Together, the programs bring high school, college-aged, and early-career musicians to Appleton for intensive training with Lawrence faculty and guest artists while offering the community opportunities to hear rising young performers in concert.��

New this summer is a Classical Voice track within the Lawrence Summer Music Institute, joining the Piano & Strings program, now in its fourth year. The institute will bring 37 high school musicians from 12 states to campus for chamber rehearsals, private lessons, coaching, workshops, and performance preparation.��

The Lawrence Chamber Music Festival will bring 40 pre-professional musicians from 19 states and three countries to Appleton for two weeks of advanced chamber music study, collaboration, and public performances. Five current Lawrence students and five Lawrence alumni are among this year’s festival participants.��

“We are continuing to expand summer music programming here at Lawrence, and we are particularly excited to be creating unique opportunities for high schoolers, current Lawrence students, and recent alumni,” said Michael Mizrahi, the Frank C. Shattuck Professor of Piano and faculty member for the Lawrence Chamber Music Festival. “These programs allow us to deepen the ties between Lawrence and Appleton while offering a unique, high-quality musical experience for the young artists participating. These programs are another way in which Lawrence augments its national profile as a leader in music performance and education.”��

The summer programming also connects directly with Appleton’s broader arts community. Lawrence Chamber Music Festival participants will collaborate with visiting musicians during Mile of Music, the all-original music festival held in downtown Appleton July 30–Aug. 2. The young musicians will create original arrangements and compositions and perform 50-minute sets at Lawrence and downtown venues.��

Lawrence will also host multiple Mile of Music venues on campus and support Music Education Team programming led by Lawrence faculty, students, and alumni.��

One featured community event is Music in Motion, an interactive concert for adults and children ages 5 and older presented by Play Out, the Lawrence Chamber Music Festival, and Mile of Music. Hosted by Caitlin Sullivan, the program celebrates music inspired by movement—from grooves, dances, strolls, and swings to a musical interpretation of Sir Isaac Newton’s laws of motion. The performance will include video art by Jorge Carvajal and live drawing projections by Caroline Chu.��

The programs also provide professional experience for current Lawrence students. Lawrence Summer Music Programs offer three internships in arts administration, giving students hands-on experience in marketing, artist relations, event production, and audience engagement. The internships complement Lawrence’s new Business and Entrepreneurship major—including its arts entrepreneurship track—by connecting classroom learning with professional practice.��

Lawrence Chamber Music Festival performances include:��

● 7 p.m. Monday, July 20��— Gibson Community Music Hall��

● 7 p.m. Friday, July 24��— Lawrence Memorial Chapel��

● 7 p.m. Saturday, July 25��— Lawrence Chamber Music Festival Young Artists Concert No. 1, Lawrence Memorial Chapel��

● 1 p.m. Sunday, July 26��— Lawrence Chamber Music Festival Young Artists Concert No. 2, Lawrence Memorial Chapel��

During Mile of Music, Lawrence Chamber Music Festival participants will collaborate with visiting musicians to create original arrangements and compositions. Performances include:��

● 11 a.m. Thursday, July 30��— Mile of Music kickoff featuring the Lawrence Chamber Music Festival, Lawrence Memorial Chapel��

● 9 a.m. Friday, July 31��— Music in Motion: An Interactive Concert for Adults and Children Ages 5 and Up��

● 11 a.m. Friday, July 31��— Mile of Music LCMF Young Artist Showcase No. 1, Hilton Paper Valley Ballroom, featuring Ruby Mac��

● 2 p.m. Friday, July 31��— Mile of Music LCMF Young Artist Showcase No. 2, Riverview Gardens, featuring Buddy Red��

● 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 1��— Mile of Music LCMF Young Artist Showcase No. 3, Copper Rock Coffee Co., featuring Ron Artis II��

● 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1��— Mile of Music LCMF Young Artist Showcase No. 4, Appleton Public Library, featuring Kate Stenson ’24 & Gold Standard��

