The College of Arts and Sciences welcomed several new full-time faculty members in the last academic year. In this issue, Global Thinking introduces two new professors.

Sheila Hwang
Assistant Professor, English

A San Francisco Bay area native, Sheila Hwang brings to the University expertise in 18th- and 19th-century British literature, as well as contemporary multiethnic American literature. She has previously taught and studied at the State University of New York-Buffalo and the University of California-Santa Barbara, where she continued her research on the relationship of subjectivity to recreation and resort culture in British lit—"think the spas in Jane Austen novels," she explains.

What were you up to this summer?

I've just been getting more familiar with new surroundings. St. Louis is a very convenient city. Although I haven't had much chance to explore, everything seems incredibly nearby. My favorite place is Forest Park. I spent the second half of the summer in Idaho, with my husband.

What have you been thinking about lately?

I read the third installment of Jasper Fforde's brilliant "Thursday Next" series. Thursday Next is a "literary detective" who jumps in and out of literary masterpieces—mostly from the English canon—solving mysteries and crimes that have taken place behind the scenes of the texts with which we are familiar. Jane Eyre, the Cheshire Cat, Wordsworth's field of daffodils, and Miss Havisham, among others, all appear in Fforde's novels.

How did your first year go?

My first year was both exciting and exhausting. I've enjoyed getting to know the students, staff, and faculty. It has been an adventure!

How has your background influenced your perspectives on life and teaching?

I suppose that because I grew up in California, I have always understood U.S. culture to be made up of many diverse and complementary elements. How can you not when the best tacos are at the Guptas' home and the best spaghetti is at the Hogenbooms'?   Or when you have Venezuelan friends who are of Chinese ancestry? Such an understanding of U.S. culture—one that emphasizes its globalism—obviously influences my teaching. My "Multiethnic Literature of the U.S." course examines texts by American writers of varying ethnic/cultural backgrounds in the context of their specific ethnic culture and in the context of a broader, shared U.S. culture.

Stephanie Schroeder
Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences

Before coming to the University, Stephanie Schroeder, a St. Louis native, spent five post-doctorate years in a biochemistry and molecular genetics lab at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Schroeder teaches biochemistry, genetics, genome and gene expression, and virology. She's also looking to apply for research grants for the University and her department, delving into what various grant agencies are looking for and "helping to get Webster's name out there," she says, "to make more people aware that Webster is strong in science. Once you get a few grants, they start to feed off of each other."

What were you up to this summer?

I spent most of the summer relaxing, hiking, and preparing for the new school year. Last year was busy—a lot of fun, but very busy—so I've been thinking about how to make this year even better.

What have you been thinking about lately?

I have two students doing their Senior Research Projects with me—one studying breast cancer, the other studying the aging process in humans by using yeast as a model.

Any hobbies or down-time activities?

I like to bike and hike a lot. This summer I went camping and hiking in Colorado and Utah. I bought a book that has 60 hikes within 60 miles of St. Louis, so I'm trying to do some of those and learn more about Missouri.

Are there additional challenges that a woman faces in the sciences?

I think the main challenge—and there have been many articles discussing this—is that the arc of your career means that when you're most productive and busiest—the time when you're working 24/7 doing lab research and grants—is often the time traditionally when a woman might be planning a family. Because science technology moves so fast, it can be a real disadvantage if you need to take time off to give birth and rear children. That can force you into a difficult choice. But I'm sure that's a challenge facing women in their careers in any industry. I've known many very strong women scientists who've advanced far in their careers.

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