Saint Martin’s faculty member Victor Kogan chosen to present
‘Last Lecture’ April 12
April 2, 2012
LACEY,
WASHINGTON—Saint Martin’s University students have chosen
Professor Victor M. Kogan, Ph.D., a member of the social
sciences faculty for 22 years, to present the University’s 2012
“Last Lecture.”
Kogan, whose topic will be "What I Teach, How I Teach and Why
I Do So,” will deliver his presentation at 6 p.m., April 12,
at Harned Hall 110 on the University’s main campus, 5000 Abbey
Way S.E. Doors open at 5:45 p.m. The event is free and the public
is welcome.
Now an annual event on campus, the Last Lecture features a
faculty member chosen to reflect on his or her personal and
professional life. His or her talk centers on the question, “If
this were the last lecture you ever gave, what would you share
with students?” The series’ objective is to connect the
University’s students and faculty in an informal setting that
encourages reflection on everyday convictions, actions and
challenges. Sponsors are the Saint Martin’s Faculty-in-Residence
Program and the Associated Students of Saint Martin’s
University.
David Price, Ph.D., a social sciences colleague since 1994,
called Kogan one of the institution’s most beloved
instructors. “He brings ideas to life in his classroom,” says
Price. “He draws out students in debates and discussions in ways
that get otherwise reticent students to fully engage with
learning. He has the deep respect and admiration of his students
and colleagues.”
Kogan, whose expertise is in criminal justice and sociology,
says he was first drawn to teaching for civic and personal
reasons. “The civic reason is my understanding that this is a
great society,” says Kogan. “The personal reason is my gratitude
for the opportunities I and my family enjoy living here.”
A Russian émigré of Jewish descent, Kogan’s background helps
inform his personal understanding of many issues of concern
today. “Being a member of a minority,” he explains, “I am
extremely sensitive to issues of justice.”
Kogan is particularly interested in researching juries, race
and gender issues, and conflicts between justice and experience
within the criminal justice system. His courses include Ethics
in Criminal Justice, Women and the Law, and Justice and the Law.
A respected researcher and writer on criminal justice issues,
Kogan was honored last year by professional colleagues, who
dedicated the 25th issue of the journal Russian
Criminological Outlook in its entirety to his scholarly
work. The issue featured research by Kogan as well as reviews of
his books and articles by those colleagues. That significant
academic distinction prompted the University community to honor
him with the Saint Martin’s University Certificate of Special
Recognition on his 75th birthday last year.
Saint Martin’s Last Lecture Series is now in its third year.
It is modeled on that of Carnegie Mellon University, which
became nationally recognized in 2007 when Randy Pausch, Ph.D., a
young computer science professor, was selected to give his
lecture. His lecture, shaped by his battle with terminal cancer,
has been viewed by millions and is part of school curricula
worldwide.
Saint Martin’s University is an independent four-year,
coeducational university located on a 380-acre wooded campus in
Lacey, Washington. Established in 1895 by the Catholic Order of
Saint Benedict, the University is one of 14 Benedictine colleges
and universities in the United States and Canada, and the only
one west of the Rocky Mountains. Saint Martin’s University
prepares students for successful lives through its 21 majors and
six graduate programs spanning the liberal arts, business,
education and engineering. Saint Martin’s welcomes 1,250
students from many ethnic and religious backgrounds to its main
campus, and 650 more to its extension campuses located at Joint
Base Lewis-McChord, Everett College, Centralia College and
Tacoma Community College. Visit the Saint Martin’s University
website at www.stmartin.edu.
For additional information:
Victor M. Kogan, Ph.D.
360-438-4348
vkogan@stmartin.edu
Sarah Holdener
Director of community relations and event management
Office of Marketing and Communications
Saint Martin’s University
360-412-6140
sholdener@stmartin.edu