Faculty for the Lawrence Summer Music Institute includes Samantha George, violin; Wen-Lei Gu, violin; Jenny Kozoroz, viola; Kivie Cahn-Lipman, cello; Mark Urness, double bass; Anthony Padilla, piano; and Michael Mizrahi, piano.��

Lawrence Chamber Music Festival faculty includes Tim Albright, trombone; Michael Clayville, trombone; Andy Hudson, clarinet; Erin Lesser, flute; Brigit Pacher, bassoon; Joe Connor, saxophone; and Jean Carlo Ureña González, percussion. Guest faculty include Brandon Ridenour, trumpet; Caitlin Sullivan, cello; Teagan Faran, violin/viola; Ben Russell, violin; and Leo Sussman ’15, flute.��

About ����vlog�� ����vlog is a liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Appleton, Wisconsin. Its world-renowned Conservatory of Music offers rigorous training in performance, composition, music education, and related fields while connecting students with a broad liberal arts education.��

LSMI, now in its third year, welcomes 28 high school pianists and string players to campus July 6-13. Participants this year hail from eight U.S. states and the Dominican Republic. Institute participants live on campus for the week, where they meet fellow musicians, establish connections with Lawrence faculty, and experience life as a Lawrentian. Students have lessons and coaching with the Lawrence string and piano faculty, rehearse and perform advanced chamber music repertoire, and take classes focused on topics such as “Speaking from the Stage,” “Practicing,” and “Musician Wellness.”��

In addition to their performance on campus on July 11 (7 p.m. in Harper Hall), participants perform in the Appleton community at venues such as Eagle Point Senior Living, Eagle Point Memory Care Unit, and Copper Rock Coffee. LSMI and the Fox Valley Youth Symphony co-commissioned local composer Theresa Martin to write a short piece (“Anchor”) for string orchestra and piano. LSMI students will have a chance to collaborate directly with the composer and give a world premiere at the July 11 performance.

LSMI performances (open to the public; admission is free) include:��

• 7 p.m. July 9: Lawrence Summer Music Institute Faculty Concert, Harper Hall
• 7 p.m. July 11: Lawrence Summer Music Institute Student Concert, Harper Hall
• 2 p.m. July 12: Lawrence Summer Music Institute Student Concert, Copper Rock Coffee
• 10 a.m. July 13: Lawrence Summer Music Institute Concert for Kids, Harper Hall

The Lawrence Chamber Music Festival will then take place July 19 to Aug. 3. Designed for pre-professional artists (ages 18 and up), it is led by world-class music faculty and guest artists. Festival participants will curate performances and interact with communities at venues across the Fox Valley. This summer, 42 young musicians hailing from all over North America (including 25 U.S. states), will have daily rehearsals, opportunities for private lessons, master classes, workshops, and a unique and valuable experience creating and performing original arrangements at the Mile of Music Festival in downtown Appleton.

Michael Mizrahi , Frank C. Shattuck Professor of Music at Lawrence, serves as director of Lawrence Summer Music Programs.��

“These summer music programs allow us to showcase our incredible faculty, campus resources, and strong musical culture here in Appleton,” Mizrahi said. “Students at the Lawrence Summer Music Institute come away with a unique and memorable experience that will stay with them as they consider where they want to attend college, and we’ve had a great number of LSMI alums matriculate at Lawrence. The Lawrence Chamber Music Festival situates Lawrence as an international hub for innovative musicians and creates the opportunity for dynamic engagement with our local community. LCMF offers unparalleled experiential learning opportunities while enhancing Lawrence’s reputation as a leader in the music field.”

Aviation Camp

����vlog is launching a first-of-its-kind Aviation Summer Camp for high school students in collaboration with multiple community partners. It runs July 7 to 10.����

The inaugural��camp will be a dynamic new experience designed to inspire and educate the next generation of aviation professionals. The initiative is made possible through a collaboration with industry leader��Gulfstream Aerospace, flight training experts��at Pilotsmith,��flight simulator partner Fox Valley Lutheran High School, and��Appleton International Airport (ATW).

