Monthly Archives: August 2014

False Dichotomy — I took a logic course in high school, and that’s when I first learned about false dichotomies. I remember developing an affection for the term. I saw false dichotomies wherever I looked, and I didn’t hesitate to say so. Well, I guess I haven’t changed much, for it seems to me that the much ballyhooed division between the humanities and the STEM disciplines is a false dichotomy, at least where our English Department is concerned. As researchers and teachers, our English faculty have many connections to the STEM disciplines.

Here are a few examples of English professors who deal with the STEM disciplines in their research. Boyd Davis is conducting cutting-edge medical research related to the impact of Alzheimer’s and dementia on language skills. This research has resulted in many publications, including Boyd’s most recent book, Pragmatics in Dementia Discourse. Tony Jackson has immersed himself in the field of neuroscience, and he is currently writing a book in which he is exploring how the human brain processes narratives. Jen Munroe has developed an expertise in the history of horticulture and botany, and she draws on this expertise in her publications related to eco-criticism. Alan Rauch has studied biology at the graduate level, and he has a deep-seated passion for zoology. This passion is reflected in his most recent book, Dolphin. Aaron Toscano has a strong interest in the rhetorical strategies used in the development of new technologies, and this interest is at the core of his book titled Marconi’s Wireless and the Rhetoric of a New Technology. Heather Vorhies is conducting research on the history of rhetoric and its impact on how the STEM disciplines currently construct arguments and present evidence. Greg Wickliff has developed an expertise on the role of photography in the history of science and technology. He has written on this topic in his book tentatively titled Enlightened Arguments: Photography and Rhetoric in Nineteenth-Century American Science and Technology. Greg has completed this book, and it is currently under review at the Smithsonian Press.

Here are a few examples of ways in which the English faculty deal with the STEM disciplines in their teaching. Through her work with the Writing Project, Lil Brannon has forged an ongoing relationship with Discovery Place, Charlotte’s science museum. This collaborative effort focuses on encouraging young people to write about the sciences. Alan Rauch often teaches courses that deal with the sciences, and this semester he is teaching a graduate seminar titled “Science and Literature.” Our program in technical communication plays a key role in the education of many students in the College of Engineering. Similarly, our faculty in linguistics provides both undergraduate and graduate course support for the Cognitive Science Program.

As I see it, the humanities and the STEM disciplines do not inhabit separate worlds. In a sense, the classic Venn diagram better describes the relationship between the humanities and the STEM disciplines. Many members of our English Department inhabit the space where the two circles overlap.But What About the M in STEM? — The M in STEM stands for mathematics, and the English Department does not have much in the way of connections with mathematics. However, we are fortunate to have a long-time friend from the Math Department, and that friend is Joel Avrin. Joel’s office is in our part of Fretwell, so he can often be seen in the English Department. In fact, when I come in the office on weekends, the person I see most often is Joel. Joel contributes to our coffee fund, and he often visits Angie and other members of our department. In addition to being a mathematician, Joel is a great supporter of poetry. He has studied poetry with Chris Davis, and for a long time he organized a series of poetry readings in the Charlotte area. In recognition of Joel’s passion for poetry and his interest in our department, I hereby proclaim Joel Avrin to be an honorary member of the English Department. Now, thanks to Joel, we have our M covered.

Kudos— As you know, I like to use my Monday Missives to share news about recent accomplishments by members of our department. Here is the latest news:

Chris Davis just had a poem titled “Anonymous” accepted for publication in the annual Bloom.

Jeffrey Leak just had an article titled “Memories of Brooklyn” published in Charlotte Magazine.

Upcoming Events and Deadlines— Here are some dates to keep in mind:

August 27 — Last day to add or drop a course with no record.

September 1 — Labor Day (University closed).

Quirky Quiz Question — Joel Avrin is the not the only mathematician from UNC Charlotte to take an active interest in other departments in the university. Can you name the mathematician who played a pivotal role in the creation of UNC Charlotte?

