2013-2014 Faculty Fellows
Three 2013-2014 faculty fellows were chosen after an open call for applications:
Conway Fellow for Jesuit Education (associated with the Conway Institute for Jesuit Education)
Julia O'Hara Associate Professor,
History
Toward an "Educated Solidarity" with Central America: Constructing a Jesuit Resource on Central American History for Service and Community-Engaged Learning
Abstract:
The project that I propose is to compile, edit, and author a new Jesuit Resource for the study of Central American history that is informed by both Ignatian pedagogy and the historical literature, and is customized for use by participants in community-engaged service experiences in Central America. Using as a model the online seminars on the website jesuitresource.org, this project will create concrete learning materials to support experiential learning, reflection, and intercultural understanding, and to help users gain self-awareness about their roles in the complex interactions that take place during cross-cultural encounters. Co-curricular service experiences such as Alternative Breaks and mission trips to Central American countries have a great capacity to help students bring new perspectives to their classroom work. By providing a rich and diverse set of learning materials about Central American history, the proposed project will provide a framework in which personal engagement and critical thinking can reinforce each other. This process is essential to our efforts to inculcate in our students not simply compassion for, but an educated solidarity with, the people of other nations.
Faculty Fellow for Expanding a Faculty Learning Community Project
Rachel Chrastil
Associate Professor, History
The Stuff of Everyday Life: Using Quantitative Literacy in the Humanities to Address Sustainability Issues
Abstract:
Skill in quantitative literacy (QL) and the interdisciplinary study of sustainability issues are two of the most urgent needs in higher education. This fellowship brings QL, information graphics, European history, and sustainability research together in one multifaceted project. The fellowship will contribute to the strategic promotion of QL at Xavier and the revision of two courses (100-level core and 300-level); the fellowship will also complement and enhance my research on sustainability issues. As a result of this fellowship, more students at Xavier will achieve the AACandU's essential goal of QL, partner with research agencies in Cincinnati to create new knowledge, and engage in sustainability studies. The fellowship brings together my involvement (direct or indirect) in four FLCs: Incorporating Sustainability in Courses, The Future of Cincinnati, Quantitative Literacy and Digital Humanities.
Faculty Fellow for Implementing a Faculty Legacy Project
David Rodick Assistant Professor,
Philosophy
The Legacy of Frank M. Oppenheim, S.J.
Abstract:
It is well known in the Xavier community that Frank Oppenheim taught Philosophy here for over 40 years; what is less known is that Frank Oppenheim is the world's leading authority on the American philosopher Josiah Royce. This legacy project seeks to hold a lecture, host a conference, and publish a Festschrift in Professor Oppenheim's honor. To promote the legacy of a faculty member in this manner is quite standard in the academic profession and, when approached creatively, is a tribute to the faculty member, to the university they served, and to the subject of their research. The results of this legacy project will provide useful information for those looking to preserve the legacy of a faculty member in the future.
This Fellowship is being funded through a grant Xavier received from the American Council on Education and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to share and enhance best practices around three culminating stages of faculty careers: the development of a legacy, the transition into retirement and the continuing involvement of faculty in the academic community post-retirement.