Welcome to Global Thinking, the newsletter of the College of Arts and Sciences at Webster University.

As the academic year draws to a close, we welcome a new member to the Global Thinking family—a TV series that highlights the international dimension of institutions throughout St. Louis. Also named Global Thinking, this collaboration between the College of Arts & Science and HEC-TV is hosted by our Des Lee Professor in Global Awareness, Dr. Fernando Barrio, with episodes already taped featuring the International Institute, the Botanical Garden, Monsanto, and the Danforth Plant Science Center.  If you’re in St. Louis, check out the premiere on HEC-TV on June 27.

Our faculty members are often praised for their expertise in disseminating knowledge, but are less appreciated for the knowledge they create. As a remedy, on April 26 we held a Celebration of Scholarly Achievement. Entries for our Celebration booklet (check it out) came in from faculty all around the Webster world—from Bangkok to Orlando to Vienna. Other examples of A&S scholarship are our two new Fulbright recipients: Joe Stimpfl, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies, and Don Morse, Assistant Professor of Philosophy. Joe will study the intersection of Islamic and village cultures in Malaysia. Don will study the philosophical underpinnings of democracy and how they are viewed and understood in Slovakia today.

This issue of Global Thinking shines the spotlight on two of our College’s leaders. Paula Hanssen has been appointed as Assistant Professor of Germanic Studies. Paula has been with us in an adjunct capacity since 1993, and has done much to increase our students’ knowledge of the German languages and the cultures of Germany and Austria.  From our Advisory Board we feature Jim Buford, who has led the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis for 22 years. Jim’s personal creed is short but meaningful. “Life is short,” he says. “You’ve got to act for what you believe in.” The fact that the Urban League last year served 66,000 people speaks volumes about Jim’s effectiveness as a leader.

Ultimately, students are the College of Arts & Sciences’ reason for being. Our feature story on “Surfacing,” the annual student playwright festival, showcases the abundant talents of our undergraduates. Under the tutelage of faculty mentor Michael Erickson, students write, produce, direct, and provide technical support for a series of short plays. This year’s student jury had a tough job, with 40 student submissions but only room for seven plays to be performed. We also tell the story of undergrad Tomas Zahorka, a Czech native. “I think of myself as a global person,” says Tomas. Is it any surprise that he found his way to Webster University? Tomas graduates next year with degrees in History and Secondary Education and a certificate in International Relations.

As another school year concludes, I thank you for your friendship and support.

Sincerely,

David Carl Wilson