The camp offers high school students a hands-on, immersive experience in the world of aviation. Participants will explore the fundamentals of flight, engage in simulator training, tour aircraft facilities, and interact with aviation professionals—from pilots and engineers to air traffic controllers and airport operations staff, including a special engagement with Lawrence alumna Gretchen Jahn ’73, an aviation executive and pilot.��

“This partnership brings together the best of education, industry, and community,” said Alison Scott-Williams, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Lawrence. “We’re giving students a rare opportunity to explore aviation careers in a real-world setting, guided by some of the most respected names in the field.”

��Highlights of the camp include:

• Flight simulator sessions��and introductory flight lessons with��Pilotsmith
• Behind-the-scenes tours��of Gulfstream’s state-of-the-art facilities
• STEM-focused workshops��hosted by ����vlog faculty
• Career panels and mentorship��from aviation professionals
• Airport operations and safety demonstrations��at Appleton International Airport

��The program is open to high school students from Wisconsin and beyond.��While the camp has reached its enrollment limit, interested individuals are encouraged to register online to be added to the wait list.��For more information or to register, visit

A second Smith novel, The Fighter, also was adapted to film (Rumble Through the Dark) in 2023, and Smith is optioning three other novels for major studios. Salvage This World, published last spring, is the novel in play for the Lawrence students.

“I was lucky enough to be invited to set during the filming of Michael’s film Desperation Road, where I was able to present to him my original composition, co-written with the lead actor, Garrett Hedlund,” Chisel said. “Michael wound up loving the song and choosing it to be the title theme for the film.”

Desperation Road is available on streaming platforms such as Amazon.��Chisel is listed in the credits as theme music composer.

Pertl and Chisel have been co-teaching courses in collaborative songwriting for five years, but this is the first iteration of the��Advanced Collaborative Songwriting������������.

“Cory is bringing an incredible opportunity to the class as the culminating experience,” Pertl said of the interaction with Smith. “Through Cory’s connections with prominent movie directors and producers, he has created the unprecedented opportunity for our class to meet with a writer-director and hear his vision for the story and the movie.”

While there is no guarantee a song from the class will be selected for use in the film, the opportunity to be considered along with other songwriters is experiential learning at its finest, Pertl said.

“They will be in the running right along with high-profile songwriters,” he said.

Chisel said he reached out to Smith to see if he’d be willing to connect with the Lawrence students.

“I asked,” Chisel said, “if he would be open to a final assignment I had in mind for our class: ‘Let’s give our Advanced Collaborative Songwriting students at Lawrence their first chance to present a song based on your book for consideration for the film.’ Amazingly, he said that sounded like a fine idea.”

Students did extensive research on the author and the book. They watched interviews with Smith in preparation for writing songs for the film. And on March 5, Smith made an in-person visit to Harper Hall, talking with the students, listening to their music, and providing feedback. The students will now finalize their entries before submitting them to Smith.

Production of the film is many months away. And there are no guarantees. But the opportunity is real.

“Brian and I always teach to be ready for this kind of opportunity, and I cannot wait to hear what they create,” Chisel said.

All of the concerts will be free and open to the public.

The festival will bring internationally known artists to Appleton to present master classes and provide other training for the participating students, helping to fulfill Decoda’s mission to “create a more compassionate and connected world through music.”

“The Decoda Chamber Music Festival is one of the premiere chamber music festivals in the country, and it is such a great testament to Lawrence and Appleton to have had Decoda choose to run its festival right here,” said Michael Mizrahi, the Frank C. Shattuck Professor of Music in the Conservatory of Music and a founding member of Decoda. “Between Mile of Music and the Decoda Chamber Music Festival, Appleton is acting as a worldwide hub for musicians from diverse backgrounds.”

Eight of the 30 participating students attend Lawrence.

“Working with these young artists is a highlight of the year for me, as they represent such��a bright future for the arts in this country,” Mizrahi said.

