Last week The Lawrentian introduced eight of the 17 new professors on campus this year. This week, we would like to present the nine professors joining us in the history, geology, religious studies, English, French, government, and anthropology departments.Monica Rico spent the past two years working at Lawrence as a lecturer in history and as a consultant to the Center for Teaching and Learning. This year she has been hired on the tenure track as an assistant professor of history. She specializes in early American history, women’s history, and environmental history.
Rico earned a B.A. in history and political science and an M.A. and Ph.D. in history all at the University of California, Berkeley. Her reason for applying for this position at Lawrence was simple; she says she has “come to love the atmosphere of a small liberal arts college” over the past two years.
Andrew Knudsen, professor of geology, has also been hired on the tenure track. He received a B.A. in geology from Hamilton College and his Ph.D. in mineralogy and geochemistry from the University of Idaho.
Prior to joining the Lawrence community, Knudsen spent a year at the University of Idaho doing postdoctoral research. At Lawrence, he will be teaching mineralogy, environmental science, and some of the intro courses in geology.
A native of the Chicago area, Knudsen already has an attachment to the Midwest. He says he is pleased to be teaching here, in such a beautiful area.
Ahmed Afzaal has been hired as a one-year instructor in the religious studies department. He studied biology and medicine in his hometown of Karachi, Pakistan and graduated from medical school in 1992.
Afzaal then studied Arabic, Qur’anic Studies, and modern Islamic thought at the Qur’an Academy in Karachi. He joined the Caspersen school of graduate studies at Drew University in 1999 to study religion and society and is currently working on his dissertation.
Afzaal will be teaching courses in Islamic studies, including Sufism, Intro to Islam, and the Qur’an. He says he is happy to be teaching at Lawrence, where he is able to interact closely with his students.
Faith Barrett, assistant professor of English, has been hired on the tenure track. She comes to Lawrence with a B.A. from Swarthmore College, an M.F.A. from the University of Iowa, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.
Barrett specializes in 19th century American literature, early American literature, poetry, and creative writing. This year she will be teaching Major American Writers, Literary Composition, and a class on literature surrounding the Civil War era.
Sage Goellner has been hired as an instructor in French with a one-year contract. She has a B.A. from UW Madison, an M.A. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a Ph.D. from UW Madison. She specializes in Francophone literature and women’s studies.
Goellner spent 8 years teaching at UW Madison and the University of Michigan. She also spent a year in Paris doing research.
Goellner says she is excited to work with students who are friendly and smart, and to be a part of the Lawrence community. She will be teaching courses on the French language during her stay at Lawrence.
William Hixon, assistant professor of government, has been hired with a tenure-track contract. He earned a B.A. in political science from Washington University in St. Louis, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Rochester. Prior to his appointment at Lawrence, Hixon taught at various universities, including a year at Lawrence in 2000.
Hixon specializes in environmental and public policy and congressional politics. This year, he will be teaching American politics and public policy, political science, and environmental policy.
He says he enjoys working with the students and his colleagues, and is especially excited for the chance to meet people outside of his department.
The anthropology department has hired two new professors this year: Flagg Miller and Eileen Walsh.
Miller has been hired as a lecturer in anthropology for terms one and two. He has a B.A. from Dartmouth College, an M.A. from Oxford University, and a Ph.D. in linguistics from the University of Michigan. He specializes in political poetry and media of the Middle East and has been doing ongoing research in Yemen.
Miller will be teaching freshman studies, cultural anthropology, and gender studies. He also teaches at the University of Chicago, but is pleased to have the opportunity to work at a small liberal arts school.
Walsh, an assistant professor of anthropology, has been hired on the tenure track. She has a B.A. in philosophy and East Asian studies from Harvard University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in anthropology from Temple University. She specializes in cultural anthropology, particularly gender and migration in China.
Walsh will teach courses in cultural anthropology, including courses focusing on the ethnography of China and tourism. She is happy to have found a place where “students are excited about learning and open to the world.” In addition, she is happy to be able to continue with her interests in gender and East Asia.