Mini-grants go a long way for CVPA students
Recently, three professors in the College of Visual and Performing Arts received small cash grants to aid in their classroom efforts. Dr. Margaret Konkel (Design) and Associate Professors Molly Hood (Theatre) and Ken Smith (Art) were each able to apply their funds to improve the student experience.
The grants were distributed through CITL, Radford’s Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning, and could go up to $750, with most being $500. All faculty across the university applied, with 11 receiving funding.
The grants are designed to enhance teaching and learning through the purchase of instructional supplies or materials and travel associated with innovative and high impact teaching and learning strategies, according to CITL’s website.
Dr. Konkel said the money she received supported taking 15 Interior Design students on a day-long field trip via Amtrak to Washington, D.C. Students from the DSNI305 Corporate Interiors Studio toured two design and architecture firms, OTJ Architects and Gensler, and Teknion, a commercial furniture showroom.
Dr. Konkel said “Each location offered unique, beautifully designed solutions for the post-pandemic hybrid workplace, providing incredible inspiration for students embarking on their first corporate interior design project experience.”
Molly Hood, who is part of Theatre’s performance faculty, received funding to purchase two sets of classroom-use books.
The proposal was called, "Shorter Reads for Long-Term Impact." Hood said her intention was to find cost-effective solutions for supplemental, concise resources to support the acting curriculum.
One set of texts, “The One-Hour Shakespeare” series by Julie Fain Lawrence-Edsell, is to support the Acting III: Shakespeare course with edited versions of the plays.
“In order to give students a more immersive experience in THEA 423: Acting Shakespeare,” Hood said, “I am moving away from scenes and into a streamlined production process.”
“This requires succinct edits of the plays that fit into the class period. Through the use of the purchased resources, we can hit the ground running with our edited texts.”
She was also able to acquire a second text, “Memorization for Actors” by Alexa Ispas, to support the Acting I and the Voice and Movement courses.
This book will help students develop and strengthen a foundation skill, memorization, through the lens of another discipline, psychology. It can be lent to students temporarily and used over multiple semesters.
Ken Smith also received a $500 grant to buy a spiral binding machine plus materials for creating presentation book covers.
The machine will be used in the branding class to make presentation books and give the students an opportunity to pick up a practical skill.