Fourteen University of Georgia faculty members will collaborate with UGA Libraries archivists this May to design learning opportunities for students using historical materials, as part of the 2021 Special Collections Libraries Fellows program.
From finance to film studies, the sixth cohort of the program reflects the broadest range of academic disciplines in the program’s history, reaching faculty from eight schools and colleges and 13 academic departments. The group exemplifies the wide range of materials that students and researchers can explore in the Libraries’ three special collections units.
“Participation in this program is a testament to our Fellows’ dedication to the craft of teaching,” said Toby Graham, university librarian and associate provost. “We look forward to working with this group of outstanding faculty members to design archives-centered courses that ignite students’ curiosity and strengthen their research and critical thinking skills.”
The Special Collections Fellows program, a collaboration between the Libraries and the Center for Teaching and Learning, has reached 55 faculty members since 2015 and resulted in the creation of more than 50 archives-centered courses in 34 disciplines. The program won an award for excellence from the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Council in 2020.
The 2021 Special Collections Faculty Fellows are:
- Jillian Bohlen, associate professor of animal and dairy science, College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
- Megan Brock, lecturer and academic coach, Division of Academic Enhancement, Office of Instruction
- Dana Bultman, professor of Spanish, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
- George Contini, Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor, theatre and film studies, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
- Christina Hanawalt, assistant professor of art education, Lamar Dodd School of Art, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
- Melissa Harshman, professor of printmaking and book arts, Lamar Dodd School of Art, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
- Sungkyung Lee, associate professor, College of Environment and Design
- Kyser Lough, assistant professor of journalism, Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication
- Lindsey Reynolds, instructor and librarian, Lamar Dodd School of Art, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
- Annette Poulsen, Augustus H. "Billy" Sterne Chair of Banking and Finance, Terry College of Business
- Rumya Putcha, assistant professor, Hugh Hodgson School of Music and Institute for Women’s Studies, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
- Jennifer Samp, professor of communication studies, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
- Fausto Sarmiento, professor of geography, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
- Sarah Shannon, associate professor of sociology, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
The new cohort will begin work this May with a hands-on introduction to archives-centered learning, and a behind-the-scenes tour of the Libraries’ three special collections units: the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies and the Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection.
Throughout the month, they will participate in a series of workshops and seminars to introduce the tools and resources of TeachArchives.org, a pedagogical guide developed by the Brooklyn Historical Society. The program will conclude with a three-day institute where fellows will present their course designs and gather feedback from their cohort peers and the fellowship instructional team.
“I am delighted for the newest class of Special Collections Libraries Fellows, who will have the opportunity to design transformative learning experiences for their students via engagement with the university’s exceptional collections,” said Megan Mittelstadt, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning.
For more information about archives-based teaching and the Special Collections Libraries Faculty Fellows program, contact Jill Severn at jsevern@uga.edu.