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This is part four of a five-part series recognizing Virginia Wesleyan faculty members who are currently doing work with the aid of development grants received during the summer of 2006
by Christina Foster '07
Every year, faculty members at Virginia Wesleyan apply for summer development grants. Three who received development grants in the summer of 2006 were Dr. Susan Wansink, professor of German and French, Mr. Dave Garraty, professor of Management/Business/Economics, and Mrs. Lee Jordan-Anders, Batten professor of music and artist-in-residence.
Wansink attended a seminar in Berlin, Germany with the aid of grant. "Modern German Literature" is a course she teaches that involves reading and discussing twentieth century German novels, short stories and plays. The seminar in Berlin led Wansink to three books she used in her fall 2006 course.
The first is Zonenkinder by Jana Hensel. Zonenkinder is about Hensel's experiences and memories of what it was like to grow up in communist Germany. The second is an autobiography by Florian Illies called Generation Golf zwei, in which he addresses observations about himself as well as an ironic look at the 1990s. The third and final book that Wansink discovered at the Berlin seminar is Im Arbeitslosenpark by Andreas "Spider" Krenzke. His book is a series of amusing but tragic German stories.
"I taught this course last in 2000," said Wansink. "The course is fresh and new this year with all new works."
Although Wansink has visited Berlin many times before, this was the trip that helped prepare her for an upcoming class. All three books she found at the seminar were new to her, as well as to her students.
Garraty used his grant to develop an experimental course called "Economics and the Environment (MBE 106)." The course features customized reading assignments from online resources and field trips to local environmental sites.
"I have been working with Pam Boatwright of the Elizabeth River Project to schedule site visits with several organizations that have been recognized through the organization's Riverstars project," said Garraty.
The new class was offered to all students during the Winter Session 2007.
Jordan-Anders used her grant to produce a new CD, on which she plays piano. The work, In -A is Jordan-Anders' second CD. Her first was produced five years ago. It is rightly named In -A because every piece on the disc ends with the "A" note. The funds produced by the purchase of her new CD will go toward the Lee Jordan-Anders Scholarship fund. Lee Kanter, who has passed away three years ago, so loved listening to Jordan-Anders play that he started the scholarship fund in her name. It has now been four years since the fund was put in place and already one student has benefited from the money raised.
"The fund exists and it's great to build on it," said Jordan-Anders. "Our goal is to help one student a year."
Jordan-Anders has performed pieces from her new CD several times. She performed once in Cape Charles, Va., and twice in Virginia Wesleyan's Hofheimer Theatre -- one was a full program and one was a shorter version and included a slide show.
In -A is available in the College bookstore for $15.