Festival faculty include , flute; , clarinet; , bassoon; Clara Lyon, violin; , viola; , cello; , double bass; and , piano.

Public performances are set for:

• 7 p.m. July 23: Decoda Pre-Festival Concert, Gibson Community Music Hall
• 5:30 p.m. July 25: Decoda with special guest Becca Stevens, Riverview Gardens
• 7-9 p.m. July 28: Decoda Masterclass, Memorial Chapel
• 7 p.m. July 29: Decoda in Concert, Memorial Chapel
• 7 p.m. July 30: Decoda Chamber Music Festival Young Artists, Memorial Chapel
• 1 p.m. July 31: Decoda Chamber Music Festival Young Artists, Memorial Chapel

Decoda is collaborating with Mile of Music during the second week, with the students designing their own 50-minute sets and working with Mile of Music artists in creating original arrangements and compositions, Mizrahi said. Mile of Music, an all-original music festival in its ninth year, runs from Aug. 4 to 7 in downtown Appleton.

Decoda’s Mile of Music performances include:

• 11 a.m. Aug. 4: Decoda in Concert, Memorial Chapel
• 11 a.m. Aug. 5: Young Artists featuring B. Lilly, Hilton Paper Valley Hotel
• 1 p.m. Aug. 5: Young Artists featuring Adriel Denae, Riverview Gardens
• 3 p.m. Aug. 5: Young Artists featuring Wade Fernandez, Heid Music

Decoda was founded in 2012 by musicians who first collaborated as members of Ensemble Connect, a two-year fellowship program of Carnegie Hall, The Juilliard School, and the Weill Music Institute in partnership with the NYC Department of Education. You can find more information about the Decoda Chamber Music Festival at .

Murphy said he took his musical training to another level when he enrolled at Lawrence.

The work he’s done in the Conservatory has allowed him to grow with his music. He had hesitated at first to apply to Lawrence because he wasn’t sure he wanted to go to school so close to home. But when the Conservatory unveiled its new B.M.A. degree, focused on jazz and contemporary improvisation, it quickly became his top choice.

He has played with Conservatory ensembles and worked closely with Conservatory faculty while continuing to play with all of his local bands.

“It has been greatly humbling to play with these groups and to have this education,” Murphy said. “I play with much more patience now and it has allowed me to have more confidence to play. At the same time, I’m encouraged to take risks and I’m able to try new things here with my music.”

A love of bluegrass

Since arriving at Lawrence, Litch has found his interest in bluegrass nurtured, embraced alongside the classical and jazz repertoire that has long been the Conservatory’s calling card.

He connected almost immediately with a fellow B.M.A. student from Washington state, Evan Snoey, a fiddle player who shares his deep love of bluegrass.

“We knew each other from out in Washington,” Litch said. “He is a year ahead of me and he had felt out the scene here and knew a few players. When I got here, I said, ‘We have to do something, we’ve got to play some bluegrass.’”

That led them to Dominic LaCalamita, a B.M.A. student from Naperville, Illinois, and Ian Harvey, a music and philosophy double major from Seattle. Together they became The Woebegones (they were earlier known as Highcliff).

Coached by Matt Turner, a music instructor in the Conservatory, the foursome has been pushing the boundaries, turning a Billie Eilish song into a bluegrass tune, covering a song by The Strokes, and embracing the progressive bluegrass sounds of the Punch Brothers. They’re also playing some bluegrass standards and have a couple of originals in their set.

They’re getting a chance to show their skills on a big stage during the first weekend of October. The foursome has been invited to perform at the annual IBMA World of Bluegrass Festival in Raleigh, North Carolina. They’ll be performing as the ����vlog Bluegrass Band as part of Saturday’s College Band Showcase.

Litch had connections with some of the festival organizers after having played the festival in his youth as part of a Kids on Bluegrass collective.

