Keene State College began a new tradition of praising the work some of its faculty and staff have done.
Last Tuesday, Feb. 24 the college held its first annual Celebration of KSC Faculty & Staff Scholarship and Creativity.
“I welcome you all to the first of hopefully a yearly event,” Celia Rabinowitz, dean of Mason Library said. Rabinowitz has been dean of the library since August 2014.
Before Keene she spent 22 years at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, where she was the director of the Library & Media Center for 12 years, according to the school’s website.
Tim Smith / Senior Photographer
On display at the event were books, articles and other projects done by faculty and staff at the school. “Holocaust Education: Challenges for the Future” is one of the books on the two tables. This work was published by KSC’s very own James Waller, a Holocaust and Genocide Studies professor.
“It’s delightful that we have folks out here displaying their work,” KSC President Anne Huot said to the group meeting in the Marion Wood reading area.
Some professors brought their students to the event to check out some of the work that was present.
Student Josh Goodell said he was looking for, “Anything to spark my interest,” he said. Goodell, undeclared, was looking at “Disability Discrimination at Work,” a book by KSC professors Kathleen R. Johnson and Karen A. Couture.
Johnson is an assistant professor in the management department while Couture is an assistant professor of psychology.
“We teach by example, and this is a wonderful example . . . of what’s really possible,” Provost Walter Zakahi said.
Zakahi has been serving as KSC’s provost since last June.
Darrell Hucks brought his class of graduate students to observe some of his colleagues’ work.
“I think having faculty here, to be able to showcase their work — it’s invaluable,” Hucks said.
Hucks is an education professor who is part of the ‘New Teacher as Leaders program,’ which allows recent graduates to obtain their Masters in Education in Curriculum and Instruction in just one year.
According to the school website, the program launched this fall with nine members of the Keene State College class of 2014.
Hucks had two of his works on display; “New Visions of Collective Achievement: The Cross Generational Schooling Experiences of African-American Males” is a study-turned-book Hucks published in 2011 and “Literary Enrichment and Technical Integration in Pre-Service Teacher Education,” a textbook Hucks published with other scholars.
Hucks said he thinks events like this are not only perfect ways to showcase one’s work, but also great ways to network.
Hucks continued to say he likes the opportunity his students have to talk and mingle with other people in their fields.
The work on display also gives his students a sign of what they can accomplish.
“They are the future,” he added.
President Huot said that events recognizing the staff and faculty’s outstanding achievements is needed.
“Really important and good things go on here, and we need to celebrate it,” Huot said.
Skyler Frazer can be contacted at sfrazer@kscequinox.com
