{"id":739,"date":"2019-11-24T15:33:43","date_gmt":"2019-11-24T15:33:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.www.wcsu.edu\/celt\/?p=739"},"modified":"2019-11-24T15:33:43","modified_gmt":"2019-11-24T15:33:43","slug":"insight-and-interview-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/celt\/2019\/11\/24\/insight-and-interview-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Insight and Interview"},"content":{"rendered":"

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 <\/p>\n

Dr. Stephen \u201cMitch\u201d Wagener<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chair at the Jane Goodall Center<\/strong><\/p>\n

Professor, Department of Biology &\u202fEnvironmental Sciences<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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This is the third in a series of faculty interviews conducted and written by talented WCSU MFA student, John Bonanni. Our goal is to celebrate and learn from some of WCSU\u2019s dedicated teachers and scholars.<\/p>\n

\n

Convergence, Connection, and Results:\u00a0<\/strong>
\nEnlightenment from an Unpretentious Scholar<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Be careful not to\u00a0misinterpret the folksiness of Dr. Wagener\u00a0to be\u00a0an impassive approach to his profession. It is, in fact,\u00a0the core element of his teaching philosophy. \u201cMitch\u201d, as he\u00a0prefers to be addressed,\u00a0politely\u00a0abstains from any formal educational theory, though he is quick to express\u00a0support and\u00a0appreciation for colleagues whose theories work for their students.<\/p>\n

His theory is\u00a0no<\/em>\u00a0theory. In fashioning a learning perspective for students, Dr. Wagener emphasizes connection. \u201cLook at the humanity of it,\u201d he advises. Referring to his students, \u201cThese are not robots.\u00a0 Theory won\u2019t help if the basis of humanity is not met.\u201d<\/p>\n

Part of that expression of humanity is an instructor\u2019s ability to admit they are part of the process of learning. \u201cWe don\u2019t know everything,\u201d he claims. That perspective sets the basis for 23 years of successful connection to the\u00a0changing\u00a0diversity of his students.\u00a0Dr. Wagener\u00a0creates an invitation to partner in discovery, where the fence between provider and receiver are dismantled through accessibility and relationship.<\/p>\n

He has an inviting, non-threatening, demeanor that encourages an educational fellowship. \u201cI\u2019m a hillbilly from the Ozarks,\u201d he enjoys\u00a0proclaiming, setting a comfortable tone for\u00a0his\u00a0next\u00a0comment, which is bound to be erudite and profoundly relevant. His approachability stems from the personal comfort of living a multicultural home life.\u00a0 He spent a year as an exchange student in Thailand, where he became used to being \u201cthe strange looking person in the school\u201d.\u00a0 Rita, his\u00a0wife of 35 years, is Ugandan, and both\u00a0attended the University of Alaska. Beyond science, his\u00a0concentrations included\u00a0Russian studies. Both he and Rita have lived in Belize.\u00a0He spent time in Russia. He considers his grandchildren \u201c21st<\/sup>\u00a0century children.\u201d\u00a0He feels these experiences prepared him to easily connect with immigrant students who are comfortable sharing the \u201cgood things and bad things\u201d of their lives\u00a0with him.<\/p>\n

His advice to first time instructors?<\/p>\n

Find the way to relate\u00a0to the issues of the world of today that will be of concern going forward. Teach \u201cwith your head and heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

Believe in the potential of your students. Dr. Wagener\u00a0senses\u00a0\u201cthis generation [millennials and GenZ], despite the criticism from us old folks, have more going for them than what we give them credit for.\u201d<\/p>\n

The professor\u2019s most dynamic innovation is the\u00a0crafting\u00a0of an honors class where a multi-disciplinary\u00a0approach\u00a0is implemented. As an ecologist\u00a0and tenured faculty\u00a0member,\u00a0Dr.\u00a0Wagener\u00a0uses\u00a0the opportunity to develop competencies in a grouping of related fields that can enhance the relevance of the syllabus to meet contemporary challenges. As an example, he incorporates human history, ecology and climatology; connecting with specialists in each field to maintain continually changing information that relate to the quality of life outside the campus. Students are then equipped\u00a0with time-sensitive information\u00a0to become\u00a0informed\u00a0problem solvers.<\/p>\n

\u201cTeaching is just about the most humane thing you can do.\u201d<\/p>\n

The professor advocates the importance of delivering academic product to the public to enhance accurate comprehension of issues beyond partisan considerations.\u00a0 Students furnished with useful knowledge become decision-making members of society, creating the embodiment of an informed public. This is the professor\u2019s defining pedagogical mission.<\/p>\n

Dr. Wagener\u00a0envisions\u00a0an aesthetic inclusion into the science curriculum. He notes that an \u201cacademic life is a creative life. More non-scientists are writing books about climate change.\u201d That collaboration will enhance the scope of understanding and arm the student with a communicative advantage in dispersing this information to the public.<\/p>\n

The professor\u00a0prefers the teaching atmosphere\u00a0of\u00a0Western over a research university environment. \u201cYou can mold your career around your talents rather than being in a place where you may not fit in or have the chops to be successful here.\u201d The school\u2019s size is \u201csmall enough you have repeat students, so you get to know\u00a0them,\u00a0and a relationship develops.\u00a0 You become a mentor.\u201d<\/p>\n

We exist in an \u201cunsustainable environment,\u201d the professor reminds us. The relevance of his didactic philosophy addresses the urgency to deliver accurate information to a world where traditional economic perceptions threaten the quality of life. The intimate relationship of ecological and climatological health is not only a multi-disciplinary academic exercise, it is the basis of convergence where scientists, economists and artistic vision can fashion an operating environment of sustainability and function.<\/p>\n

Dr. Wagener summarizes\u00a0the initiative in the words of a fellow Midwesterner of\u00a0unpretentious origins:<\/p>\n

The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present.<\/em>
\nThe occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise to the occasion.<\/em>
\nAs our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew.<\/em>
\nWe must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.<\/em>
\n-A. Lincoln, 1862<\/em><\/p>\n

Interview conducted by John Bonanni & Ronald Samul<\/em><\/p>\n

Author Bio:\u00a0John Bonanni spent the last forty years in the theatre on tour, on Broadway, at Radio City Music Hall and many places in between managing every sensitive personality he encountered. He now writes about them, among other things. His articles have appeared in Adelaide Literary Magazine, Inspired Living Magazine, and Senior Outlook Today. \u202fHe is currently enrolled in the MFA in Creative and Professional Program at Western Connecticut State University.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em>theliteraryfish@gmail.com<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  Dr. Stephen \u201cMitch\u201d Wagener Chair at the Jane Goodall Center Professor, Department of Biology &\u202fEnvironmental Sciences     This is the third in a series of faculty interviews conducted and written by talented WCSU MFA student, John Bonanni. Our …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":110,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-739","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pedagogy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/celt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/739","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/celt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/celt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/celt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/110"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/celt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=739"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/celt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/739\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/celt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=739"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/celt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=739"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/celt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=739"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}