Celebration of Faculty Scholarship

As the student body finds themselves drowning in a sea of papers, research products, and presentations, it may begin to feel as though this immense weight of work is something they struggle with alone. What they often forget though is that Viterbo’s faculty is drowning in the same tidal wave of research responsibility. The faculty is encouraged to pursue research of their own interest, and each semester they are given an opportunity to showcase their work to each other at the Celebration of Faculty Scholarship, which was held on October 26.

The event is held as a morale builder and strives to stimulate scholarship, with many different professors showcasing work they have presented in the past or intend on presenting in the future. Held in the Fine Art Center lobby, the faculty is able to enjoy some wine, cheese, and crackers as they peruse the different poster boards set up around the room or partake in many round table discussions concerning a professor's latest research endeavor. The works presented can be as simple as a class project someone is working on to something as exciting as a professor’s book getting published. In the end, the event is all about giving each willing faculty member the spotlight in sharing the work they have been pouring hours and hours into.

Mary Ellen Haupert, a professor from the Music Department, often attends these events. She is a member of the Faculty Development Committee, the group responsible for putting the event on. In the past, Haupert has shared many projects revolving around compositional research and historical studies of classical composers, on top of many others. She finds that these kinds of research opportunities are incredibly educational, important and, most importantly, fun.

“I like digging a little bit deeper into the general knowledge that all musicians have,” Haupert shared, continuing, “It’s really interesting combing the depths of one particular thing.”

She finds that this kind of research and the opportunity to share it with others really brings a group of faculty members from various educational backgrounds together. According to Haupert, “You have to be a curious person to want to do this sort of thing.”

At the end of the day, the faculty is brought together by their persistence, curiosity, and continued inspiration to learn.