Welcome from the Dean
A central question we engage with in the College of Arts and Sciences is “How can our teaching and scholarly activities be mutually beneficial?”
CAS features a community of deeply committed scholars, and the department report in this issue is full of news about recent books, articles and exhibitions they produce. CAS faculty members are also highly accomplished teachers, dedicated to helping students reach their full potential.
According to the last National Survey of Student Engagement, 14% more UVM seniors collaborated with a faculty member on research than their peers at other higher/highest research institutions.
Nata Dudkina '18, who graduated last spring as a biochemistry major, worked in Chemistry Professor Severin Schneebeli’s lab since her junior year, and the experience was key to her acceptance into a chemistry Ph.D. program at Yale. “My research involvement in Professor Schneebeli’s group has been a life-changing experience, and that’s not an exaggeration,” she said. “I’ve never felt as intellectually involved as I am right now.”
In this issue you’ll read about other recent collaborations including that of Matt Schildkamp ’18 and UVM Professor of Film and Television Studies Sarah Nilsen. Matt completed a photoshoot in the Florida Everglades last summer as part of Sarah’s long-range project: exploring changes in the environment and wildlife populations since Disney Studios filmed a series of nature films in the 1950s and 60s.
Meanwhile, senior history major David Smith is developing a new website in collaboration with Associate Professor of History Sarah Osten, who recently spent a week on the Texas/Mexico border serving as a translator for Central American refugees seeking asylum. David’s project will fill in a gap of knowledge for pro-bono attorneys serving asylum seekers, and provide a public resource for anyone seeking knowledge about the roots of Central American migration.
These are just a few examples of faculty/student collaborations that result in depth of experience for students, projects that serve a public need, and a rich intellectual environment in the College.
To recognize the outstanding scholarship generated by CAS each year, we are holding the first College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Recognition Reception on April 9 at 4:30 p.m. in the Alumni House. Many of the academic products detailed in this issue, and many others, will be on display.
This work, often an outcome of faculty/student collaboration, affirms that we are engaging daily in the work of equipping students with life-changing experiences that help them lead rewarding and meaningful lives at UVM and beyond
Bill Falls
Dean of Arts and Sciences
