Means and Methods

Former Library Director Kathy Parker

“Means and Methods: Interviews of CSB and SJU Faculty”

Just as contractors develop means and methods to construct a new building, faculty deploy means and methods of their disciplines to construct new knowledge. The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University faculty engage in a wide variety of scholarly and creative pursuits that not only keep their teaching up-to-date, but importantly contribute to the common good. From ethical analysis of public policy to explorations of ways art enriches lives, our faculty continually develop new understanding of our world. This series introduces some of the scholarly work underway at CSB and SJU.

Means and Methods Episodes

Episode 1

Guest

Emily Kuffner, Ph.D.
Visiting Assistant Professor of Hispanic Studies

She studies the Golden Age (16 ^th and 17 ^th century) of Spanish Literature, with a focus on women writers. Her most recent book is Fictions of Containment in the Spanish Female Picaresque: Prostitution and Architectural Space in the Early Modern Mediterranean (Amsterdam University Press, 2019).

Education

B.A. Spanish, University of New Orleans
M.A. Romance Languages, University of New Orleans
Ph.D. Spanish, University of California Davis

Episode 2

Guest

Shawn Colberg, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Theology

His research interests include both Medieval church history and theology, and Hispanic theology. He has published extensively in journals and he presently has a book under review at Catholic University of America Press which explores the theology of Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure on human action and divine reward.

Education

Ph.D. University of Notre Dame
M.Div. Yale University Divinity School
B.A. Saint Olaf College

Episode 3

Guest

Troy Knight, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Environmental Studies

His current research includes reconstructing past climates and forest population dynamics using dendrochronolgy, the study of tree rings, as well as using phenology to track the impacts of climate change. He has published articles on his research in academic journals of his discipline.

Education

B.A. in Anthropology and History from the University of Georgia
M.S. in Geography Georgia State University
Ph.D. in Geography the University of Arizona

Episode 4

Guest

Dr. Ellen Block, Ph.D.
Sociology Department

Her work centers on the intersections of health, kinship and care in sub-Saharan Africa. She is currently working on a project that examines the emergence of new forms of elder care in Ghana, in light of a rapidly aging population. Thus far, kin-based care has predominated in providing care for elderly people in Ghana. However, such caregiving methods, in the face of population shifts such as longevity, decreased fertility, and increased migration, are already stretched to their limit and will be unsuccessful in managing the ever-increasing number of elders and the complexity of the health challenges they face. This project explores the ways that individuals, entrepreneurs, governments and non-governmental organizations build and legitimate elder care practices in culturally appropriate ways, and examines how such care is perceived by the elderly people receiving it. Learn more about Prof. Ellen Block

Education

Ph.D University of Michigan

Episode 5

Guest

Elizabeth Johnson
Adjunct Instructor of English 2007-Present

Training:
Poetry, theology, interpersonal communication, public speaking
Areas of Interest:
Creative writing, spirituality memoirs, religious literature, spirituality, and preaching
Publications

Education

M.F.A., Bennington College, 2002
M.A., Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, 1995
B.A., Concordia College, 1993

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