CAL Currents: The Newsletter of the College of Arts and Letters
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Vol 4 | Issue 1 | October 2020 |
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Being back on campus this semester has not been without its challenges. Singing, dancing, acting, making music and working so closely with faculty faculty mentors is infinitely more difficult in a pandemic!
However, with so many of of our students away from their instruments, equipment and practice spaces for so long after last Spring, coming back to campus this Fall - while challenging, was very much welcomed.
In the College we had to develop our own set of advanced safety procedures and I am so proud of the way faculty, staff and students rose to the occasion and demonstrated their resiliency. From the specially assigned "singers mask" that allows for our vocal students to practice their craft to entire dance performances based on six-feet of distance between performers and online film festivals - students and faculty in the College showed that they are creative and determined and that the show will go on.
In this issue of CAL Currents you'll read about just some of the many things happening around the College this semester and see that despite the challenges, there is quite a bit of good news too.
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David Gudelunas, Ph.D.
Dean and Professor
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New faculty colleagues joining the College of Arts and Letters gathered for a masked and socially distant orientation this semester at the Scarfone/Hartley Gallery. The distinguished group of scholars and creatives are joining the College at an exciting time, if not challenging, time. Be sure to make them feel welcomed to campus. |
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Mora Beauchamp-Byrd, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor of Art and Design
Department of Art + Design
Claire Class, Ph.D.
Professor of Instruction in English and Writing
Department of English and Writing
Paul Corrigan, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor of English and Writing
Department of English and Writing
Troy Cusson, MSM
Music Technology Coordinator
Department of Music
Patrick Ellis, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Communication
Department of Communication
Molly Evans, MFA
Assistant Professor of Art and Design
Department of Art + Design
Kristen Foltz, JD
Assistant Professor of Speech
Department of Communication
Anne Heminger, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Music
Department of Music
Stephen Kromka, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor of Communication
Department of Communication
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Brandon McDannald, DMP
Assistant Professor of Music
Department of Music
Adam Phillips, MA
Visiting Assistant Professor of English and Writing
Department of English and Writing
Sean Sawicki, Ph.D. (ABD)
Visiting Assistant Professor of Communication
Department of Communication
Nicole Schrag, Ph.D.
Professor of Instruction in English and Writing
Department of English and Writing
Rodney Shores, D.W.S.
Lecturer of Instruction in Music
Department of Music
Rosemarie Trentinella, Ph.D.
Professor of Instruction in Art
Department of Art + Design
John Westmoreland, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor of Philosophy
Department of Philosophy and Religion
John Witte, Ph.D. (ABD)
Visiting Assistant Professor of Communication
Department of Communication
Robert Winsler, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor of Communication
Department of Communication
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Art + Design Alumna Creates Time Cover |
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2019 Art + Design graduate Nneka Jones, also the 2019 Charlene Gordon Award winner for excellence in visual art, had her original artwork on the cover of Time magazine in an issue curated by Pharrell Williams. You can read more about this significant achievement here. |
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Excellence in Challenging Times |
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CAL students and faculty continue to innovate and thrive. |
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The New Master of Arts in Professional Communication Launches |
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The new graduate degree equips students with the communication knowledge and skills needed for success in a variety of fields. Students gain experience with masterful presentation techniques, theories of organizational communication, crisis communication, conflict management and the effective use of visuals and media, with an emphasis on digital and emerging technologies.
Pictured above is part of the new class and to the right Drs. Whiteside and Gurrie celebrate the launch of the landmark program.
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CAL Faculty Forums Focus on Critical Conversations |
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With so many casual opportunities for hallway talks or coffee conversations between faculty put on hold during the pandemic, CAL faculty are participating in several special forums this semester around critical conversations.
The first held just before the start of the semester was a forum in response to the tragic murders of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Sean Reed, Breona Taylor and other Black Americans that sparked peaceful protests around the country. Dr. Devon Johnson (Philosophy), Dr. Alisha Menzies (Communication), and Prof. Taylor Curry (FMX) [pictured above, left to right] facilitated a CAL forum about how faculty can do more to combat structural racism and demonstrate that Black Lives Matter in the classroom.
A second forum with Prof. Susannah LeMarquand (Theatre an Dance), Dr. Gary Luter (Theatre and Dance) and Dr. Aimmee Whiteside focused on strategies for teaching success both online and face-to-face during the COVID crises.
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Dance in the Time of Coronavirus |
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An innovative dance series featuring (socially distant) dancers from UT and other schools was co-directed by part-time dance faculty member (and CAL alumna) Prof. Amanda Sieradzki. Performances for the multi-part series were held in St. Petersburg and Tampa with audiences watching continuous dance performances. You can read coverage in the Tampa Bay Times here. |
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CAL and Career Services Team Up to Help Students Succeed |
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Dr. Stephen Kromka (Communication and Speech Studies) and students from the Center for Public Speaking presented a Spartan Skills Workshop on Personal Branding to help students succeed in a competitive jobs environment.
As part of the ongoing CAL Professional Development Program powered by Spartan Ready, future workshops will be offered through the Office of Career Services designed specifically for CAL students.
The first willl focus on graduate school options for CAL majors and a second upcoming workshop this semester will center on "Everything CAL students need to know to get a job and land an internship."
