Behind the Scenes with our Faculty: Storm Stories and Theorized Practice

For anyone thinking about graduate school, one of the primary considerations is the faculty. Who are they beyond the courses they teach? What are their research passions? How do they apply the principles of cultural sustainability in practice? How might they help me achieve my career goals? This year the M.A. in Cultural Sustainability is offering a series of virtual chats featuring our faculty. Whether teaching English to refugees from Ukraine, leading truth and reconciliation hearings, navigating the world of UNESCO, or working with indigenous villages in Peru to battle climate change, they are scholars and practitioners who will mentor and inspire you. Join us to learn about their work beyond the classroom and how that influences their teaching.

For this webinar, meet folklorists Amy Skillman and Rory Turner who will talk about their work in communities as different as women sea captains and urban drummers. Find out what they have in common as they approach these diverse worlds.

Amy Skillman - When she isn’t teaching for the MACS program, Amy Skillman puts her US Coast Guard Captain’s License to work teaching sailing. Over the years she has begun weaving the threads of folklore and sailing into an exploration of risk through the storm stories women sailors tell. Story is at the core of our work in cultural sustainability as markers of identity and embodiments of knowledge. Storm stories in particular may offer new narratives for understanding our relationship with the elements. During this chat, Amy will share some of the stories she gathered from women sea captains through an Archie Green Fellowship from the Library of Congress.

Rory Turner - Rory Turner has a passion for rhythm. He is a drummer himself and participates regularly in the Park Vibe drum group that meets in Druid Hill Park in Baltimore. Since 2014 he has been part of the leadership team for the Baltimore Rhythm Festival, which revived the earlier Baltimore International Rhythm and Drumming Society (BIRDS. For this talk, he will share his thoughts on the festival as theorized practice. He will show images from the event and talk about its past, present, and future as well as its connection to his understanding of culture and community. The festival takes place on September 13th this year, so he will come to the chat with very fresh reflections.