Lauren Turek: Bring History Alive in the Classroom

By Meredith Peckham

Dr. Lauren Turek is a professor of American History at Trinity. She holds a reputation for being one of the “cool” professors, as she does her best to make learning an immersive and enjoyable experience.

“I have always loved history,” says Turek as she launches into a childhood story about visiting historical sites in New England.

Her love of history is manifest in all the degrees she has received: from the bachelor’s degree to the doctorate degree, they are all in history.

Eva Pohler: Best-selling Young-Adult Novelist and Trinity Professor

By Jackson Beach

On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Eva Pohler starts her day early.

She pops out of bed and rushes to Trinity to teach an 8:30 a.m. special topics course on innovation & entrepreneurship. After that, she has an hour-long window to sort through student essays and other graded materials before rushing off to teach a persuasive writing class. Following that class, she heads home and uses the rest of her day to either market her past novels or make progress on her next one.

Kelly Grey Carlisle: Searching for Personal Truth through Writing

Kelly Grey Carlisle in her intro to non-fiction class
(photo by Sarah Wysocki) 

By Sarah Wysocki

Kelly Grey Carlisle, Trinity professor of creative non-fiction writing, searches for the truth about her past and her mother’s murder in her newly published book, We Are All Shipwrecks. Though she did not know what she would find in her investigation, she dove in to her mother’s cold case, at the time, decades old.

Many know the professor side of Carlisle--a funny, well-read and well-written woman who cares deeply about her students. Some even know a bit of her personal side--41, married, mother of two young girls, who are 6 years and 19 months old. But there’s more to the story than what is seen on the outside.

Dominic Morais, Sports Management Professor and Weightlifting Coach

Dominic Morais. 
(Photo courtesy of Dominic Morais)

By Bret Smith

Dominic Morais faced a tough choice right before he joined Trinity University in 2015. He was offered two jobs: a tenure track position at California State University at Northridge and a visiting professor position at Trinity. A Tenure track position is a long term employment, while a visiting professorship is temporary.

Even though the Northridge offer was a safer decision, Morais went against his advisors and decided on Trinity.

“Trinity was the type of culture I wanted. It reminded me a lot of Vanderbilt in that it was a small school from a lot of standpoints,” said Morais. “I just felt like I could make an impact here, like I could be here and I could actually start changing things and I just did not feel that at all with Cal State.” Morais went to Vanderbilt for his undergraduate study.

Professor Jenny Browne, the Newly Named San Antonio Poet Laureate, Talks about Trust in Her Creative Process

By Nancy Li

Seated in her office which was littered with various books, papers, and bumper stickers that carried phrases such as "Obamanos" or "united we art," English Professor Jenny Browne found inspiration for her poetry practice in all corners of life.

Browne, interested in what she called the "music of language," says, “Poetry is about paying better attention, to both the outer and inner landscape. It helps me to be awake, aware of the hook of the language, feeling, or image that might spark a poem.”

Amidst the whirlwind that includes family, kids, teaching, and multiple other commitments, Browne always finds a time to write and process her thoughts. “I sit down and try to say something honest, precise, and maybe even interesting,” she says.