Student Spotlight: Nick Lang

     Nick Lang is a Senior in the Department of Sociology. He may be known across campus as the President of the Student Government Association, but he is known in his department as a promising alumnus.  "I can’t talk enough about my department,”said Lang.  “My faculty pushed me to be the best version of myself.  Dr. (Amber) Paulk and Dr. (Andrea) Hunt were very encouraging to me.”

     Lang says the things he learned in classes helped in in his role as SGA President. “For example,” said Lang, “this year I volunteered to be a Title IX intern. What I’m using for the internship are all things I’ve learned in the classroom. The professors have taught me to apply what I’ve learned to impact people.”
     Lang will start graduate school at Clemson University in June, where he will be working with Campus Events. His position as Graduate Assistant in Student Clubs and Organizations and advising SGA seems perfectly suited for Lang. The position comes with a full tuition waiver and a stipend.  “I thinks it’s cool that I’ll go from being a SGA President to advising a SGA President, “ Lang said.
     As for beginning classes in the fall, Lang said “I am ready to study academically what I have a passion for, which is development of students.”  Lang will be pursuing a Masters of Counselor Education with an emphasis on Student Affairs.  Lang said he wants to learn how to be a better higher education professional.  “I’m excited to have classes in grad school that I haven’t had in undergrad,” he said.

Associate Professor of Art:

Dr. Lisa Kirch

     Dr. Lisa Kirch, Associate Professor of Art, has been chosen as a Fulbright Scholar for Spring 2017 and Summer 2018. She will be based at the Central Institute for Art History in Munich, Germany. While there, Kirch will be working on the transcription, translation and publication of a sixteenth-century inventory of a princely study.

     In addition scholarship in the field of Art History, Kirch will use the experience to bridge other disciplines. For example, she is establishing cooperative learning opportunities in UNA’s Department of History. Kirch also hopes her work will encourage others at UNA to establish a track record that will assist them in getting grants and fellowships to complete their scholarly pursuits.

     This is not Kirch’s first time to conduct research out of the country. In 2012 she received a Franklin Research Grant from the American Philosophical Society to study the art collecting of German princesses. In 2015 she received a Short-Term Research Grant from the Renaissance Society of America to study art collecting in Frankfurt am Main. Her future research plans include work on other collections and on Prince Rupert of the Rhine, soldier, statesman, and artist.