Faculty making change
By Rachel Moulton '97
Dr. Hassan Rahmanian | Dr.
Elizabeth "Eli" Nettles| Dr.
Jean Gregorek
Dr. Geoffrey "Jahwara" Giddings|
Dr. Suparna Bhaskaran
Antioch faculty are training the students of today to make
change tomorrow. These five faculty members and the additional
faculty members in our expanded online edition of the Antiochian,
represent a faculty dedicated to their individual disciplines
and to Antioch College. With books hitting the shelves in
2003 and 2004 on subjects ranging from African American intellectual
traditions to the exploration of what might constitute true
Indianness, Antioch faculty remain at the cutting edge of
their fields.
This is only a small glimpse of an eclectic group of people
who make Antioch what it is today. Join us in honoring even
more Community members by visiting the Antiochian's
Community Profiles.
 Once
Dr. Hassan Rahmanian and his family
of four decided they wanted to adopt America as their home,
he began looking for a more purposeful teaching experience.
"I was very politically involved and so I was looking
for a place where I could bring my own political thoughts
and orientation to my teaching." He was working on his
doctorate and teaching at the University of Pittsburgh when
he came upon the job opening at Antioch. "The job description
was so impressive. I talked to my colleagues and almost all
of them knew about Antioch. I started reading about Antioch,
and as I read, I became more and more fascinated with the
history and what it stands for. I fell in love."
Associate Professor of
Administration and Management; BA, MA, University
of Tehran; PhD, University of Pittsburgh
"Hassan believes all
his students are brilliant. Starting from that premise,
he respectfully challenges each of us to dig deeper
beneath the surface of complex concepts. He demands
the moon, and in doing so, he enables us to stretch
our intellectual capacities. That to me is an extraordinary
professor."
- Phoebe Morris '04
Research Methods &
Data Analysis in the Social Sciences:
The primary objective of this
course is to familiarize students with methodological
premises of three social research paradigms namely
multivariate, interpretive and historical.
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In Hassan's first year at the College, Antioch invited 15
notable alumni to campus for a round table discussion. Al
Denman, Emeritus Professor of Law and Religion, moderated
such greats as Stephen Jay Gould '63,
Clifford Geertz '50, Theodore
Levitt '49, Jay Lorsch '55,
and Warren Bennis '51. "These
were people I knew by name, but I never knew that they were
all Antiochians." As a first-year faculty member, Hassan
was struck by the breadth and depth of knowledge at that table
as well as the clear and lasting impact that Antioch faculty
had on these men and women. After witnessing this discussion,
Hassan went off to teach his afternoon classes. He says that
even after 18 years, he can still capture the feeling of that
afternoon. "When I got to class, I couldn't see my students
as they were then. I saw them as they would be years later.
That image put a lot of weight on my shoulders." Hassan
realized in full his responsibility as an educator and the
impact he might have on the great leaders of tomorrow. "It
put me on a different plane. I remember one of my students,
my first advisee, went to John Hopkins for her graduate program.
Then, several years ago, when Haiti was having a social upheaval,
I was watching CBS Sunday morning. The first story was about
Haiti and there was Anne Russell '88.
The reporter was talking to her. She was there and was the
person explaining the political situation." Hassan's
respect for his students remains clear to anyone who watches
him teach or sits to hear him talk about his time as an educator.
Hassan has been teaching courses for the past 18 years, twice
a year, but each time he teaches a course at Antioch it feels
brand new. "I always feel I'm in the learning mode."
Hassan's students can tell that he is learning, but at the
same time, they expect him to maintain his authority. "Every
year I test myself. It's a life learning experience that you
have in your classes." Hassan maintains that an Antioch
education provides the most frequent, the most intense, and
the most diverse experiences for both teacher and student.
"Every year I test myself. It's
a life learning experience that you have in your classes."
A major area of research for Hassan is related to comparative
management. This interest stemmed directly from his own initial
encounters with US cultures and he began to investigate the
differences in management styles between, for example, Japan
and the US. Hassan recognized that in comparative management
time has an important role. "Time is one of those notions
that connects to almost everything. I had to brush up on my
philosophy foundation, the philosophy of time as well as the
anthropology of time." His focus is now on time as the
DNA of an organization. He's looking to Antioch as an organization
and gathering data on a lot of different levels. His research
is shaping a book appropriately titled It's About Time. His
book will be published in both Farci and English.
