Gordon Kelly
The liberal arts take students (and professors) outside their academic comfort zones and encourage them to engage the world from a variety of disciplinary perspectives.
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What three words would you use to describe Lewis & Clark?
How do you describe the liberal arts?
The liberal arts are the antidote for misinformation! Internet culture pushes us to quickly form simplistic opinions with little or no evidence and hold fast to them; the liberal arts teach us to take our time, deeply analyze evidence, and make reasoned conclusions. The liberal arts take students (and professors) outside their academic comfort zones and encourage them to engage the world from a variety of disciplinary perspectives. The world is a big and complex place, and no single discipline can fully grapple with it.
What do you enjoy most about Lewis & Clark students?
L&C students are open-minded and quite adept at exploring new perspectives. I’m impressed how often they bring in material they’ve learned in other classes and apply it to mine. Additionally, I’ve observed that they are very kind and helpful to each other. L&C students are adventurous thinkers; I’m amazed by how many of them pursue study abroad options to enrich their education. I also enjoy the quirky sense of humor many of them have, as it contributes to a fun learning environment.
How does Lewis & Clark prepare students interested in your field to pursue a career and/or advanced studies after graduation?
Our world is awash in digital hogwash, but the liberal arts provide a way to navigate through internet fabrications and half-truths. Students taking Classics (and the humanities in general) gain valuable experience in research methods, finding and evaluating evidence, constructing coherent arguments, and effectively communicating them. The skills learned in earning a Classics degree are useful in a wide variety of potential careers. While some will go on to advanced studies in Classics or Classical Archaeology, most will pursue other vocations. Recent L&C Classics majors have found careers in such fields as K-12 teaching, law, journalism, academic administration, library science, and nonprofit work.
What sets your department or program apart from other small liberal arts colleges?
Classics is an innately interdisciplinary endeavor, as scholars engage with all facets of Greco-Roman culture, including history, literature, religion, art, philosophy, and politics. L&C Classics takes this interdisciplinarity one step farther: many of our elective courses are taught by experts in other departments. Our courses encourage students to discard modern preconceptions about antiquity and engage with ancient evidence to let the Greeks and Romans speak for themselves.
Tell us about your work at archaeological excavations.
I have served on the archaeological staff for the Rutgers University excavations of an ancient Roman villa at Vacone, Italy, during six summer sessions. The project aims to increase our knowledge of Roman agricultural development and to investigate patterns of rural habitation at a typical Roman villa for both free and enslaved residents.
How are students involved?
Over the years, 12 L&C students have excavated at Vacone and gained hands-on archaeological experience. Students not only excavated, but also worked to document and manage the site, as well as process and preserve finds such as wall painting fragments, mosaics, and pottery. A few students even pursued individual research projects on site and presented their findings at L&C colloquia and regional conferences. Participation in the excavations is contingent on successful application to the Rutgers program and payment of program fees; students can receive academic credit at L&C for work at the excavations. A 2014 article from the L&C Magazine describes one of the excavation seasons.
What should incoming students know about L&C faculty?
During my career, I’ve taught at a large research-focused university, several elite East Coast liberal arts colleges, and a Portland-area one (Reed College). I can honestly say that Lewis & Clark has the best faculty I’ve encountered for teaching undergraduates. My colleagues are unstintingly devoted to their students and care a lot about teaching.
What’s your favorite thing about living in Portland?
The Hollywood Theater! A movie-palace style theater built in 1926, the Hollywood shows classic cinema, cult movies, and recent arthouse films. My daughter and I go there often.
Share something you think your students would be surprised to learn about you.
Two things: I served as an active-duty officer in the U.S. Navy for four years, and I was North American Godzilla trivia champion two times in the 1990s. I love Godzilla!
