Edward's Bio Analysis
Dr. William Glover, University of Michigan
https://lsa.umich.edu/history/people/faculty/wglover.html
Dr. Kris Manjapra, Tufts University
http://ase.tufts.edu/history/faculty/manjapra.asp
Kate Schwennsen, FAIA, Clemson University
https://www.clemson.edu/caah/departments/architecture/programs/historic-preservation/people/facultyBio.html?id=1
Prof. Jorge Otero-Pailos, Columbia University
https://www.arch.columbia.edu/faculty/15-jorge-otero-pailos
Academic bios seem to have a certain number of set conventions. Perhaps most noticeable is that they are generally quite brief, yet pack a lot of information in, with a cadence that would fit right in with a university press release. They are not meant to be an exhaustive monograph on that person’s accomplishments—some bio pages have an attached CV that does that job instead. Formal in tone, they usually present their subject in a professional light rather than a personal one. Rare is a listing of hobbies, a link to a professor’s Facebook or Twitter, or a description of their family. Some may complain that this makes them too stiff, but on the flip side there are privacy concerns inherent in sharing too much in public bios too.
For this assignment, I selected a scholar who worked in South Asian and global history, two who focused on architectural and spatial history, and one who worked at the intersection of these two. Of these four, Dr. Manjapra’s bio is notable for being written in first person rather than third person like the other three. This small change gives a certain element of self-awareness to the bio, breaking the “fourth wall” of online bios that sometimes seem like they pretend they were written without feedback from the faculty member themselves. A first person voice also allows the faculty member to express gratitude for awards they have received or other subjective personal touches. By contrast, a third-person bio often removes these liberties of expression, giving a more seemingly impartial tone.
Some online bios, such as Prof. Jorge Otero-Pailos’s, include much more than a written statement. His page features a very comprehensive spectrum of his scholarship: audio interviews he has spearheaded, high-quality images of an exhibit he did, and even lists of his classes and books that link to Columbia’s course catalog and Amazon web pages, respectively. Dr. Manjapra’s page also features extensive listings, including his work on Tufts’ South Asian Digital Humanities lab and a personal project on Bengali oral histories.
While many professors likely spend the majority of their work time in teaching rather than research, it is generally research that gets the greatest attention by far. In Dr. Glover’s bio, for instance, 4 out of 7 of the sentences detail the parameters of his research and no mention is made of what classes he teaches. In many ways, this is understandable, since at least in the catalog there is a certain standardization of courses and since one’s research interests are perhaps the foremost realm of academic identity. Yet, some of these gaps could feasibly be filled. Many faculty are required to submit statements of teaching philosophy when applying for a job, and including a link to that document with the professor’s permission could be a helpful and insightful addition. Just like restaurants and businesses include testimonials from satisfied customers, bio pages could include snippets of insightful course reviews from satisfied students—a more elevated and officially-sanctioned ratemyprofs.com.
Scholars’ research interests and responsibilities are never linear, and in can be helpful to learn about their contributions in a past field or at a previous institution. I found it helpful that the bio for Ms. Schwennsen mentioned that she had previously worked as an Associate Dean at another school, for instance, adding greater context to her current position as Director of the Clemson School of Architecture. It is also helpful when bios give some context that helps those outside the field understand the magnitude of certain accomplishments, such as Clemson detailing that the American Institute of Architects was one massive organization for Schwennsen to lead.