On Thursday, November 3rd, the Penn State Wilkes-Barre Offices of Academic and Student Affairs welcomed the 2011-2012 Penn State University Humanities Laureate, Dr. Linda Miller.
Dr. Miller is a Professor of English at Penn State Abington where she has taught American literature since 1984, earning teaching awards including the Atherton Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2004. While Dr. Miller publishes in all areas of American studies, her specialty is in early twentieth-century American literature and art.
Chosen as the 2011-2012 Penn State University Humanities Laureate, Dr. Miller has been traveling among the Penn State campuses giving presentations to both academic and community groups. At Penn State Wilkes-Barre, Dr. Miller spoke on "Ernest Hemingway's Nick Adams Stories Uncovered In Our Time." Through dramatic readings and discussion, Dr. Miller led a group comprised of humanities students in discovering the emotional dimensions of Hemingway's earliest stories.
Following her presentation, Dr. Miller had an opportunity to attend a professional networking mixer with the Penn State Wilkes-Barre English majors.
English Major and upcoming December grad, Ted Carl said of the mixer, "She gave great tips on how to put your English degree to use. It was really nice to get to know her on such a personal level. She is a person that treats you like a complete equal and actually wants to get to know you as a person."
Rounding out her day, Dr. Miller took a campus tour, met with faculty and staff for a roundtable discussion on "Humanities as a Retention Tool," and ended her evening with an English faculty dinner.
"Dr. Miller wanted to learn just as much about Penn State Wilkes-Barre and its faculty members, personally and professionally, as we wanted to learn about her," explained Associate English Professor, Dr. Christyne Berzsenyi. "The day was a complete success not only for our students but for the faculty as well!"