Last week’s Quirky Quiz answer –Mark Twain

Three, Two, One, Blast Off — The fall 2014 semester has cleared the launch pad, and we are heading into orbit. The preliminary enrollment numbers are looking very good for the English Department. As of last Friday, 2,066 seats were filled in our undergraduate courses. Last fall there were 1,919 seats filled. This fall 40 freshmen declared English as their major whereas last fall 22 freshmen declared English as their major. This fall 22 students signed up for our English Learning Community whereas last fall there were 12 ELC students. Pilar Blitvich reports that this year we have 22 incoming graduate students for a total of 82 students in our MA program. Last fall we had a total of 73 students in our MA program. These are all preliminary numbers, but these enrollment figures indicate that we are growing at every level.

Welcome Aboard — This semester we have several new part-time faculty members. Robert Arnold will be teaching ENGL 2116 (Introduction to Technical Communication) as will Connie Douglas and Laura Erturk. Saxby Chaplin and Bonnie Shishko will both be teaching ENGL 2100 (Writing about Literature). Finally, Abby Marie Mueller Dobs will be teaching ENGL 2161 (Grammar for Writing). I welcome all of these new part-time faculty members to the English Department. Also, my appreciation goes to Kirk Melnikoff for managing the process of hiring these part-time faculty members.

Kudos— As you know, I like to use my Monday Missives to share news about recent accomplishments by members of our department. Here is the latest news:

Aaron Gwyn just published an essay on NPR’s website about his interest in Albert Camus. Here is the link: http://www.npr.org/2014/08/10/336823512/albert-camus-poker-faced-stranger-became-a-much-needed-friend?utm_source=npr_email_a_friend&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20

Sandy Govan has a chapter in the recently published anthology titled 27 Views of Charlotte: The Queen in Prose and Poetry.

Upcoming Events and Deadlines— Here are some dates to keep in mind:

August 19 — Convocation will take place at 9:30 in McKnight Hall.

August 22 — The All-College Faculty meeting will take place at 9:00 in CHHS 155.

August 22 — The first English Department meeting will take place from 11:00-12:30 in 290B Fretwell.

August 27 — Last day to add or drop a course with no record.

Quirky Quiz Question — With the increase in our enrollment figures, it seems to me that our English Department is far from the current stereotype of moribund humanities departments. I am reminded of the following quotation: “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” Can you name the person who made this statement?

Last week’s Quirky Quiz answer – The Dog Star is Sirius

Our Graduate Students — Not only does the English Department have one of the largest MA programs in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, but we also have two very active graduate student organizations: The English Graduate Student Association (EGSA) and the Children’s Literature Graduate Organization (CLGO). This fall EGSA and CLGO are collaborating on a series of events related to Banned Books Week. Starting on Monday, September 22, and running through Friday, September 26, this week-long extravaganza will include panel discussions, film screenings, and public readings of banned or challenged texts. EGSA and CLGO are in the process of finalizing their schedule for Banned Book Week, and as soon as this schedule is set, I will share it with the department. I am very pleased that our graduate students are working together and taking initiative in planning this series of events, and I urge everyone to support our students by attending one or more of these events.

Kudos— As you know, I like to use my Monday Missives to share news about recent accomplishments by members of our department. Here is the latest news:

Lil Brannon, the Director of the UNC Charlotte Writing Project, recently learned that the work of the UNC Charlotte Writing Project is featured this year in the National Writing Project’s Annual Report. The report celebrates the collaboration between our Writing Project and Discovery Place, and it features quotations by Lacy Manship, Associate Director, and Steve Fulton, 8th Grade Teacher at Kannapolis Middle School. Our site was one of four selected nationally to partner with science museums to deepen the intersections of science and literacy. Here is a link to the pages of the annual report that feature our project: http://www.nwp.org/ar13/educators-innovate.html

Grace C. Ocasio, a graduate of our MA program, recently published a poetry collection titled The Speed of Our Lives. She is having a reading and book signing at Park Road Books on Friday, August 22, at 6:00 pm.

Upcoming Events and Deadlines— Here are some dates to keep in mind:

August 18 — First day of classes for the fall semester.

