Campus Update

(October 5, 2007)

UAlbany Emeriti Teaching in Russia

On Oct. 4, George Hastings and Iliana Semmler, husband and wife, both retired from the UAlbany Department of English, flew to Russia under the auspices of the Albany-Tula Alliance to present a series of workshops and lectures to the two universities in Tula.  Hastings will present classes on Chaucer and the development of English parody, while Semmler will give presentations on modern American poetry, with a concentration on William Carlos Williams and Robert Frost, and on the poetry of American physician-poets.

The concept for the trip came from Peter Thomas, vice-chair of the Albany-Tula Alliance, who approached Bill Reese, president of the Emeritus Center Board, about the possibility of emeriti going to Tula to teach there in the fields from which they had retired.  The idea is to create closer ties between the Albany-Tula Alliance and the OASIS program, which at least partially defines its goals as "emeriti teaching seniors."  The Emeritus Center fosters the development of continued research, teaching, and service to the University for its members.  Semmler and Hastings are the first emeriti follow up on Thomas's recommendation.  They will return to the U.S. on Oct. 16.