Georgetown College. Georgetown University.

Professor Blake explains how the format of the Ignatius Seminar allowed students to think about his own subject, Computer Science, in ways that relate to society as a whole. (Photo: Roland Dimaya)
Professor Paranjape discusses with a student how science concepts are key to the preparation of a good meal. (Photo: Todd Chappell)
Professor Weiss is a professor of Biology at Georgetown. She enjoyed introducing her first year Ignatius Seminar students to the study of plants. (Photo: Roland Dimaya)

"To my mind, the ongoing conversations and reunions (at the initiative of students) in subsequent semesters testified to how much progress we had made towards the Ignatian ideal of cura personalis." --Professor Joan Holmer

By Gabrielle Matthews

Professor Martha Weiss’ Ignatius Seminar students know how to ride Metro.  

The professor of Biology’s seminar, "A Plant's Eye View of Human Civilization" in the fall of 2008, helped first year students at Georgetown to not only gain an appreciation of the ubiquity and importance of plants in their lives, but to experience Washington, DC.

"I loved the opportunity to get to know and interact with students in a small and informal setting," Weiss said. "I miss them this semester, and plan to have botanical reunions in the future!"

Weiss enjoyed the opportunity to create what she calls "plant-related experiences" for her students, which included trips to the U.S. Botanic Garden and Dumbarton Oaks, a collection of famous gardens in the Georgetown neighborhood. Other activities included a chocolate tasting—"Hershey bars are ruined for me forever!" she exclaimed—a visit from a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine, making paper and twine, as well as the aforementioned experiences in the city.  

"I enjoyed sharing my knowledge of DC with my students," she said. "Now they all know to stand right, walk left, on the metro escalators; that the American Indian Museum has the best cafeteria on the mall, and that Dumbarton Oaks is close by and gorgeous in the fall."

Instituted by former Dean of Georgetown College Jane McAuliffe in 2006, Ignatius Seminars, to which incoming students must apply, help first year students join the Georgetown intellectual community in small class groups that allow them to make friends quickly and assimilate into campus life. The organization of the seminars allow professors to tap into their multifaceted knowledge of their subject and find a way to make it particularly relevant to students who perhaps have never studied the subject before.  

Signing up for a physics class as a first year student may sound daunting, but for students interested in cooking, Professor of Physics Mak Paranjape’s "The Art of Cooking: Practical Science in Action" is a great place to start.

"I decided to teach the course mainly because it allowed me to interact with students who are just starting at Georgetown and beginning to experience what it means to be a 'Hoya,'" Paranjape said. "I wanted the chance to make their transition to university life more enjoyable by providing them with a course they would hopefully enjoy—and learn some important concepts in science."

The beauty of the Ignatius Seminar is that professors have the opportunity to teach what are, in many cases, personal topics: their favorite aspects of their field.  

"The Ignatius Seminar allowed me flexibility to choose a topic that was of interest to me—and that is cooking," said Paranjape. "So I combined cooking with some science background, and the first 'Art of Cooking: Practical Science in Action' course was conceived. The course also allowed me to show that science is truly everywhere, and that by understanding the underlying principles in something as common as cooking, anyone can become an expert chef."

With frequent cooking and baking demonstrations, including the scientific tie-in, and ending with a cook-off at the end of the semester, Paranjape's class impressed upon his students that the preparation of food is an art, as well as a science.  

The integration of personal research and seminar subject is a key aspect of Professor Brian Blake's Ignatius Seminar "A Connected World: For Better or for Worse." Blake, a professor in the Department of Computer Science, shaped his seminar around his research interests.

"Within the seminar, we delved into the area of Internet computing and applications," Blake said. "We explored how information is shared between government organizations, businesses, and from person to person using the Internet as a medium. This is the core of my personal research."

Not only do students have the opportunity to learn about cutting-edge subjects from professors who are furthering their fields, but Blake said he finds the interaction with his students to be intellectually stimulating as well.

"The students 'challenged' me, day-to-day—many times they won," Blake said with a chuckle. "While I am perhaps the expert on the technical aspects of web-based applications, why and when it is appropriate to use these applications in society is a totally different matter. Each day I was intrigued by how the students had—sometimes unpredictable—opinions that were cultivated from very diverse and intricate backgrounds."
 
Whether an incoming first year student wants to learn about plants, cooking, computers, or the diverse subjects of any one of the other seminars offered, the small group setting and integrated format of Georgetown’s Ignatius Seminars are a valuable place to start.  This integration of art, science, and personality is why the seminars are named for Saint Ignatius of Loyola, on whose philosophy Jesuit education is based. Cura personalis, one of Georgetown’s mottos, means educating the whole person—caring for each person's individuality and integral wholeness. These personal expressions of each professor's scholarly pursuits show the academic interplay of their mind and spirit—an important aspect of college to share with incoming first year students.  

 "I felt privileged to have a small and intimate group of dedicated students commit to a challenging course in which they developed a truly collegial—almost even a 'familial'—environment grounded in mutual sharing and caring," said Professor Joan Holmer of the English department. She was one of the first professors to teach an Ignatius Seminar, in the fall semesters of 2006 and 2007. Her course, "Shakespeare: For All Ages and Stages" is highly regarded by students, who not only enjoyed, but benefited much from the environment of the seminar.

"Because we truly got to know each other in a variety of formats and experiences, we bonded together for spirited conversations that kept going long after a class period ended, a production was applauded, and even the semester completed," said Holmer. "To my mind, the ongoing conversations and reunions (at the initiative of students) in subsequent semesters testified to how much progress we had made towards the Ignatian ideal of cura personalis."

Print Article