“I thought it might be cool to put our names in and see if we can go out there to play,” Litch said. “And here we are. We’re going to be doing an hour-long set on one of the big stages.”

Litch said he grew up playing the fiddle and then the mandolin. He tagged along to jam sessions with his musical family and spent much of his free time trying to emulate the skills of mandolinist Chris Thile. He hit the road during recent summers to play at bluegrass festivals as a duo with his brother.

Now studying at Lawrence and playing in a quartet with other talented music students is raising his game, he said.

“I’m used to playing with a duo, so having the four-piece band was a really different dynamic for me,” he said. “It’s really exciting. There are so many more possibilities and directions we can go with that. I love the more high-energy type of bluegrass that you can do with four of us.”

A beautiful fit with B.M.A.

That’s sweet music to Turner, who has worked closely with the bluegrass foursome while also welcoming B.M.A. students focused on jazz, electronic music, punk, mariachi, global music, and songwriting. They are students looking for high-level music and theory instruction but through a lens of their own choosing.

“I think I can safely say that most of these students would not have come to Lawrence if the B.M.A had not been here,” Turner said. “We’re very excited about all of these students. They’re really good musicians and they’re great scholars, which is an important part of the B.M.A. because it’s a 50-50 split between non-music and music courses.”

Brian Pertl, dean of the Conservatory, said it’s no coincidence that three of the four members of the bluegrass band are seeking B.M.A. degrees. They are following a path that was envisioned when the program was first rolled out.

“Although the specific track in the B.M.A. degree is called Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation, the program welcomes students interested in a broad range of contemporary music styles,” Pertl said. “The common thread is that all of our students, no matter their primary focus, are musically curious, collaborative, and boundary-crossing. These students have brought bluegrass in as another prominent voice in our multi-faceted musical community, so they really are a perfect fit for Lawrence and the B.M.A. program.”

Litch said he has felt that love since the day he brought his mandolin to campus.

“I’ve been able to improve my skills as a musician technically, but also my theory understanding, especially with jazz theory, which complements bluegrass and makes me a more well-rounded musician,” he said.

“The whole ethos of the B.M.A. program is that anyone is welcome,” Litch added. “So, for me, with bluegrass, it’s been great. It’s been really supported.”

Deanna Donohoue, chemistry

She has been at Lawrence since 2013, much of her time spent teaching via ARTEMIS (Atmospheric Research Trailer for Environmental Monitoring and Interactive Science), a mobile laboratory for atmospheric measurements. She earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and a Ph.D. in marine and atmospheric chemistry from Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science at the University of Miami.��

What or who inspired you to pursue a career in chemistry?

I have been lucky to have amazing mentors in my life. I think my interest in chemistry was first sparked in high school. I had a high school chemistry teacher, Mr. Thomas, who took us to the Colorado School of Mines to mine for gold and silver. We got to help prepare the rock for blasting and then collect samples. We then brought those samples back to school and performed purity assays. It was at this moment that I discovered how chemistry was the perfect balance between practicality and creativity, and I could see myself pursuing a career.��

How are you approaching the new challenges of distance learning?

I would hope that every student is taking the new challenge of learning in different ways as a chance to grow. I know that in my classes, I can see students gaining skills and experiences they would never gain on campus. We are asking you all to work on your own, and often work through ideas without professors and classmates, helping you see what is essential along the way. This independent work means students are finding where they have misunderstanding or misconceptions faster and more often.��

��What do you hope your students would say about your teaching style?

I hope that my classroom would be known as a place you are pushed to meet your full potential while you are supported – sometimes by tough love – through the hard days. I think I am known for asking tough questions, having high expectations, and pushing students outside their comfort zone. I am the professor who gives extra credit for failure and someone who will help you with whatever you need. I do not expect or even want perfection. Instead, I expect and want each individual to push themselves into uncomfortable spaces so that they grow as a scholar and as a person.

