FacTalk

A podcast series hosted by the Center for Faculty Development and the University Libraries

FacTalk is a podcast series that showcases the latest research and creative work of ODU scholars. The podcast is co-hosted by Annette Finley-Croswhite (Director of the Center for Faculty Development) and Tim Hackman (Dean of the University Libraries).

Episode 2: Dr. Drew Lopenzina

Are you interested in learning about the rich contributions of Native American writers to early American literature? Then we think you'll enjoy listening to the second episode of the FacTalk podcast! Dr. Drew Lopenzina, Professor of Early American Literature in the Department of English at ODU and a leading expert in Indigenous Studies, is our guest, and he's here to give us an inside look at the motivations and struggles of Native American writers in earlier times. 

Dr. Lopenzina's passion for Indigenous studies was sparked by observing the rise of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiment during his graduate studies following the events of 9/11. This led him to seek the source of such "othering" in earlier American writings and ultimately to the study of Indigenous peoples in the colonial Northeast, which he discusses in the podcast. He also shares some of his research, including raising funds and placing a historical marker in Colrain, MA, to honor William Apess, the first Native American writer to emerge as a public intellectual in the 1800s and 1830s. Dr. Lopenzina's has also been instrumental in the development of ODU's Land Recognition Statement, which recognizes the traditional lands of the Nansemond people on which ODU is built. 

Whether you're a history enthusiast, literature lover, or simply interested in learning more about important issues, this episode of the FacTalk podcast is not to be missed! Dr. Lopenzina passion and insight will leave you feeling inspired and informed, and we believe you'll walk away with a new appreciation for the critical role that recognizing and respecting the history and culture of Indigenous peoples plays in building a better future for all.

For more information on Dr. Lopenzina see:

 

Drew Lopenzina is Professor of English at Old Dominion University who teaches in the intersections of Early American and Native American literatures. He is the author of three books, The Routledge Introduction to Native American Literature (Routledge Press 2020), Through an Indian’s Looking Glass: A Cultural Biography of William Apess, Pequot (University of Massachusetts Press 2017), and Red Ink: Native Americans Picking up the Pen in the Colonial Period (SUNY Press 2012). Lopenzina’s essays appear in the journals Early American Literature, Native American and Indigenous Studies, American Quarterly and many others. Although he currently lives in Norfolk, Virginia, Lopenzina hales from Western Massachusetts and his studies focus on the presence of Indigenous peoples in the colonial Northeast. He is currently working on a new scholarly edition of William Apess’ 1829 A Son of the Forest.  In 2022 Professor Lopenzina was awarded the prestigious Richard Beale Davis Prize by the Modern Language Association Forum on Early American Literature for his publication, ’In De Dark Wood: No Indian Nigh’: William Apess and ‘The Indian Hymn.” 

Episodes

Are you interested in learning about the rich contributions of Native American writers to early American literature? Then we think you'll enjoy listening to the second episode of the FacTalk podcast! Dr. Drew Lopenzina, Professor of Early American Literature in the Department of English at ODU and a leading expert in Indigenous Studies, is our guest, and he's here to give us an inside look at the motivations and struggles of Native American writers in earlier times. 

Dr. Lopenzina's passion for Indigenous studies was sparked by observing the rise of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiment during his graduate studies following the events of 9/11. This led him to seek the source of such "othering" in earlier American writings and ultimately to the study of Indigenous peoples in the colonial Northeast, which he discusses in the podcast. He also shares some of his research, including raising funds and placing a historical marker in Colrain, MA, to honor William Apess, the first Native American writer to emerge as a public intellectual in the 1800s and 1830s. Dr. Lopenzina's has also been instrumental in the development of ODU's Land Recognition Statement, which recognizes the traditional lands of the Nansemond people on which ODU is built. 

Whether you're a history enthusiast, literature lover, or simply interested in learning more about important issues, this episode of the FacTalk podcast is not to be missed! Dr. Lopenzina passion and insight will leave you feeling inspired and informed, and we believe you'll walk away with a new appreciation for the critical role that recognizing and respecting the history and culture of Indigenous peoples plays in building a better future for all.

For more information on Dr. Lopenzina see:

 

Drew Lopenzina is Professor of English at Old Dominion University who teaches in the intersections of Early American and Native American literatures. He is the author of three books, The Routledge Introduction to Native American Literature (Routledge Press 2020), Through an Indian’s Looking Glass: A Cultural Biography of William Apess, Pequot (University of Massachusetts Press 2017), and Red Ink: Native Americans Picking up the Pen in the Colonial Period (SUNY Press 2012). Lopenzina’s essays appear in the journals Early American Literature, Native American and Indigenous Studies, American Quarterly and many others. Although he currently lives in Norfolk, Virginia, Lopenzina hales from Western Massachusetts and his studies focus on the presence of Indigenous peoples in the colonial Northeast. He is currently working on a new scholarly edition of William Apess’ 1829 A Son of the Forest.  In 2022 Professor Lopenzina was awarded the prestigious Richard Beale Davis Prize by the Modern Language Association Forum on Early American Literature for his publication, ’In De Dark Wood: No Indian Nigh’: William Apess and ‘The Indian Hymn.”

 

Cassie Glenn and Tomeka Wilcher

In our first episode of FacTalk, Dr. Cassie Glenn, assistant professor of psychology and director of the Youth Risk and Resilience (YR2) Lab at ODU, discusses her recent scholarly work examining the link between sleep problems and suicidal thinking among high-risk adolescents. In addition, she discusses her recently funded NIH grant exploring how interpersonal stress relates to suicidal behavior among high-risk adolescents. This project is in collaboration with the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters (CHKD). Dr. Glenn concludes by providing some teaching best practices that have been successful with her own students.

Dr. Glenn received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Stony Brook University and completed an NIMH-funded postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard University. She was previously an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Rochester and took up her position in the Department of Psychology at ODU in 2020.

For more information about NIH funding and ODU's YR2 lab:

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