Since my last day at Ithaca College is Friday, November 22, 2024, I wanted to take a moment to share my gratitude for those at Ithaca College who made a difference in my life and work since I first stepped foot on campus as a student back in 1986. Back then, there was no road-loop around the campus ... the road went in front of the chapel. There was a bowling alley in Hill Center. And, I covered and wrote the front page article for The Ithacan on the ground-breaking ceremony for the current Park School of Communications building.
I entered Ithaca College as a Music Education major (French Horn, Piano, and Trumpet) and after my first semester, I switched from Music to become one of the first "Exploratory" students on campus, until I found my heart in the words and stories taught to me by the English Department. I quickly switched from being "Exploratory" to declaring myself an English major, adding later a minor in Writing. I also earned a concentration in Renaissance Studies, one of my favorite eras of music, literature, and art.
After graduating, I returned to Ithaca College in 1999 as an adjunct in the English Department, teaching a few sections of Introduction to Literature. After that experience, I became an adjunct in the Department of Writing where I applied my expertise in professional and technical writing for years and years, teaching late afternoon/evening sections full of wonderful lacrosse and football players. Then, in 2016, I accepted a temporary, one-year, assignment as an NTEN professor in the Department of Writing. During that year, I applied for an open NTEN position and wound up getting the offer. During my time in Writing, I co-chaired the Curriculum Committee, coordinated the Handwerker Gallery Reading Series, and also helped to develop and teach the current Senior Capstone course. While working full-time as a professor, I successfully completed my terminal degree from the Vermont College of Fine Arts (Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing/Poetry). Then, after the pandemic, I applied for and accepted the position as Director of the Office of Extended Studies.
As I head out into the world, I'm excited to see what new opportunities await me. I will continue my long-time work as a church music director, pipe organist, and choir director (currently serving the Church of the Epiphany in Trumansburg), as well as my writing and publishing poetry. I have a few other colleges courting me at the moment to develop and teach online courses, which I can do from my home on South Hill. I have an extensive network from my 30+ history working in higher education, so I'm hopeful that I can bring my skills and knowledge to other organizations in the new year (LinkedIn).
I wish Ithaca College all the best as it continues to define itself for the future.