Honors College Director, Dr. Gayle Levy, has been on staff with honors for 13 years. Read further to learn more about Dr. Levy!

 

1.    What courses do you teach at UMKC?

I teach all levels of French language, literature, and culture. Additionally, I team-teach an Anchor 2 class entitled “Nazi-Occupied Europe and the Holocaust” with Dr. Drew Bergersion from the History Dept.

2.    Of the classes you are teaching in the fall, which class are you most excited about?

I love teaching all my classes! I guess I am most excited to teach my Intro to French Literature in the fall. For many of the students this will be their first real foray into the world of French literature and I love to be their guide. Can I tell you about a class I am really excited to teach in Spring 2019? It is a class on Napoleon, conceived in conjunction with an exhibit that will open at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art in October. The exhibit is called Napoleon: Art and Court Life in the Imperial Palace. I am looking forward to analyzing the way 19^th-century French authors depicted the myth of Napoleon, both the private man and the public figure, in their work and I can’t wait for the students to do public presentations in the exhibition itself!

3. Where did you receive your educational background?

I got my BA at UC-Berkeley, my MA at The Johns Hopkins University and my Ph.D. at Duke. Go Blue Devils!!!!

4. What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I spend a lot of time with my family—my two sons and my husband, the novelist Whitney Terrell. I love travelling, going to museums, cooking, seeing live theater, and watching movies. I also love reading, of course. For the past year or so I have been reading Harry Potter out loud to my youngest son—what a wonderful experience! I spend lots of time shepherding my sons to sports events. There’s a lot of gymnastics, soccer, and baseball going on. My entire family and I love to travel to France. And I like biking, although I don’t make the time as much as I’d like.

5.  What is the best advice you would give to a college student? ‘

Study Abroad! Do some research! Go talk to your professors in their office hours! They love to talk to you and you can ask them questions about their work and life as well. Taste a little bit of everything as college is the perfect moment to engage in new experiences and experiment with different ideas.

Honors College junior, Ellie Simms, is Marketing and Media Coordinator of Lucerna, an undergraduate research journal based out of the Honors College. To be involved for the next school term, contact Dr. Henrietta Wood at woodhr@umkc.edu for more information.

1. In your own words, how would you describe Lucerna as an organization, and what is its primary mission within the Honors College?

Lucerna is an all student-made journal that showcases some of the best research work done for the year at the undergraduate level. The team behind Lucerna takes up the task of reading through all submissions, choosing those to go into the journal, coordinating the design and the budgeting behind making the journal, and organizing the symposium that premieres that year’s journal edition.

2. What is your role in Lucerna, and how long have you been a part of the organization?

This is my second year with Lucerna, this time around in the position of Marketing and Media Coordinator. Basically, I make all the promotional material for the latest journal edition and its symposium: flyers, PowerPoints, event brochures, etc. Once the symposium comes to a close, then I help read through essay submissions to pick what will go into the next journal.

3. What is an exciting project that the organization currently has in place?

Lucerna usually follows a similar schedule each year, and we just lately got finished with our 2018 symposium in late February. For the event, we take over a room in the Student Union and invite staff, students, and outside visitors to pick a copy of the latest Lucerna edition and listen to talks from some of the published authors. There’s a lot of great collaboration, guests, and things to pick up at the event, and it’s always our biggest event of the year.

4. Why did you decide to be involved and run for leadership in this organization? What is advantageous about taking part in the group?

Originally I joined Lucerna as a freshman because I simply wanted to find a group where I could make friends in such a new environment, and I’ve stuck around because the opportunities it offers adhere a lot to my interests. When staff members read through submissions, they give their input on content, edits, strengths and weaknesses, and writing and revision has always been one of my favorite things to do. And as Marketing and Media Coordinator, I’m in charge of basically all the design aside from the journal cover, and art and design is one of my biggest pursuits in life. It’s not difficult to take on a leadership position with Lucerna, and there’s a variety of activities and opportunities that come with any staff position.

1. Tell us about yourself.
I grew up in the Kansas City area and I’m thrilled to be able to live here again! My educational background is in biology but my interests are quite broad.

2. What courses do you teach at UMKC?
I teach the Senior Honors Thesis/Project Practicum, Anchor courses, and Biology courses.

3. What do you like to do in your free time?
I love gardening and taking care of my five snakes.

4. What is the best advice you can give to a college student?
Don’t run yourself ragged; take a break when you need to. It’s an investment in your well-being and prevents burnout.