David Bennetts, Ph.D.

Phone: 320-363-3542
E-mail: [email protected]
Office: SJU Quad 357

Education:

• B.A., Northern Michigan University, MI
• M.A., Southern Illinois University
• Ph.D., University of Illinois
• Post-Doctoral, Brown University

Course taught:

• History 152: The American Experience
• History 353: The U.S. Civil War
• History 354: U.S. in the Late 19th Century

Fall 2006 Courses:

Spring 2007 Courses:
Directing the Japan Study Abroad Program

More about Professor Bennetts,
As you perhaps know, my membership in the Asian Learning Community and listing as a faculty member in Asian Studies is a bit unique/unusual. I am a professor of U.S. history and my teaching/research interests are in the area of U.S. history. My involvement in matters Asian began 18 years ago when I started directing the summer ESL programs for Japanese students. That involvement became the springboard for teaching January Term courses in Japan, creating the full semester study abroad program in Tokyo, joining the teaching faculty of Bunkyo Gakuin University (where I teach every spring,), overseeing the placement of CSB/SJU graduates into teaching positions in Japan, and assisting Admissions in the recruitment of Japanese students for CSB/SJU.

My immersion in Asian Studies has, of course, resulted in some new perspectives and unit additions to my U.S. history courses—I understand so much more about American culture, politics and society because I can compare and contrast with Asian cultures, politics and societies. But the only course I have taught that fully fits the Asian Studies program is HI 300, Topics in Asian American History. This I taught for the first time last Spring. I have made several presentations at the national meeting of AsiaNet and have published in that organizations newsletter. The presentations and publications have all address the matter of building successful, student serving Asian Studies programs.