Scholarship in Motion: Regents Explore the Heart of Discovery in CLA
On February 26, 2025, the College of Liberal Arts hosted a special tour for members of the Board of Regents. The half-day event provided an in-depth exploration of advanced research and creative spaces across the West Bank, showcasing the diverse ways faculty, students, and facilities contribute to discovery and artistic expression.
Presentations
“Our interdisciplinary strength is one of our greatest assets,” said CLA Dean GerShun Avilez as he welcomed the Regents. “Every field in CLA contributes to advancing knowledge and tackling complex challenges, offering students a foundation that prepares them for an evolving world.”
Next, four pairs of scholars presented on their work.
- Professor David Aiona Chang and Assistant Professor Nick Estes talked about the Department of American Indian Studies, the first department of its kind and a leader in the field.
- Associate Professor Michael Gallope from the Department of Cultural Studies & Comparative Literature and Professor Galin Jones from the School of Statistics discussed artificial intelligence, highlighting the emerging dialogue between humanistic inquiry and data science.
- Associate Professor Jessica Gordon-Roth and Assistant Professor Dwight K. Lewis Jr. shared about the Center for Canon Expansion & Change, which aims to effect meaningful change in the way philosophy is done, understood, organized, and—especially—taught.
- Lastly, Associate Professor Benjamin Toff and undergraduate student Atticus Marse from the Hubbard School of Journalism & Mass Communication shared about their research partnership through the Dean’s First Year Research and Creative Activities Scholars Program (DRFACS).
Labs
The first part of the walking tour focused on lab spaces, starting with Advanced Imaging for Objects & Spaces (AISOS) in Heller Hall, led by Samantha Thi Porter (MA ‘14, PhD ‘19, anthropology) and Tessa Cicak (PhD ‘23, anthropology). AISOS is a dedicated facility for macro- and mesoscale imaging of objects in two and three dimensions. It houses advanced technology for exploring objects and artifacts with new levels of precision.
At the GeoCommons in Blegen Hall, Associate Professor Eric Shook greeted visitors with a robot dog and introduced them to a variety of technologies used to explore and understand spatial relationships. GeoCommons is a collaborative hub to empower spatial innovation, promote spatial thinking, and advance geospatial technologies through research, education, and public engagement across the University, state of Minnesota, and beyond.
Attendees then explored the Anthropological Genetics Laboratories, where Assistant Professor Maria A. Nieves Colón and lab manager and instructor Carrie Miller (PhD ‘21, anthropology) introduced the Ancient DNA Cleanroom and the Molecular Genetics Laboratory. The labs use ancient DNA and modern genomics to study human population history.
Arts Quarter
The group then moved to the theatre spaces in Rarig Center, where Margaret Werry, chair of the Department of Theatre Arts & Dance, and Aaron Todd Douglas, program director of the BFA Actor Training Program, gave the group a sneak peek at student rehearsals in the Thrust and Xperimental Theatres.
In the Regis Center for Art, Christine Baeumler, chair of the Department of Art and Chotsani Elaine Dean, an assistant professor of ceramics, led a tour of the ceramics studios, where the group interacted with students and learned how the kilns are loaded. The tour also included a walk through the wood shop, foundry, and XYZ Lab spaces. The group stopped outside the Katherine E. Nash Gallery, where the gallery director, Howard Oransky, provided insights into Associate Professor Paul Shambroom’s retirement exhibition, which closes on March 8.
At the Barker Center for Dance, the guests sat in on a rehearsal of the University Dance Theatre’s spring concert, chaos theory, and a Q&A with the student dancers. Director of Dance Carl Flink and Associate Professor Joanie Smith, who holds the Barbara Barker Endowed Chair, provided context and commentary.
The afternoon concluded with a tour through Ferguson Hall and Ted Mann Concert Hall. Patrick Warfield, director of the School of Music, and Professor Matthew Mehaffey guided the group through practice and performance spaces, where they interacted with students and faculty musicians. The University Treble Choir, led by graduate student Christiana Howell, provided a musical demonstration on the Ted Mann stage.
Throughout the day, faculty and students showcased the intersection of research, performance, and artistic creation, highlighting the breadth of expertise and innovation across the college.
