defeated and her courage made the U.S. Army see Plateau women. Whist-alks personified Plateau women’s commitment to community, culture, family, and homelands.

Ms. Lodge and Professor Hill, a Gonzaga Law School alumna, joined with other leaders in the community to identify contemporary women who inherited the legacy of not only Whist-alks but of generations of grandmothers. More than 70 Native women and allies from fields including health care, education, law, Indigenous language preservation, community organizing and activism, and more were honored as Warrior Women. I am humbled and grateful to be among them, and proud to see Gonzaga recognized for the contributions of Wendy Thompson (Salish Kootenai), Director of Tribal Relations, and Rachelle Strawther, Director of Leadership Training and Development.

People have asked what specific action or accomplishment garnered recognition, but there is no single reason, no formula. While our names were read individually, in that setting we stood side-by-side as part of the whole. We each serve our communities in our own ways, and we do so as people raised with Native American cultural and kinship practices. We are responsible to this place and each other.

Centering Native-based Knowledge

My academic work is one way I contribute to the Plateau and my communities. This year marks the ninth year of the Native American Studies (NTAS) program, a minor established to embed Native content in the curriculum and to reinforce Gonzaga’s responsibility to place and community. Faculty who teach Native American Studies invite Native knowledge holders into classrooms and campus events because we want this campus to hear Native people speak for themselves and center Native-held knowledge. Approximately 40 guest speakers from the region and 20 speakers from Indian Country have shared our campus spaces, participating in conversations about tribal sovereignty, Native arts, Plateau health, Indigenous architecture, film, theatre, politics, Indigenous science, TEK, MMIW, and more.

While our names were read individually, in that setting we stood side-by-side as part of the whole.

NTAS students engage in research projects that advance Native-centered knowledge. This fall, the Introduction to Native American History course will work with Plateau knowledge holders to create digital interpretations of canoes and sn̓k̓ʷul̓mn̓ (things we use) as part of a larger digital humanities project. One year, students worked as “historical consultants” in the Jesuit Oregon Province Archives, researching tribal materials held in the collections, then preparing reports about the contents. At the end of the semester, one group’s report resulted in members of that community visiting the archives and reproducing materials to bring home with them. This kind of work connects students and community members in shared pursuits of knowledge and interpretation. 

Research is part of my academic practice as well, and I’m lucky that I’ve been able to co-author scholarly articles with Indigenous women including Shelly Boyd (Sinixt), Emma Noyes (Sinixt), and Miki’ala Pescaia (Native Hawaiian). According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, in 2019 approximately 457,000 women taught at four-year private institutions. How many of those women were Native? 550. How many Native women were tenured? 136. I am the second Native person and the first Native woman to be tenured at Gonzaga—and I have only held tenure since 2020, 133 years after Gonzaga was founded. Institutions must do better. If we want to achieve equity, we absolutely must do better.

Standing on the shoulders of ancestors

Toni Lodge and Margo Hill reminded honorees and attendees that we stand on the shoulders of our grandmothers and walk the paths they blazed for us. My grandmother was with me that day in the roses she once beaded for my moccasins. The moccasins don’t fit anymore, but I moved the roses to a dress and a pair of gloves—I know she would be happy to see I still carry them with me as I travel some of the same Plateau paths she did.