MORGANTOWN — What can comedy tell us about who we are and how we think? How can popular science fiction stories teach us about our anxieties around technology? What does the Federal Reserve actually do? What does it mean to be a caring person?
These are just a few of the questions that honors students will investigate in new, innovative courses designed by the next cohort of Honors Faculty Fellows at WVU.
Selected from a competitive pool of applications, these seven faculty are the second group to participate in the program. The Faculty Fellows Program encourages curricular innovation, giving faculty the opportunity to design new Honors College courses that also fit within the General Education Foundations course framework.
In designing their courses, faculty were encouraged to think across disciplines and incorporate opportunities for leadership and service. Service, leadership and innovation are all integral to the Honors Foundations Program experience.
The courses will be offered during the 2018-2019 academic year. Fellows will each deliver a public lecture based on their courses, providing all WVU students and the broader community with an opportunity to engage with these topics. Fellows will also participate in interdisciplinary faculty development activities throughout the program.
The fellows and their courses are:
Sara Anderson, assistant professor, Learning Sciences and Human Development, College of Education and Human Services
“Children, Families and Public Policy” will provide students with a nuanced understanding of the role of public policies in the lives of children and families.
Roger Carpenter, assistant professor, School of Nursing
“Perspectives on Caring” will ask students to explore the concept of caring using theoretical, ethical, socio-political and interpersonal lenses.
Elizabeth Cohen, assistant professor, Communications Studies, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
“Black Mirror: The Dark Side of New Media and Technology” challenges students to explore the psychological underpinnings of people’s often troubled relationships with media and technology.
Earl “Judge” Glock, visiting assistant professor, Economics, College of Business and Economics
“Banking and Politics in America” will explore how politics and banking have interacted throughout American history.
Derek Johnson, research assistant professor, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources
“Energy and Its Implications” will introduce students to energy’s broader implications within multiple social contexts.
Jay Malarcher, associate professor, School of Theatre & Dance, College of Creative Arts
“Comedy and Cognitive Dissonance” will provide an alternative take on the psychological/neurological framework through the lens of the arts and creativity.
Beth Toren, Interdisciplinary, Cultural and Film Studies librarian, WVU Libraries
From fairy tales to world building, “Storytelling with Archives” is an immersive experience in storytelling, combining elements found in theater, creative writing and journalism.
