My Most Inspirational Faculty - Dr. Daniel Larson

At the end of every school year Alpha Chi senior students are encouraged to consider a faculty member who has had an especially profound influence on them. Magdalena Wegner selected Dr. Daniel Larson, a professor in the English department.

I would like to nominate Daniel Nelson, who taught the bioethics course I took last semester. I found his teaching to be inspiring for several reasons. First, his class was my first exposure to philosophy and ethics. We went through several major schools of ethical thought and worked specifically on developing the ability to assess different issues from the perspective of these thinkers. It is one of few classes I have taken that noticeably changed the way I think about and evaluate the world.

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Our English majors got creative amidst COVID rules and regulations and hosted a socially-distanced outdoor movie night! Together they discussed the similarities between Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and the film, She’s the Man! 

Although we may not be able to hold classes on campus this semester, the FPU Wilderness crew was still able to get out and adventure this summer during the Sierra Summer trip (socially distanced, of course!)

The Sierra Summer is the hallmark of FPU Wilderness and is a month-long immersion. Students spend three days on an introductory backpacking trip, followed by a 10-day base camp exploring philosophical and theological ideas around environmentalism. After base camp, students embark on a second, 10-day backpacking trek in the Sierra Nevada. The month is capped with a brief return to base camp for a celebration of the learning, experiences and friendships forged. Students complete 6-7 units of their general education requirements

Staged Reading Series

FresnoPacific’s Theater and English Majors have joined this year to create the Staged Writing Series. The Staged Writing Series is a reading of famous plays, such as “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” (pictured) which is a witty spin-off of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Make sure to keep an eye out for future Staged Writing Series’ performance dates next year. You don’t miss out on your fellow students and faculty breaking out their acting chops!

English program director, Eleanor Nickel is passionate about reading, writing and, of course, citing your sources correctly! Read on to learn a little more about Dr. Nickel’s work and what makes FPU’s English degree unique!

Q: What is the most distinct feature of the English program?
A: “Many English majors focus narrowly on literature, but our major is quite broad, including elements of composition theory, drama and performance, film studies, linguistics, mythology, and much more.”

Q: What kind of research are you currently working on?
A: “I am finishing a book called Christian Popular Culture from the Chronicles of Narnia to Duck Dynasty.  It examines how popular Christian novels, films, and television shows portray race, class, and gender.”

Q: What is the best part about teaching at FPU?
A: “I have always loved literature and writing. I was the kid reading under the covers with a flashlight.  The students here at FPU come to us from all around the world, and it is a joy to hear about their diverse experiences, read their papers, and discuss great books with them.”

Fresno Pacific University student Maranata Zemede won a $500 regional scholarship from the Alpha Chi College Honor Society.

Zemede is a senior communication major, film & media studies emphasis, with an English minor. The scholarship will assist Zemede, who is Ethiopian-American, in her senior project: an examination of how first-generation U.S. citizens who are part of the recent waves of African immigrants navigate black identities in the United States. “This project perfectly combines Maranata’s remarkable scholarly abilities with a meaningful interrogation of complex identity politics,” said Adam Schrag, Ph.D., assistant professor communication.

The 24 winners across seven regions split $15,000 to continue their academic work.

Alpha Chi is committed to the scholarly life of its members and chapters. FPU’s California Zeta chapter began in the late 1980s and has about 50 members. For the last 15 years the university has been a Star Chapter, an honor achieved by 20 percent of the society’s nearly 300 chapters. Sponsors are W. Marshall Johnston, Ph.D., associate professor of history; Pamela Johnston, Ph.D., associate professor of history; and Brian Schultz, Ph.D., associate professor of biblical and theological studies.

Alpha Chi National College Honor Society is open to juniors, seniors and graduate students from all disciplines in the top 10 percent of their classes and induct approximately 11,000 students annually nationwide. Since the society’s founding in 1922, Alpha Chi members have dedicated themselves to “making scholarship effective for good.” Alpha Chi is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies, the only national accrediting body for collegiate honor societies.