As we come to the end of this term, we would like to recognize the work of two CLS faculty who will be moving on to other things starting fall 2023. Our thoughts and best wishes go with them as they leave CLS and Renison.
Dr. Daniel Bratton came to Renison in 2016 bringing with him extensive and diverse experience teaching and researching at Ryerson (now Toronto Metropolitan University), Youngdong University in South Korea, Miyazaki International College and Doshisha University in Japan, and Conestoga College in Kitchener. For CLS, Daniel specialized in teaching ENGL 140R (The Use of English), and ARTS 130 (Inquiry and Communication), and taught ENGL 205 (The Canadian Short Story), and ENGL 248 (Literature for an Ailing Planet). In addition, he demonstrated the breadth of his cultural knowledge through the teaching of EASIA 391R (The Beats and Japanese Culture) in fall 2018. Over his time at Renison, he has taught more than 1000 lucky students. Daniel’s close connection to the Elora Poetry Centre has also enriched his teaching, and he is well-known for inviting poets to speak with his students.
In his time with us, Daniel has contributed to CLS, Renison, and RAAS in his roles as the Coordinator of the Humanities unit, a member of the Library Committee, a member of Academic Council, and a much-appreciated member of the first RAAS Negotiating Team. We wish Daniel success in his future publishing projects, including editing the correspondence of Cid Corman, and in his ongoing work with the Elora Poetry Centre.
Dr. Michael Karas arrived at Renison in fall 2020 after completing his PhD at Western University. While at Renison, Michael has taught both EMLS courses (EMLS 129: Written Academic English and EMLS 103: Effective English Pronunciation) and APPLS courses (APPLS 205R: Second Language Acquisition and APPLS 304R: Language Teaching Methods). Michael quickly assumed the role of PD Coordinator for English Language Studies, implementing a newsletter to update faculty about conferences and breaking news in applied linguistics, and organizing the unit’s professional development events. Michael was a member of the Undergraduate Communication Requirement Group (UCRG), joining the Instructor sub-group. In addition, he worked closely with Dr. Kent Williams to develop and deliver a presentation to the larger UCRG that highlighted the contributions of ELS to the university’s communication skills initiatives. While maintaining his teaching load, Michael continued his work as the book review editor for the TESL Canada Journal. We wish Michael all the best as he moves to Brock University to pursue an opportunity there. We will watch for future publications in his many areas of research expertise which include plurilingualism, duoethnographic studies, and teacher self-efficacy.
