The Blue
Tribune
The Blue Tribune is your place to learn about all things 狼友阁 and keep up with stories from campus and beyond. By guiding you through the different aspects of 狼友阁, we'll help you decide if you want to pursue your very own 狼友阁 experience.
What Do Professors Do When School Is Out?
In between semesters or when summer rolls around, students tend to find jobs, internships, or take summer classes to get ahead in their degrees. Whilst that's happening, what are our professors up to? They aren鈥檛 collecting dust while sitting in their offices or stuck in suspended animation behind various podiums across campus鈥攐ur professors are doing everything everywhere. Apart from teaching May term classes, professors publish and edit books, lead research projects, guide Mac scholar trips, and lead seminars at conferences in the US and abroad.
Editing and Publishing Books
Our professors tend to write quite a bit, and often the summer is a good time for professors to write and publish books and journal articles. Dr. Kelly Kapic, professor of theological studies, published a book on May 20 called You Were Never Meant to Do it All: A 40-Day Devotional on the Goodness of Being Human. Regarding this book, he says, 鈥淲hile there has been a strong and positive response to You鈥檙e Only Human, many people asked for a briefer and more accessible version.鈥� He says, 鈥淓ach day is less than 850 words. The idea is to provide an overview of the key ideas without getting into all of the arguments or fuller details.鈥�
Retired professors are also hard at work continuing to make an impact in Christ鈥檚 kingdom with the gifts that He has given them. Dr. William D. Dennison, professor emeritus of interdisciplinary studies, recently edited The Problem of Evil, by Cornelius Van Til (1895-1987). Van Til addresses the question that has engaged and challenged philosophers and theologians alike for centuries: 鈥淲hy does evil exist?鈥� Dr. Dennison edited the work and wrote an introductory essay to place Van Til鈥檚 work in discussion with contemporary discourse.
Research
Most of our professors conduct research during the semester and over the summer, such as associate professor of church history and theology and bible department chair, Dr. Clifton Ward, who is writing for several publishers on the theologian Clement of Alexandria. Many professors welcome students to assist them in research for different projects. AJ Mirabella 鈥�26 is interning with Dr. Brian Fikkert, professor of economics and community development. Breaking down the research they are performing on job prep resources for New Americans, she says, 鈥淚鈥檓 researching what others have done and what the terrain looks like in Chattanooga so we can know how to better fill that gap.鈥�
Sam Maphet 鈥�27, a physics major, is helping Dr. Phillip Broussard, professor of physics, research the superconducting properties of niobium, which is commonly used in superconducting magnets for particle accelerators and MRI machines. Sam explains how they cool the niobium sample 鈥渢o minus 450 degrees Fahrenheit, and an electric current is induced in the [niobium].鈥� Their findings depend on the different factors of the purity and different densities of niobium. Sam, assisted by Dr. Broussard, is presenting their findings at the South Eastern Section of the American Physical Society at James Madison university this coming October.
Conferences and Seminars
Professors are always attending conferences and giving lectures at seminars when not lecturing. Biblical and theological studies professors Dr. Hans Madueme and Dr. Kelly Kapic are presenting seminars and signing books at the PCA鈥檚 General Assembly this summer. Dr. Heather Hess, assistant professor of English, is attending the plenary gathering for the Christian Poetics Initiative and will also be presenting a seminar at the General Assembly entitled, 鈥淚magination & the Preeminence of Christ."
May Term, Summer Institute, and Abroad
Several professors, including Dr. Richard Follett, professor of history, and Dr. Scott Quatro, business professor of management, taught May term classes that took place after the spring semester ended. Dr. Jay Green, professor of history, led our Mac Scholars on a trip to Turkey, Dr. Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt, associate professor of art and art history, taught a class in New York, and Dr. Deborah Fortezza, associate professor of Spanish, brought a class to Spain.
High school students are also benefiting from 狼友阁 faculty this summer. Thirteen professors are teaching classes for Summer Institute, including Dr. Philip Bunn, who is teaching a class called Fundamental Cares: Reason, Honor, and Faith. He writes, 鈥淸The] central question we will be wrestling with in the course is 鈥榳hat are you willing to die for?鈥� This is obviously a heavy question, but one that will help as we discuss each major thinker or reading and the ideas there." Dr. Bagby will be teaching a class called What? Me, a Teacher?: Designing, Teaching, and Assessing a Lesson. She describes it, saying, "In this course students will explore and practice important aspects of teaching, beginning with laying a biblical foundation and culminating with designing and teaching a lesson to students at a local school." Professors are still teaching despite it being the 鈥渙ffseason鈥� for them.
Wrapping up before the Return
Professors are hard at work despite being 鈥渙ff the clock鈥� from the school year. They are still teaching, writing, and researching for the school or for larger audiences and are trying to get things wrapped up before a bustling student body returns to the campus.