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During the pandemic, Jason Yancey, professor of modern languages, said the reasons students came to his office in Mackinac Hall were rarely about class. His office is filled with masks from Italian theater and colorful puppets he made from travels, action figures and, of course, lots of books.
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Shannon Biros, professor of chemistry, said her office full of plants happened quite by accident. A friend gave her a fern and it flourished in her east-facing window of Padnos Hall. “It wasn’t on purpose but the plants make me smile,” she said.
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“Offices tell an awful lot about the faculty member,” said Teresa Beck, senior associate dean of the College of Health Professions. “It inspires a conversation that normally wouldn’t happen in a classroom.” Beck doesn't remember when she started collected Coca-Cola memorabilia but her students tell her it's like a museum.
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When Louis Moore was a young man, he had a poster of NBA Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins on his bedroom wall. Now as a professor of history, including sports history, a nicer copy of that same poster hangs in his office in Mackinac Hall. “My office is an extension of my childhood bedroom,” he said.
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“You can’t learn if you’re hungry,” said Rebecca Williams, assistant professor of interdisciplinary studies. Her office in Lake Ontario Hall is full of student gifts, art from around the world, a Ruth Bader Ginsburg doll, a "How to Train a Dragon" stuffed animal made by her niece, student artwork and more.
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Joel Potrykus, assistant professor of film and video, will sometimes hear a quiet knock on his office door in Lake Superior Hall. Potrykus’ office is filled with “strange props” people have made for his movies; over the years, it has slowly transformed into a “weird museum.”
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Students who do find their way to Kevin Lehnert's office in Seidman Center find it filled with music. To break the barrier, the professor of marketing has a record collection that he rotates from time to time. His office is cluttered with comic books, tchotchkes and superhero action figures.
Office Hours
Category
Photography > Photography: Portraits
Description
Best of CASE District V Award
Institution: Grand Valley State University
Title of entry: Office Hours
About this entry: The idea for the series originated with film and video production faculty member Joel Potrykus, who was debuting his film at the Tribeca Film Festival. During a portrait shoot for his profile on GVNext.com, he suggested to GVSU’s Associate Director of Photography, Kendra Stanley-Mills, that she photograph him in his office — a space filled with movie props. He noted that his students often find inspiration when they visit during his office hours. The unexpected decor intrigued Stanley-Mills, prompting her to ask if other faculty members had similarly unique offices. Encouraged by Potrykus, she pursued the project.
Stanley-Mills reached out to administrators across various departments, including the DeVos Center of Interprofessional Health and the Seidman College of Business, searching for faculty with distinctive office spaces. The project has gained traction, even earning a mention from GVSU President Philomena V. Mantella in the upcoming edition of Grand Valley Magazine, which reaches more than 68,000 members of the GVSU community.
Administrators told Stanley-Mills that the project resonated with alumni, evoking memories of their own campus experiences and connections with their professors.
Potrykus said faculty want students to know that learning experiences can occur outside the classroom and that their offices and by extension their office hours are an inviting opportunity to build relationships with faculty. Since the project is ongoing, Stanley-Mills hopes other faculty members volunteer when the photographs are published in the next issue of Grand Valley Magazine.