August 19 — Convocation will take place at 9:30 in McKnight Hall.

August 22 — The All-College Faculty meeting will take place at 9:00 in CHHS 155.

August 22 — The first English Department meeting will take place from 11:00-12:30 in 290B Fretwell.

Quirky Quiz Question — According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, August 11 is the last of the Dog Days of Summer. The term “Dog Days of Summer” is related to ancient beliefs about the heat generated by the Dog Star. Can anybody recall the name of the Dog Star?

Editorships Ahoy – I recently received an email from Paula Eckard announcing the publication of the first issue of the Thomas Wolfe Review to come out under her editorship. This is a substantial issue. It is 248 pages long, and it includes nearly twenty articles and features. With Paula now at the helm of the Thomas Wolfe Review, there are currently three journals that are edited by members of our department. Pilar Blitvich is the co-editor of the Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict, and I serve as the editor of RISE: A Children’s Literacy Journal.

The three journals that are currently edited by members of our department are not the first such publications that our English faculty have edited. Some other examples of English professors who have edited journals in the past include Lil Brannon, who edited North Carolina English Teacher, Robert Grey, who edited the Southern Poetry Review, Andrew Hartley and Kirk Melnikoff, who edited the Shakespeare Bulletin, Anita Moss who edited the Children’s Literature in Education for many years, Alan Rauch, who edited Configurations: A Journal of Literature, Science, and Technology, and Ralf Thiede, who edited the Southern Journal of Linguistics.

As Dean Nancy Gutierrez often points out, it is important for faculty members to be engaged in the conversations taking place within their fields. Editing journals is one way for faculty members to contribute to such conversations.

Inaugural UWP Conference — “Why can’t students write?” is a question often heard on college and high school campuses. To address this complex issue, UNC Charlotte’s University Writing Program will host writing instructors from throughout the region at its inaugural one-day regional writing conference on Friday, September 12.
The conference will be held at UNC Charlotte Center City, 320 E. 9th Street, Charlotte.
“Bridging Inquiries: Research, Process, and Literacy from High School to Higher Ed” will offer panels and round-table discussions on topics such as commonalities in curricula, partnerships across institutions, academic literacies, inquiry-guided learning and teaching, academic transferability, and best practices in the teaching of writing. Presenters will include educators and scholars from Charlotte-area K-12 schools, colleges, and universities. Publisher representatives will offer writing resources for purchase, and lunch will provide a space for exchange and discussion.
University Writing Program welcomes participants from all UNC Charlotte departments and programs, particularly those who teach or are preparing to teach writing-intensive courses. The conference also invites educators from the Charlotte area: K-12 teachers, community college and universityinstructors of writing or writing-intensive courses, media specialists and librarians, administrators, and anyone interested in teaching and furthering student writing abilities.
Registration and additional information can be found at http://pages.charlotte.edu/uwpconference/.
University Writing Program is a free-standing academic program of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at UNC Charlotte, composed of pedagogical and research activities related to the development of writing ability as well as to disciplinary inquiry in the fields of rhetoric and composition.

SOAR News — Every summer hundreds of incoming students come to our campus to participate in our SOAR sessions. During these sessions, they learn about UNC Charlotte, meet with advisors, and register for classes. Throughout the summer, Aaron Toscano and Tiffany Morin have been representing the English Department in these SOAR sessions, and they report strong interest in our major among the new students. Aaron informed me that he has already signed up 35 new majors, and Tiffany has signed up over 20 students for our English Learning Community. There are still two more SOAR sessions to go, so these numbers are preliminary. Still, I am pleased with the numbers that have come in so far, and I am grateful to Aaron and Tiffany for so ably representing the English Department during the SOAR sessions.

Upcoming Events and Deadlines— Here are some dates to keep in mind:

August 5 — The last day of class for the second summer term.

Quirky Quiz Question — By editing the Thomas Wolfe Review, Paula Eckard is keeping editorship of this journal in Wolfe’s home state. In what city in North Carolina did Wolfe spend his childhood?