Jeff's Schutt's Story
History and the silver screen
(Story by Lori Kettelberg originally written for the INside)
History instructor Jeff Schutts believes that most of what we "know about the past" today comes not from college history courses or scholarly books, but instead by watching movies and television. Last year, he created the course Understanding History Through Film.
His latest research project - to be showcased at the Celebration of Teaching and Learning (CoTL) taking place on May 21 - uses a Hollywood farce to gain insights on how Germans coped with being divided by the Berlin Wall.
Schutts recently received Scholarly Activity funds to further his research on Billy Wilder's 1961 comedy One, Two, Three. In his last starring role, James Cagney plays a Coca-Cola executive assigned to manage the company's West Berlin office.
Complementing his post-doctoral research done in Germany on Coca-Cola's history there, the Scholarly Activity funds enabled Schutts to visit film archives in Los Angeles, and to head off to the Wisconsin Centre for Film and Theatre Research later this Summer.
Though Schutts says studying history through film can't replace working with facts and primary sources, he notes, "I do recognize that it has become the dominate way we learn about the past."
"I am trying to find innovative ways to do ‘real' academic history with questionable, entertaining ‘reel' history," he explains.
The annual CoTL highlights the work done by faculty and staff with students in classrooms and learning services, along with the broad range of research and scholarly work by Douglas employees. Awards are presented recognizing the academic leadership of faculty and staff.
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Chris Jenning's Story
Scholarly Activity Dollars Back Environmental Study
(Story by Lori Kettelberg originally written for the INside)
Douglas instructors can make a big difference in the futures of students by supporting research projects, says Psychology instructor Jeremy Jackson.
“It all comes down to why you work at a college instead of a university. I chose college as a place where I can help students be successful,” says Jackson.
Jackson is currently helping BA Psychology student Chris Jennings put the finishing touches on a project examining people’s attitudes towards environmental issues. In short, the study is comparing people’s responses to two different types of surveys to see if they practice what they preach when it comes to the environment.
Jennings plans to get his Master’s at the University of Victoria.
“If you’re applying to grad school, it’s very advantageous to show you’ve done some research work,” says Jackson.
When it comes to the college vs. university debate, college instructors are better-positioned to support student-initiated studies, says Jackson.
“At university, as an undergrad, you don’t have a great deal of access to research dollars because you’re competing with graduate students. There’s much greater access and opportunity to do your own work at college,” says Jackson.
Accessibility to instructors and the ability for students to drive their own studies are also much better at the college level, he says.
Jackson and fellow Psychology instructor Aliye Kurt introduced Jennings to the concepts and methodology used in his project. When Jennings pitched his study, they applied for and were awarded a Scholarly Activity grant, which paid for software and survey materials. It also allowed them to pay Jennings for his work.
Scholarly Activity Coordinator Tom Whalley is particularly enthusiastic about this project. “Creating more such research opportunities is an important College initiative,” says Whalley.
Jennings is optimistic the study will help people better understand their attitudes towards the environment and how it affects their behaviour. Ultimately, he hopes the results will be used in creating strategies for environmental advocacy and education.
Michael Wilson's Story
Homegrown Research Gets International Attention
(Story by Lori Kettelberg originally written for the INside)
Paleontological research by Earth and Environmental Sciences Chair Michael Wilson was recognized by Discover magazine as one of the top 100 science stories of 2008. And it all started with Scholarly Activity Funding, says Wilson.
“The seed money for this project came from Scholarly Activity Funding. It was crucial in getting it all moving,” he says. The findings of Wilson, along with Washington research consultants Steve Kenady and Randall Schalk, were first published in Quaternary Research last November.
The research examined fossil bison from Orcas Island in Puget Sound. One fossil was dated as being nearly 14,000 years old and showed evidence suggesting butchering by humans. This makes it one of the earliest indications of human presence in North America.
Discover made note of the story and featured the trio’s findings in its January 2009 issue. Their research was part of “Coming to the Americas,” a group of discoveries rated together as No. 10 in Discover’s top 100 stories.
Wilson encourages his colleagues to apply for Scholarly Activity Funding, noting that in his case, it was only the start. His team has since received funding from the Orcas Island Historical Museum and the UBC Zoology Museum.
“Research puts Douglas College on the map and feeds my enthusiasm in the classroom. Science is discovery, discovery is fun, and here at Douglas we are discovering things.”
Jeanette Ashe's Story
Jeanette Ashe completed a major study on bias in the nomination process for female politcal candidates. On April 29th, she was featured on CBC's BC almanac. Read SFU's press release and Jeanette's working paper.
John Glofcheskie's Story
Music instructor John Glofcheskie, who is marking 20 years of teaching at Douglas College, recently received the Merit Award of the Senate of the Republic of Poland. Read more...
Heidi Currie's Story
Criminology instructor, Heidi Currie and filmmaker Lisa G.'s project plan to continue their trilogy on Riverview that began with Asylum, which featured retired nurse Norma McMurdo, who worked at Riverview from 1949-1951. Read more...
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For more information, contact the Research and Scholarly Activity Coordinator at rsa@douglas.bc.ca.
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