Reading Groups | Events & Activities | Presentation Notes | External Faculty Resources
For more event details, see the Johnson Center brochure. Links to materials presented at individual Talks, Events, and/or Workshops may be found on the Presentation Notes page.
Johnson Center – September 2018 Events
Coming Soon!
Faculty Lunches:
Tuesday Lunches will be held in the Moseley Room, 11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
On Thursdays, we have lunch and scheduled discussions led by colleagues on specific topics in Wright Campus Center, Room 231. Topics may include evidence-based approaches to teaching and learning, diversity and inclusion, updates on faculty-driven initiatives, and other professional development issues in liberal arts and higher education. On the first Thursday of every month, separate lunch discussions are held for new faculty, faculty in their third to fifth years, and post-tenure faculty.
Lunch begins at 11 a.m., and discussion starts at 11:30 a.m. Sign in at the cashier’s table in the Dining Hall.
A J. Carlson Lecture on the Liberal Arts
Jack Carlson arrived at Austin College as a scholar of early modern European history and grew professionally under the influence of President John D. Moseley to become not only the Dean of Humanities but also one of the College’s leading voices in support of liberal arts education. Jack’s courageous defense of liberal arts education never weakened despite the many financial pressures confronting the College; on the contrary, the consistency of his voice remained a major influence at the College throughout his long and productive career.
Dr. Roosevelt Montás, Columbia University
Thursday, September 13, 2018, 5 p.m.
(Reception and lecture are both in Mabee Hall this year)
“Liberal Education and Democratic Citizenship”
Sabbatical Series
Faculty members discuss research conducted during sabbatical leaves.
Free and open to the public. All in Wright Campus Center, Mabee Hall. A 4:30 p.m. reception in the Johnson Gallery precedes each lecture. Lectures begin at 5:00 p.m.
Sabbatical Series
Dr. Alex Garganigo, Wednesday, October 3, 2018
“The Puritan and the Puppet: Pulpit Versus Stage in Renaissance England”
Dr. Lisa M. Brown, Thursday, November 1, 2018
“Second Time at the Rodeo: Learning To Do Sabbatical Better”
Dr. Jeremy Posadas, Wednesday, February 6, 2019
“What If Mary Aborted the Prenate of God? Reproductive Justice and the Christian Critique of Capitalism”
Dr. Brad Smucker, Wednesday, April 3, 2019
“Pura Vida in Costa Rica: Revitalized by Energy and Culture”
Faculty Research and Pedagogy Talks
Professors talk about their research and teaching.
Free and open to the public. All talks are in WCC 231 with a carry-your-tray lunch starting at 11:00. Talks will begin at 11:30 and will be followed by a question and answer period.
Dr. Lourdes Bueno, Thursday, October 11, 2018
“Student Performances of Spanish Plays: From Classroom to Stage”
Dr. Erin Copple Smith, Thursday, November 15, 2018
“In-Class Activities as Embodied Experiences: Pathways to Engagement and Understanding”
Dr. Loriann Garcia, Thursday, February 21, 2019
“Getting a Taste for Science through Entomology: Connecting Students to the Natural World”
Dr. Matt Findley, Thursday, March 21, 2019
“‘Do I have to take Stats?’: Making Required Courses a Little More Interesting”
Faculty Lunches
The faculty may have lunch in the Moseley Room on Tuesdays, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., courtesy of the Johnson Center. Sign in at the cashier’s table in the Dining Hall.
On Thursdays, we have lunch and scheduled discussions led by colleagues on specific topics in Wright Campus Center, Room 231. Topics may include evidence-based approaches to teaching and learning, student learning and diversity, updates on faculty-driven initiatives, and other issues in liberal arts education and professional development. Discussions on the first Thursday of every month will be for first-year faculty and pre-tenure faculty. Sign in at the cashier’s table in the Dining Hall.
Lunch will begin at 11 a.m., and discussion will begin at 11:30 a.m.
Austin College Student Scholarship Conference
The ACSC is a showcase of student presentations of research projects, intellectual scholarship activities, and creative works. In the spirit of the liberal arts, this conference allows students to experience the intellectual stimulation of an academic pursuit with the thrill of creative expression.
March 22-23, 2019
Director: Dr. Renee Countryman
Assistant director: Dr. Tom Blake
For more information, go to the Student Scholarship Conference website.
Faculty Learning Communities
The Johnson Center sponsors Faculty Learning Communities to promote sustained discussion of a particular topic related to teaching, research, or a disciplinary theme; a subject generated from a shared article, book, or general intellectual interest; a new issue in liberal arts teaching and learning; scholarship of teaching and learning. FLCs meet several times over the course of a semester or year, and funding is provided for materials and refreshments. If you would like to propose a Faculty Learning Community topic, please contact the director of the Johnson Center.
2018-2019 Learning Communities
- Jennifer Johnson-Cooper, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and Pedagogical Scholarship
Reading Groups
Fall 2018 Reading Groups
Dr. Tom Blake
On Being Included: Racism and Diversity in Institutional Life by Sara Ahmed
Dr. Nate Bigelow
Dream Hoarders: How the American Upper Middle Class Is Leaving Everyone Else in the Dust, Why That Is a Problem, and What to Do About It by Richard V. Reeves
Dr. Brett Boessen
The Information: A History, A Theory, A Flood by James Gleick
Dr. Bob Cape
On Being a Mentor: A Guide for Higher Education Faculty by W. Brad Johnson
Barbara Cornelius
The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu: And Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts by Joshua Hammer
Dr. Renee Countryman
Blurred Lines: Rethinking Sex, Power, and Consent on Campus by Vanessa Grigoriadis
Dr. Karla McCain and Dr. Mari Elise Ewing
Dignity: Its Essential Role in Resolving Conflict by Donna Hicks
Spring 2019 Reading Groups
Dr. Ryan Felix
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
Dr. Felix Harcourt
Atticus Finch: The Biography by Joseph Crespino
Dr. Jim Hebda
Five Quarts: A Personal and Natural History of Blood by Bill B. Hayes
Dr. Syed Kamal
The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap by Mehrsa Baradaran
Dr. Mindy Landeck
North Korea Confidential: Private Markets, Fashion Trends, Prison Camps, Dissenters and Defectors by Daniel Tudor and James Pearson
Dr. Ivette Vargas-O’Bryan
Contemplative Practices in Higher Education: Powerful Methods to Transform Teaching and Learning by Daniel P. Barbezat and Mirabai Bush