Michael Kemper saw an opportunity to teach his passion at St. Lawrence University. Coming from Bochum University in Germany, where the assistant professor of history earned his M.A. in Islamic, Oriental and Slavic Studies in 1994 and Ph.D. in Islamic Studies in 1997, Kemper believes that academic freedom and honesty go hand in hand.

Speaking over seven languages and the author or editor of seven published works, plus the forthcoming Islamic Education in the Soviet Union and the CIS, which he is co-editing, Prof. Kemper’s prolific intellectual pursuits have strengthened his belief in the value of a liberal arts education like the one St. Lawrence University provides.

His focus of study centers on Turkish and Central Asian Muslim cultures and their interactions with the West. He teaches courses at St. Lawrence on jihad movements, Ottoman Turkish history and Russian history, bringing much of his research to the classroom. “In some cases my courses benefit from my previous research, but in others I develop new courses and new research at the same time. In addition, I try to engage students in research,” says Kemper.

Most recently, he has taken students from St. Lawrence abroad with him; Ryan Gilman ’08 accompanied Kemper to Azerbaijan this January to conduct research and learn the local Azeri language.

Kemper’s ability to bring a level of excitement to the classroom is unmatched, according to his students. He says that “St. Lawrence has a wonderful community of critical scholars, and I enjoy its free atmosphere.” His passion for critical learning and academic freedom has made him one of the most popular faculty members at St. Lawrence.