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Assistant Professor of
Mathematics; BS, University of Kentucky; MA, PhD,
University of Alabama
"Eli makes an incredible
effort to teach interesting and necessary classes.
She has set an example of the vigor professors should aspire to."
- Addison Carter '05
Topology:
This course covers axiomatic
point-set topology, including standard topics such
as connectedness, compactness, continuous mapping,
and applications to the geometry of Euclidean space
and its subspaces.
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Dr.
Elizabeth "Eli" Nettles learned to love teaching
while earning her doctorate at the University of Alabama.
Even at the beginning of her teaching career, she was famous
for her sense of humor. Walking into a full classroom on an
enormous campus was somewhat different than teaching to 15
or 20 students at Antioch. Eli used her anonymity at Alabama
to get the students attention on the first day. "I would
walk into the classroom and begin to lecture. After a while,
I'd pause at the chalkboard then turn and say 'Can you imagine
if I'm not actually supposed to be here? If I'm just some
woman off the street? Look how big this building is! I could
be anyone and you all are taking notes. I don't even have
a math degree!" It was true, Eli had not yet earned her
doctorate in mathematics, but now that she has, her teaching
methods are no less disarming. A class with Eli Nettles is
distinct.
Eli came to Antioch College because she wanted to teach in
a small school. Eli had not even begun her job search in earnest
when she sat down with a friend and saw the advertisement
for a job opening at Antioch. "Right away I said to my
friend, 'This is it. I've found my job. I'm going to Antioch.'"
Her friend laughed and insisted that applying for academic
jobs just wasn't that simple. Eli began to apply at various
institutions and, subsequently, began interviewing, but as
soon as she visited Antioch, she knew once again that it was
where she needed to be.
Eli is quick to say that the best thing about teaching at
Antioch is the variety of students. "Every class is different.
It can be calculus, which I've taught 50 times, and it is
still different each time I teach it." Eli also admits
this can be one of the challenges of teaching at Antioch.
"There is such a wide range of skill levels in any given
classroom that I have to stretch to make sure I'm reaching
everyone." Eli enjoys this challenge.
The Student Evaluations of Instructor (SEIs) for Eli's classes
often reflect her sense of humor. When she sees her students
comment on how her sense of humor makes math more accessible
she knows she's gotten through to them. "I'm always pleased
if my evals say that people who have had trouble with math
now understand it. I really try to put people at ease and
I try to make it fun."
She is also involved in the five-college math contest that
Antioch has been a part of for over 70 years. The contest
is an annual event for Antioch, Denison, Ohio Wesleyan, Kenyon,
and Wittenberg. Before Eli arrived there weren't very many
math majors involved in the contest but now more and more
of the contest participants from Antioch are math majors.
There are currently six students graduating with a concentration
in math. Her students are working on senior projects that
focus on everything from coding - the relationship between
linguistics, mathematics, and computer science - to quadratic
residues to the perfect shuffle. Eli also finds time to pursue
her own research, focusing the majority of her study on group
theory.
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Associate Professor of
Literature; BA, Ohio State University; MA, University
of York (England); PhD, Ohio State University
"Jean's ability to
share her knowledge without assuming authority is
one of her greatest strengths as a teacher. It inspires
students and challenges them to take their work and
education seriously."
- From a letter written
to the Editor expressing the views of over ten of
Jean's students and colleagues.
The Post-Colonial
Text:
This course seeks to introduce
students to the emerging field of postcolonial studies
via recent literary and theoretical work, as well
as film, primarily from the geographical area of the
Caribbean.
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Dr.
Jean Gregorek felt at home at Antioch right away. "I
just thought that this kind of discussion-based learning is
how I want to teach," Jean offers when asked about her
early impressions of Antioch. She knew it was where she belonged
and has not looked back since she started in 1994.
Jean's dissertation explores the development of the Victorian
Self-help movement, a very different movement from today's
self-help craze. "Victorian Self-help arose as a response
to the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain. This was a
period of increasing working-class consciousness, characterized
by demonstrations, riots, strikes, and industrial sabotage
as workers sought to organize themselves into various kinds
of class-based associations and trade unions. The Self-help
movement appeared in the midst of this as a middle-class tactic
to promote good behavior and good work habits on the part
of industrial workers," explains Jean.
