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SHERMAN, TEXAS—James Johnson, Austin College professor of classics, will speak on campus Thursday, September 20, at 4:30 p.m. in Wright Campus Center, Room 231, in a presentation on faculty research and pedagogy hosted by the College’s Johnson Center for Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching. The presentation “The Nature of Myth: Fact, Fiction, Truth?” is free and open to the public.
Johnson said that is it common to hear someone dismiss something as “just a myth,” frequently characterizing some concept or idea as erroneous or outdated. “But the ancient Greeks told myths that were traditional tales with rich meanings for society and life in society,” he said, explaining that in his presentation he will seek to show that myths, in the traditional sense, are neither "bad history" nor "bad science," but rather have unique goals and methods that make them valuable in their own right.
Johnson has been a member of the Austin College Classical and Modern Languages faculty since 1977.
The Robert and Joyce Johnson Center for Faculty Development and Excellence in Teaching, is directed by Bernice Melvin, Margaret Root Brown Chair of Foreign Languages and Literatures and professor of French. Within the mission of the center is the encouragement of ‘bold exploration of intellectual frontiers” and “fostering lively intellectual dialogue within and across academic disciplines.”
Three faculty research and pedagogy talks are scheduled for the spring 2013 term, with presentations by John Richardson, chemistry; Frank Rohmer political science; and Roger Platizky, English.
A number of other Johnson Center programs are offered to faculty, students, and the local community throughout the academic year.
Austin College is a leading national independent liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas. Founded in 1849, making it the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original charter and name, the college is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA). Recognized nationally for academic excellence in the areas of international education, pre-professional training, and leadership studies, Austin College is one of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives.
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