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>> 2007 Batten Professors
>> 2007 Batten Scholar Award Recipient
Honored for their excellence in teaching and scholarship, their contributions within the community and their passion for inspiring excellence in others, Virginia Wesleyan proudly recognizes a new class of Batten Professors.
Dr. David Lorenzo, Associate Professor of Political Science, joined Virginia Wesleyan College in 2006, after nine years of service at Jamestown College, where he taught in the Department of History and Political Science. He has also taught at the Arkansas Governor’s School and the University of Arkansas.
"What I appreciate most about interacting with students is being part of the ongoing intellectual exchanges that take place both in the classroom and outside," said Lorenzo. "Students often see the world and politics differently than I do, and exploring those understandings with them, and helping them appreciate the strengths and gaps in their understanding, is very rewarding."
After receiving his B.A. from the University of Arkansas in 1984, he attended Yale University where he earned a M. Phil. Degree and Ph.D. Lorenzo's professional affiliations include the American Political Science Association, the Western Political Science Association and the Association of Political Theorists.
During spring break, as recipient of the 2008 Taiwan Studies Faculty Research fellowship, sponsored by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of China, Lorenzo traveled to Taiwan where he joined a group of journalists and scholars to observe the presidential pre-election process. Lorenzo's fellowship allowed him the opportunity to observe firsthand the political dynamics of Taiwan, and also conduct research for a book he is currently writing entitled, "Conceptions of Democracy before the Democratic Transition in the Republic of China: Sun Yat-sen, Chiang Kai-Shek and Ching-kuo."
Vivian Teter, Professor of English, has been a member of the Virginia Wesleyan community for more than twenty years. Prior to arriving at Virginia Wesleyan, she taught at Southern Oregon State College as an Instructor of English. "I would say that a love of language drew me to my field, and that I do what I do because I enjoy teaching and it gives me enormous satisfaction to see students grow in various ways," said Teter.
Teter received her B.A. in English from Hollins College, and in 1982 completed her M.F.A. in poetry from the University of Arizona. "Beyond teaching, serving as faculty adviser to the STAND (student anti-genocide coalition) Club on campus, is really important to me," she said.
Teter is a member of many professional organizations including the Association of Writers and Writing Programs, the National Council of Teachers of English, Sigma Tau Delta and Phi Beta Kappa. She has also worked with the area "Lost Boys of Sudan" as a sponsor, as well as a tutor. Similar to her colleagues, Teter also participates in publishing. Her most recent works include: "Across the Street in Autumn" and "Love Poem to the Punctuation of This World" The Spoon River Poetry Review (2007), and a chapbook of poetry titled Translating a Bridge by Toadlily Press (2007). Also in 2007, Teter received two Pushcart Prize Nominations, one from The Spoon River Poetry Review, and the other from Toadlily Press. She has also received the Exemplary Teaching Award, as well as the Virginia Wesleyan Merit Stipend Award on three separate occasions.
This summer, Teter will be traveling to Little Rock, Ark., where she will attend a conference sponsored by "Heifer University for Educators." She was one of 25 teachers chosen nationally to receive a scholarship to attend the conference.
Dr. Victor Townsend, Associate Professor of Biology, has been teaching at Virginia Wesleyan since 2000. "I do what I do because of the wonder and awe I feel regarding the natural world," he said.
After earning his B.S. from Old Dominion University in 1994, he attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette where he received both his M.S. and Ph. D in Biology. Apart from his responsibilities as a scholar, Townsend is an active contributor on campus, as well as the general community. He currently participates in a variety of commissions/committees including the Education Programs Commission, the Women’s Studies/Gender Studies Advisory Committee, and the Pre-Professional Committee, of which he is Active Chairman. Townsend is also a frequent contributor to various publications. His most recent article, "Parasitizing the parasite: Mite parasitism of mosquitoes in an urban environment," was prepared for the 69th Annual Meeting of the Association of Southeastern Biologists, an organization which Townsend is a member. In addition, this spring he was the keynote speaker at Louisiana Academy of Sciences Annual Conference.
Townsend is actively involved in advising students with undergraduate research projects. "I enjoy this activity and working with future scientists," he said. "There have been many, many adventures and misadventures in the field and laboratory, like getting lost in the woods on campus one summer night, hiking out to our transport from the rainforest camp in Trinidad and finding that the vehicle had already left; to sending a class of freshman out to Lake Taylor to collect water samples and having them return two hours later with no samples because they all decided to drive and got their vehicles stuck."
Just as the political scientist and the poet, Townsend's specialty in his field gives him a unique perspective on the world. "There's so much beauty in the world. I cherish every moment that I am in the field as well as the time I spend at the bench doing dissections, experiments and observations. As a biologist, I feel that I can appreciate and respect nature in a way that others simply can or do not," he explained.
06.18.08