José L. ���Գ������Բ�����ó��, music

Lawrence’s director of Jazz Studies studied saxophone, flute and clarinet at the Free School of Music in San Juan, Puerto Rico, completed his bachelor of music degree at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and received his master’s in music from the Eastman School of Music, where he later taught as a professor of jazz saxophone.

What or who inspired you to pursue a career in music?

My��initial inspiration was my family and culture, since music in a Puerto Rican family has a strong��presence. I grew up listening to music, in recordings as well as��seeing family members, including my father, playing a combination of Latin percussion instruments at family gatherings, church and community. As��I got older,��I started to explore other music besides my��folkloric roots. It was at this time I heard jazz, specifically saxophonist Dexter Gordon. From that moment I knew I wanted to do nothing else but be a professional musician.��

How are you approaching the new challenges of distance learning?

This is a challenging time for all humanity, and as an educator I commend students for living out these uncertain times with grace and maturity.��My��approach to��the��new��challenges of distance learning is with love,��compassion,��and��flexibility. I’m assessing every student’s needs, then��adapting to what is��possible,��understanding that��there will be limitations under the��circumstances. The most important thing is that they are mentally, emotionally, and physically healthy and in a safe environment.

What do you hope your students would say about your teaching style?

I hope my students would say that my teaching style is individualized. I want to really��know my students so that I may inspire them to grow as musicians as well as individuals.��Truly knowing them will give me the sense of how to��best prepare them for��success��and how to go about being��their best selves. My goal for my students is for them to leave Lawrence with the skills, tools, and confidence to succeed when times are great, but also for times such as now.

Dylan Fitz, economics

A member of the economics faculty since 2017, he has done research and taught in the areas of development economics, social policy, and effective altruism, and has studied economies in Latin America and Brazil.�� He earned a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

What or who inspired you to pursue a career in economics?

As an undergraduate politics major, I was interested in how different countries design social policies to fight poverty. As I learned more, I realized that I was mainly interested in economic research and I was drawn to empirical evaluations of the effectiveness of programs. I’ve continued pursuing this interest, using empirical methods to evaluate the effectiveness of anti-poverty programs on different social groups. Most people agree that we should reduce poverty, but deep disagreements arise over how to best accomplish this. I like the economic research that helps us design more effective and broadly-supported policies.

How are you approaching the new challenges of distance learning?

Fortunately for me, I’m teaching our intermediate macroeconomics course, which has a wealth of online resources that I am taking advantage of. Aside from adjusting how I teach with distance-learning, I’m developing a lot of new materials to help my students understand the effects of coronavirus through the use of macroeconomic models and current health and economic data. For example, we will develop a model of infectious disease growth and use it to learn about flattening the curve and herd immunity while tracking current health statistics. We will discuss how this crisis might impact long-run growth and explore how economies recover from crises.��

What do you hope your students would say about your teaching style?

I hope that students find my classes to be challenging, fair, and fun. I try to push students to learn a lot while maintaining clear standards and offering plenty of support. Economics provides an interesting framework that allows us to better understand and improve the world, and it’s easy to motivate the content with relevant contemporary and historical examples.

Jonathan Lhost, economics

He joined the Lawrence faculty in 2014 and has pursued interests in industrial organization, game theory, and microeconomics, among others. He has a bachelor’s degree from Amherst College and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Texas.��

What or who inspired you to pursue a career in economics?

A Law & Economics course I took at Amherst College first sparked my interest in pursuing a career in economics. I enjoyed the application of economic theory to legal issues. The course’s professor inspired me to become a professor at a liberal arts college as well.

How are you approaching the new challenges of distance learning?

Remote learning during a global pandemic is unprecedented. I have students all over the world, in different time zones, and in a wide range of circumstances. I know some students will be in some pretty difficult situations. My main goal is to do what I can to help all students make it through the term successfully. I’ve structured my courses in a way such that students can learn the material but without the added stress and fear of failing the class due to circumstances beyond our control. Flexibility will be important for everyone.

What do you hope your students would say about your teaching style?

