The first day of classes is a blur for everyone. Realizing you’ve got ten minutes to get from Wren to Morton, trying to avoid all the construction on campus, catching up with old friends, it’s easy to lose yourself.
Amongst all the chaos of a new semester, new professors find their way. Not only do they have to plan an entire curriculum, they’re also busy acclimating themselves to the campus and figuring out what students mean when they say "C-Dub".
In the Department of Applied Sciences, Professor Hannes C. Schniepp brings a diverse background of Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science, and Nanotechnology. He writes that undergraduates can involve themselves in research or a minor in his lesser-known subject. He comments that “the earlier you start, the better!” If you are thinking about graduate school in Applied Sciences, Schniepp advises to “establish a relationship with a potential advisor early on.” Professor Schniepp may even be willing to give you some advice if you buy him a scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream…hint, hint.
A professor of Theory and Composition in the music department, and a lover of Edy’s slow churned French Silk ice cream, Professor Greg Jerome Bowers puts a twist on “performance art.” Professor Bowers says his work is “often interdisciplinary, incorporating theater, visual art and multimedia.” He finds that “interactivity and film combine with music quite easily in the digital realm and it is poetic to consider that digital information is essentially a string of binary numbers, regardless of content - a natural invitation to mix media!”
Professor Bowers finds the quaint little town of Williamsburg “beautiful” and “a treat to come to work each day at such a spectacular campus.” Bowers finds that everyone “has been extremely friendly and welcoming both on and off campus.”
If music isn’t your scene, try Professor Cheryl Dickter in the Psychology department. Professor Dickter wants to “get lots of research done and work closely with students in the classroom and in the lab.” If you want to butter up Professor Dickter, like Professor Schniepp, you might want to take Professor Dickter out for a scoop of that chocolate chip cookie dough.
So if you see a nervous professor strolling down our uprooted sidewalks, say hi, ask about their department, who they are, and take them out for a scoop of their favorite ice cream! As freshmen, transfers, and even upperclassmen returning from summer break, we all know how hard it is to uproot ourselves and adapt to a whole new environment. Let us all welcome our new professors to the campus and make them part of our tribe!