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`Last week I was on my way from a conference at Oxford (that venerable British University that may take itself a tad too seriously) to a rendezvous with my Portuguese colleagues at Universidade de Évora, so I stopped off on the way in Parma, Italy to visit with Dr. Carole Counihan of the Sociology and Anthropology Department.
Carole, who is a food anthropologist, is teaching this semester for the Università di Scienze Gastronomiche. She is my valued friend and that is one reason I visited.
But my other purpose was to investigate USG for my daughter who is considering studying there for a masters degree in food and culture.
So we set off last Monday on the bus from Parma to Colorno, a 25 minute ride. Carole introduced me to Paulo, a charming Italian man and an Associate Director of the masters programs at the Colorno campus who showed us around the facilities, explained the program and answered all the questions an academic – or a mother – might have with respect to a daughter about to invest a fair amount of money in an overseas adventure, an academic boondoggle or a very rich educational experience – depending on your point of view.
As our conversation went on, and as I encountered more and more of the USG staff and students, I had a revelation.
Our Dr. Counihan is a “rock star” in Colorno. I had known of Carole’s involvement with this relatively new university (a program philosophically allied with the “Slow Food Movement”) for five years, but did not realize that she has been a central figure in the development and credibility of the masters programs that draw students from around the globe (literally).
In conversation about the faculty for the programs, Paulo was trying to describe Carole’s contribution to me.
He speaks English extremely well but hesitated, taking a long pause to find the right word. I filled in his blank with “Rock?” because he seemed to be acknowledging the strength of Carole’s presence each year as well as the stability her teaching and guidance has lent the programs.
Just as I said “Rock,” someone said “Star,” and we decided together that “rock star” was just the term we needed — even if it felt a bit incongruous applying that term to a silver-haired mother of adult men.
I know well Dr. Counihan’s prowess as a teacher; I have observed her in the classroom and in conversation with individual students.
I have long been impressed with her prolific scholarship; I have talked with her about her work as editor of Food and Foodways and cheered on each new book manuscript as it approached publication.
I love having her as a colleague and a friend; if my credibility as someone associated with this university depends at least partly on Carole Counihan, I’m in pretty good shape.
But I don’t think I ever realized so clearly how much scholars and students outside Millersville value Carole and how fortunate we are to have her.
So this is a shout-out to Dr. Counihan as well as to the dozens of other MU faculty members who have vibrant and accomplished academic lives beyond Millersville and whose work in this wider world lends credibility to my reputation and value to your degree.
But it’s more than a shout-out. It’s also a plea to continue — as an academic community — to encourage and support faculty as they reach out and seek out the kinds of opportunities Carole has at USG.
As any university faculty member knows, our responsibilities are three-fold.
We must teach well, serve the university community through shared governance, curriculum development and program facilitation and continue to grow as scholars contributing in a modest way to human understanding.
But teaching and service are squeaking wheels that often, and even deservedly, drown out the call of scholarship.
Though understandable, this is not a state of affairs any of us ought to accept. In truth, we all benefit when faculty members are active scholars; we don’t want them to be exhausted ones!
Financial and administrative support that can be provided to faculty members who take their research agendas and expertise “on the road” – to be scholars in residence and guest teachers and speakers at other institutions and in other countries — will return dividends in terms of institutional status as well as the quality of teaching and service.
Folks like Dr. Counihan return to Millersville ready and able to help other faculty members find the support that they need to be a “rock star” in some other domain, in some other venue. The effect is cumulative and generative.
As we separate for the summer, let’s remember that Millersville is a pretty good place to be – and that what makes it so good is the intelligence and experience and openness of all the people – faculty, staff and students — who share themselves and their knowledge so willingly.
Let’s enjoy Dr. Counihan’s success as our own. And let’s not forget that wherever we go, we represent each other.