It is my hope that students leave my courses believing they can accomplish things they previously didn’t believe they could do and with the confidence to tackle interesting problems. I hope that students will look back years after graduation and find what we’ve done together at Lawrence useful as they put their liberal arts skills to the test.

Lavanya Murali, anthropology

A member of the Lawrence faculty since 2010, her areas of study have been in linguistic anthropology, sociolinguistics, and gender and sexuality, among others. She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Delhi and a master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Iowa.

What or who inspired you to pursue a career in anthropology?

There are two people who are largely responsible, I’d say. One was my high school sociology teacher, Dr. Madhu Sharan, who was one of the best teachers I’ve ever had. Sociology in India draws a lot on social anthropology; they’re pretty closely taught. I loved her classes, and I absolutely fell in love with social anthropology and sociology. I haven’t looked back from that, really. The other was my father, S. Murali. He loved people, he loved culture and history, he loved a good argument. He’d drag us to museums, ruins, exhibits, and so on constantly—I suppose we’d either have come out of it hating that sort of thing or loving it, and I loved it.��

How are you approaching the new challenges of distance learning?

My goal, as an anthropologist, is to inculcate in my students empathy and compassionate observation and analysis. That means I have to be empathetic and compassionate myself. These are stressful times, and my classes don’t need to be an additional source of stress. As I told them, we’re going to acknowledge that these are not normal times in the ways in which we teach and learn from each other. But I also want some things to stay normal, in terms of Lawrence culture — fun, community, closeness, flexibility, and care for each other. My goal has always been for learning to be hands-on, student work to be expressive and meaningful to them, and for my classroom to be a low-stress zone. This changes none of that — it only strengthens those commitments.��

��What do you hope your students would say about your teaching style?

Ha! They have a lot to say about it, and they’re definitely not shy about sharing it with me. But I hope that they would say it was fun, relaxed, and real. It’s possible to be approachable and fun and still pedagogically comprehensive, and that’s what I shoot for. I care deeply about my students, about their well-being, and about their intellectual growth.

Melissa Range, English

An award-winning writer and poet, she has been on the Lawrence faculty since 2014. Much of her academic focus has been in poetry and creative writing, including contemporary American poetry and 19th��century poetry. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English and creative writing from the University of Tennessee, her master’s degree in creative writing from Old Dominion University and also holds a master’s of theological studies from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. She earned her Ph.D. in English and creative writing from the University of Missouri.

What or who inspired you to pursue a career in English/poetry/creative writing?

I knew I wanted to be a writer from an early age. I didn’t know anyone who was a writer. Actually, I’m pretty sure for a long time I thought only dead people could be writers, but still the desire was there. I think it must’ve come from reading. As soon as I learned to read, that’s what you’d find me doing — in my room, on the porch,��at the supper table, in the hayloft of the barn, in the top of a pine tree I had climbed. I liked books not only for their stories; I liked them for their sentences, and their images, and the words themselves.��The library was my natural habitat. As soon as I learned to write, I was always scribbling, not necessarily to make anything finished, just to explore my thoughts and emotions and to play around with language.

How are you approaching the new challenges of distance learning?

It’s a stressful time, and we need to take care of ourselves and one another, so I’m proceeding with flexibility, kindness,��humor, and collaboration as my watchwords. We’re all new at doing this, and I hope we can try everything with a light touch.��This term��is challenging, but it’s also an opportunity for creativity, so I’m looking forward to trying lots of things I’ve never tried before in the classroom.

What do you hope your students would say about your teaching style?

I hope they would say that most of my jokes are funny . . . though you never know. I think they might mention my energy and enthusiasm, my��high standards (true), and my particularly Appalachian brand of tough love (also true).��I think they would say that my classes offer many elements of surprise, and that as a teacher��I’m rigorous, yet playful, and often just plain wacky.��There’s a bit of running around the room, and sometimes there are props like puppets and bonnets, as the occasion dictates. I hope they would say that while I expect a lot from my students, I am also prepared to give a lot.��