Faculty and Staff Scholarship Showcase Spotlights Academic Excellence at St. Lawrence
How can professors assess student learning in the age of artificial intelligence? Can plants eavesdrop on insect communication? What are the connections between religious language and weight-loss gimmicks?
These were among the questions explored Friday afternoon at St. Lawrence University’s fourth annual Celebration of Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Creativity, an event that highlights the depth and breadth of intellectual work that defines the University’s academic community.
In a series of roughly two-minute presentations, faculty and staff shared ideas drawn from their research, teaching, writing, and creative practice—offering colleagues and students alike a window into the questions currently shaping their thinking.
The event was conceived as a way to make scholarly and creative work more visible across campus—and to model intellectual curiosity as a shared institutional value.
“Four years ago a group of faculty got together and thought it’d be wonderful to bring the St. Lawrence community together and celebrate each other’s work and creativity in a way we don’t have many opportunities to do,” says Michael W. Ranger '80 and Virginia R. Ranger P'17 Professor of Political Science and Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs Ronnie Olesker, who chairs the faculty development committee that organizes the event.
Unlike many academic showcases, the Celebration intentionally invites participation from both faculty and staff, reflecting a liberal arts ethos that values multiple forms of knowledge, creativity, and expertise.
“Being open to staff as well as faculty is what makes this event really exciting and brings about the community in a way that’s unique to a small liberal arts campus,” Olesker says.
That inclusive approach creates space for forms of inquiry that extend beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries. Curator of Special Collections & University Archives Librarian Paul Doty, for example, shared his creative work by reading aloud his poem “Wet Sox,” which reflects on a visit to Fenway Park.
“What’s most interesting about this event is seeing the breadth of where curiosity is being applied,” Doty says, poetically.
Assistant Professor of Gender and Sexuality Studies Stephanie Yingyi Wang, who presented on her forthcoming book Cruel Activism: Labor and Affect of Chinese Feminist and LGBTQ Organizations, agrees. “It was fun to learn about the cool stuff other professors are doing,” she says. “In this sense, I benefitted from the value of the liberal arts as a faculty.”
For Seanna Petrichor, chief clerk in the Financial Aid Office, the showcase offered an opportunity to reflect on creative practice as a form of inquiry and personal restoration. Their presentation explored clay as a source of relief and the role ceramics has played in their experience living and working in the North Country.
Several presentations also highlighted the integration of teaching and research that defines the St. Lawrence academic experience. Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Aaron Iverson shared findings from research conducted with students at the University’s Living Laboratory, demonstrating that some plants can detect—or “smell”—their insect antagonists.
Charles A. Dana Professor of Mathematics Dan Look offered a distinctly interdisciplinary analysis, applying mathematical tools to compare the original Conan the Barbarian stories with later Tor-era pastiches—an approach that underscored both analytical rigor and intellectual play.
“We’ve got so many creative people here at St. Lawrence that we’re not necessarily aware of or celebrating, and this event allows us to do just that,” Look says.