Jean is currently working on two research projects, one which
expands on her dissertation research by examining the internationalization
of labor and its connection to British imperialism during
the mid-nineteenth century. The other project draws on her
interest in the history of crime and punishment. In 2003 Jean
was asked to offer context for the exhibit of art by prisoners
"Made in Prison," curated by Antioch's Herndon Gallery.
The article which resulted, entitled "'Factories of Exclusion:'
The Politics of Prisons in the Era of Globalization,"
questions the logic of the policy of mass incarceration in
the US (See page 12).
Her work on prison issues has spilled over into a course
on detective fiction, a class which explores the history of
representations and constructions of criminality as well as
the history of state punishment. Jean strives to bring to
light the same kinds of critical discussions in her classes
that she debates in her own research. She feels that one of
her strong points is, in fact, constructing interesting syllabi.
"I try to put together syllabi that juxtapose different
texts, positions, and perspectives to create the possibility
of informed discussions on important issues." A tremendous
amount of a care, reading and research goes into the planning
of each course. As she puts it, "It's like curating an
exhibit or putting together an anthology." Jean tries
not to have any pre-established conclusions about her students
or the material. She doesn't look for a particular answer,
but is interested instead in generating productive dialogue
about burning issues and problems. "One of my goals is
to disrupt any kind of complacency and not let people stagnate
or rest. I want to make sure they keep thinking," Jean
says.
Jean has been involved with the Women's Studies program since
she first arrived on campus. She will be co-leading with Antioch
New England an on-site program for Antioch alumni this spring
on the topic of Expatriate Writers in Paris in the 1920s;
her contributions will focus on the role of feminism in modernist
writing and the work of Dominican novelist Jean Rhys.
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Assistant Professor of
Africana Studies; BA, Brandeis University; MA, PhD,
Temple University
"Jahwara is an excellent
example of a good faculty member. He combines challenging
courses with an encouraging method of instruction."
- Danny Solis '06
Local African American
Culture and History:
This course introduces students
to aspects of African American history and culture
in the Miami Valley communities through archival research,
field trips, original community-centered projects
and guest lectures.
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"Going
through the process of discovering Antioch was enlightening,"
comments Dr. Geoffrey "Jahwara"
Giddings. The existence of narrative evaluations, the
strong sense of community and the pervasiveness of shared
governance were all areas that initially drew him to the College.
Jahwara's dissertation - an examination of Black Psychology;
Kawaida Philosophy, the philosophical basis for Kwanzaa among
other things; and Afrocentricity -is also the source of his
recent publication, a book entitled Contemporary Afrocentric
Scholarship: Toward a Functional Cultural Philosophy. The
book is an exposé of these three post-60s Black studies
intellectual traditions. Jahwara looked at these as a slice
of contemporary African American cultural philosophy and has
now brought this investigation to the Antioch community.
It is this research interest that guided Jahwara's construction
of the Africana studies program at Antioch. "What the
thesis says is that there is really a very distinct Afrocentric
tradition, if you will, going on since the 60s coming out
of post-civil rights, specifically the Black Power/Culture
Nationalist movement. It's out of that era that black studies
was born. I try to take Africana studies in that direction.
This is a very unique, distinctive black intellectual creation."
What Jahwara finds compelling about these three traditions
is that they contribute new concepts that people haven't really
considered. "It helps us to describe the Black condition
more accurately or succinctly," Jahwara explains. "That's
what's exciting and that's what students are interested in
- new ideas and new concepts to wrap their minds around."
Jahwara attributes a lot of his effective pedagogical techniques
to his experience as a middle school teacher in New York City.
"That was really the training ground."
He taught social studies for three years before doing graduate
studies at Temple University in African American studies.
"It was baptism by fire the first year. I don't think
I taught anything! I learned. And then the second year was
a breeze. I loved it." Jahwara ended up deferring graduate
school for a year just so he could keep teaching.
