DepartmentHighlights Highlights Department Introductions
DEPARTMENT HIGHLIGHTS American Studies In 2020–21, graduating American Studies students benefitted from taking senior seminars from Kristin Matthews (“America as Baseball—Baseball as America”) and Matthew Mason (“Slavery in History and Memory”). Also during 2020–21, American Studies affiliated faculty published a handful of books: Carol Edison, Eric A. Eliason, and Lynne S. McNeill, eds., This Is the Plate: Utah Food Traditions (University of Utah Press), and Brian Russell Roberts, Borderwaters: Amid the Archipelagic States of America (Duke UP).
Asian & Near Eastern Languages The department was busily engaged during the previous academic year with the departmental Self-Study Report, which was completed in January 2021, and the virtual hosting of the external reviewers. In addition, Dana Bourgerie completed his tenure of service as department chair and was replaced by Richard McBride in July 2021. Several faculty members have earned special distinctions or have been entrusted with significant responsibilities: Julie Damron received the Global Engagement Initiative Award from the American Council on the Teaching
of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). This national award reflected her outstanding work with the BYU/ Kyung Hee University Direct Enrollment Program. Clay Parker has been selected as the chair of the Korean to English Certification Committee for the American Translators Association (ATA). His service in the position began in January of this year. Additionally, Clay serves as the Utah liason to the Language Council of the National Language Museum. Daniel Peterson became an executive producer as he launched and supported the creation of the film Witnesses. The film tells the story of the three witnesses of the Book of Mormon. Jack Stoneman was co-curator, with Aaron Skabelund (BYU History), of the “Discovery & Wonder: The Harry F. Bruning Collection of Japanese Rare Books and Manuscripts” exhibit. The exhibit was on display throughout the 2020–21 academic year in the Harold B. Lee Library, L. Tom Perry Special Collections Gallery.
Comparative Arts & Letters Kerry Soper is the new chair of the Department of Comparative Arts & Letters beginning January 2022. His
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