Archive Posts
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In the News: Shannon Scott on Pop Culture’s Obsession With Witches
In the NewsShannon Scott, a faculty member in the English Department at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, recently joined MPR News host Jacob Aloi to discuss why witches remain so popular and why pop culture can’t seem to get enough of them. From the conversation: Aloi: I really love talking about witches from folklore. And…
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St. Thomas Wins National Award for Exemplary Writing Across the Curriculum Program
Professional NotesErika Scheurer, associate professor of English and founding director of the University of St. Thomas Writing Across the Curriculum program, accepted the 2025 Exemplary Enduring WAC Program (11+ years) honor awarded by the Association for Writing Across the Curriculum and the WAC Clearinghouse in summer 2025. The Exemplary WAC Program Awards series works to… -
In the News: Liz Wilkinson on the Social Impact of Women’s Sports
In the NewsDr. Liz Wilkinson, director of the Luann Dummer Center for Women, recently wrote an op-ed for Ms. magazine. She details the recent and historical social justice movements in women’s sports and the surge in popularity that has followed. From the story: On June 14, the players and coaching staff of Angel City Football Club, the women’s… -
In the News: Todd Lawrence and Heather Shirey on Urban Art Mapping Project
In the NewsUniversity of St. Thomas professors Todd Lawrence (English) and Heather Shirey (art history) spoke to MPR News about their ongoing efforts through the Urban Art Mapping project to preserve the art that emerged in the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing. From the story: Todd Lawrence is wedged between a taco truck and a brick wall… -
In the News: Dr. Todd Lawrence Regarding Civil Rights Landmark
In the NewsDr. Todd Lawrence, a professor at the University of St. Thomas College of Arts and Sciences, recently was quoted in The Washington Post regarding the Freedom Rides Museum. The building is currently owned by the federal government. In the process of reducing spending, DOGE placed the building on a list of buildings that could be… -
In Celebrating Emily Dickinson: Alone, We Shall Not Be
Tommie ExpertsOn the first day of my Emily Dickinson seminars, I always ask students what they’ve heard about the poet. The answers are often the same: she wore white dresses, her poems are all about death, and she never left her house. That last point usually leads to speculation about Dickinson’s mental health, followed by nods… -
From St. Thomas to Spotify: The Value of Networking
AlumniWhen Scott Henkemeyer ’97 steps into a content strategy meeting at Spotify, there’s a good chance at some point that day he’ll be serenaded by a mashup of bubblegum pop, indie rock and punk. That mix is not mandatory listening at headquarters but appears on his Spotify playlist, which contains throwbacks he listened to in… -
In the News: Todd Lawrence and Heather Shirey Discuss COVID-19 Street Art Project
In the NewsUniversity of St. Thomas professors Dr. Heather Shirey (Professor of Art History) and Dr. Todd Lawrence (Associate Professor of English) spoke to the Library of Congress Blogs about their COVID-19 street art archive they started in 2020 as a part of their greater Urban Mapping research project they launched in 2018. The two discussed how… -
English Professor Publishes Research on Reprinting History of the Brontë Sisters’ Poems
Professional NotesThe article, “A Reprinting History of the Brontës’ Poetry, 1850-1899,” by University of St. Thomas English Professor Alexis Easley, has been published in The Edinburgh Companion to the Brontës and the Arts, edited by Deborah Wynne and Amber K. Regis; Edinburgh University Press, 2025. Easley’s research found that despite poor initial sales, books of poetry… -
The New York Times Says Professor Bouwman’s Novel ‘Truly Shines’
Professional NotesThe coming-of-age novel Scattergood by Dr. Heather Bouwman, an English professor in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, received several advance, rave reviews. Published by Holiday House on Jan. 21, the historical novel is told from the first-person point of view of 12-year-old Peggy Mott, a Methodist…