Jahwara wants his students to take ownership of the information
he brings to the course. He tries to limit lectures, maybe
five or six a term on key concepts and theories, and he sets
up the classroom so that the students feel a responsibility
to hold the reins and take the learning where they need to
take it. Jahwara sees himself as a guide and appreciates that
students are very different, that each of them will have a
different interest level and set of intellectual interests
in the subject. "I want them to be honest with where
they are, and then, hopefully, I can encourage them to use
where they are to internalize the subject." By the end
of the term, Jahwara can see what the students have learned
manifest itself in the projects they create. "I introduce
a lot of new conceptualizations of familiar concepts. When
I see students use these concepts masterfully and effectively
within their own context, I get to relax."
Jahwara tries to engage co-op in the classroom by facilitating
end of term discussions in the classroom. "I ask students
to bring in artifacts from previous co-ops to share with their
peers. I want them to ask what questions they will be taking
out into the world from this class. I want them to ask, 'Was
this literature bogus…can I test some of these theories
out?'"
Jahwara is currently working on a proposal for a more "popular"
book than his last, which should be attractive to undergraduates.
It will be a good compliment book for an intro to Black studies
course or even Black psychology," says Jahwara.
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Assistant Professor of
Women's Studies and Coordinator of the Women's Studies
Program; BA, Hood College; PhD, Michigan State University
"Suparna is my advisor,
and she is wonderful. She is encouraging and genuinely
helpful. I go into her office and expand upon ideas
in class. She meets me where I'm coming from…
She is one of the largest reasons I've stayed at Antioch."
- Eli White '05
Gender, Bodies and
the Medical Establishment:
In this course, we will examine
the historical, political, economic and cultural contexts
within which biomedicine (in particular, the US medical
establishment) emerged and some of its key gendered
assumptions.
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Dr. Suparna Bhaskaran's first visit
to campus really made an impression. When she came from Michigan
to visit Antioch College, she was driving down Interstate
75 and her directions to the College flew out the window.
Although she found her way to Antioch, her journey since then
has been just as spontaneous, surprising and challenging.
Suparna got her PhD in cultural anthropology. Her dissertation
-to be published in book form as Made
in India in 2004 - looked at three different events
in India that occurred in the 90s. On the surface, these events
appeared to be quite distinct, but Suparna saw a common thread.
In many ways, they were raising issues pertaining to nationalism,
sexuality and gender. The first event occurred in a Delhi
prison where, as a result of pressure from the World Health
Organization to curb the HIV/Aids pandemic in India, it was
suggested condoms be distributed. "There was resistance
to this distribution in prisons from prison officials who
said it suggested that there was activity in the prison that
was only known in the West. Authentic Indianness was everything
that was heterosexual. Homosexuality is a western vice,"
explains Suparna.
The second story that drew Suparna's interest was the rise
of Indian women winning Miss World and Miss Universe contests
and the way in which the liberal media reported it. This was
during a time when the Indian government had decided to take
an economic course of liberalization in order to become fully
entrenched in the global economy. "The right and the
left both protested these pageants and the women were used
as symbols on both sides. On one side, she was being corrupted
by the forces of globalization. On the other side, women were
being used as a symbol of India's liberation through globalization."
For the third event, Suparna looked at the rise in suicides
of young women, particularly women from the state of Kerala.
"Kerala is often touted as a development miracle, meaning
it has 99% literacy rates." One reason offered for the
raise in suicides was the over-education of women. At the
same time, other people were speculating about just the opposite
- these girls came from working class families so were actually
undereducated. "There was all this stuff about literacy,
about being underdeveloped and under-educated and saying something
about being modern or not modern and being Indian."
Suparna has been able to incorporate her research interests
into her classroom. "Global Feminisms, Gender and the
Politics of International Development and Queer Cartographies
are classes that have come out of my book. While I was teaching
these classes, I was able to make more concrete connections
between say the World Bank and queer politics. My classes
really help me make these connections." She wants her
classroom to be contagious. "These conversations must
happen outside of the classroom as well." She wants her
students to make connections in the hallways, in the dorms,
and on co-op. "I think there are times I try to provoke,
in respectful ways, the students. It might irritate or it
might excite. I try to find readings and ways in which I can
make statements that might also have a charge."
Suparna wants her students to connect to current politics
as she does and reach off campus even when studying. She reads
her SEIs hoping students will make critical connections in
everyday life in a thoughtful, intellectual, and emotional
way. Supama's dedication to her students and to her research
makes the connection possible.
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