Alaina Rahaim, Assistant Director of Career Readiness, coordinates the outreach to CAL majors who too often mistakenly believe Career Services isn't able to assist them.
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The Show (and Screening and Exhibit and Recital and Performance) Must Go On |
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The Arts + Ideas Guide - Pandemic Issue |
The College of Arts and Letters had to dramatically scale back our usually aggressive slate of performances, recitals, exhibits and other special events due to the global pandemic.
Of course, for many of our students in the performing and visual arts, live events are essential parts of the curriculum. The Fall Semester Arts + Ideas guide lists many events for the UT community (and invited guests) to engage in both online and in-person where it can be safely done.
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'Rising Voices' On Display Through Nov. 8 |
The Scarfone/Hartley Gallery has mounted an incredible show, “Rising Voices: The Bennett Prize for Women Figurative Realist Painters” which features paintings from 10 finalists including stunning pieces by 2019 Bennett Prize winner, and Art + Design part-time faculty member, Prof. Aneka Ingold. Her work is pictured above. You can visit the gallery if wearing a mask.
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The Department of Music Live Streams Concerts and Recitals |
Faculty concerts, student recitals, and other special events from the Department of Music are available on the department's dedicated YouTube channel. While some events are also available to live audiences, the streaming option allows more people to attend than would be possible in person and also provides an opportunity for families unable to make it to Tampa a chance to see their sons and daughters. |
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Faculty and Student Achievements |
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CAL faculty and students are productive scholars and creative leaders. This is just a small sampling of their recent achievements. |
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Dr. Sarah Juliet Lauro, Department of English and Writing, published a book, Kill the Overseer! The Gamification of Slave Resistance with the University of Minnesota Press.
Dr. Lauro also published the article "Digital Commemorations of Slave Revolt" in the journal History of the Present.
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Dr. Marcus Arvan's 2020 book, Neurofunctional Prudence and Morality: A Philosophical Theory, is scheduled to be the subject of a 2-hour author-meets-critics session at the Eastern Division of the American Philosophical Association in January.
Dr. Arvan, chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion, had his paper ‘If Panpsychism, Then Digital AI Are Phenomenally Scrambled’ (co-authored with Corey Maley, University of Kansas) accepted for a 2-hour symposium presentation at the Pacific Division Meeting of the American Philosophical Association in March 2021.
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Animation major Gina Bernardini’s short 2D project was competitively selected for the student juried works at Siggraph 2020.
The project was completed under the mentorship of Prof. Dana Corrigan's, FMX part-time faculty member.
This was the first-time a UT student's work was selected for the prestigious competition. You can see the selected work below..
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Prof. Ali Norman (pictured above), part-time faculty member in Art + Design, opened a community workshop space, Labrynth Studios, in Seminole Heights. Prof. Norman is assisted by a student intern from Art + Design, Eliza Henry, who has been working with her since last semester as a printing assistant and also helping with restoration and gallery work. You can read more at 83 Degrees media.
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Dr. Kyle McIntosh, Department of English and Writing, edited the collection Applied Linguistics and Language Teaching in the Neo-Nationalist Era, for Palgrave Macmillan.
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Prof. Yuly Restrepo published a story, "Pablo Escobar," in the anthology Tampa Bay Noir.
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Prof. Chris Valle, chair, Department of Art + Design has been named as a 2021 Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts juror. He serves alongside three other jurors for the 51st annual art festival. |
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Dr. Kacy Tillman, Department of English and Writing, received a National Endowment for the Humanities grant is support of her article "The Limits and Liberty of Loyalty: Black Loyalism in the Book of Negroes"
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Prof. Santiago Echeverry, Film Animation and New Media, will present three of his works as part of artists’ collective AndroTechne based in London. The show is inspired by Géricault’s painting “The Raft of the Medusa” and is a reflection on pandemic experiences.
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Communication and Speech Studies faculty - Dr. Meredith Clements, Dr. Lacey Brown, Prof. Kristen Foltz and Dr. Chris Gurrie - will be honored by the prestigious National Communication Association’s Teachers on Teaching Series that recognizes "innovative, impactful, and inclusive communication faculty” at the virtual meeting of that association in November. |
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Brook Platteter, a senior majoring in New Media, was awarded a 2020 Gilman Scholarship.
Brook is passionate about collaborating with international groups to create resources that will make communication between Japanese and English speaking people easier.
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program aims to support a diverse range of students who have been traditionally under-represented in education abroad, including students with diverse ethnic backgrounds. It is a competitive and highly selective program that offers grants for U.S. undergraduate students, encouraging students to choose non-traditional study and intern abroad destinations.
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The UT Holiday Concert Re-do on WEDU |
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An Encore Performance of the Spectacular 2019 Concert Will Air Dec. 24 at 9 PM |
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With large-scale concerts on hold for the academic year, and most students leaving campus for the semester just prior to Thanksgiving, the always-packed annual holiday concert was just not feasible.
Luckily the 2019 version of the concert, captured on film by students and faculty in the Departments of Music, Communication and Film, Animation and New Media, will be rebroadcast again on WEDU this season.
You can watch the concert on December 24th at 9 PM on WEDU.
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The All In for Democracy Coalition at UT encourages all students, staff and faculty to vote this November.
Follow the campaign on Instagram for more information.
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