I applied to the institute in order to work on teaching projects, and that’s what I’ve done.

I have received an internal grant from Le Moyne College to develop a First Year Seminar on Mortality and Immortality. I’m eager to be part of ongoing conversations with institute participants and others who have integrated mortality into their curricula.

At the institute, I presented on another course in development, “The Future of Being Human,” which will be offered for five successive semesters, beginning in Spring 2015. Mortality will be one thread in the story that course teaches. I anticipate that “The Future of Being Human” will have a significant impact, enrolling 100 students a semester (large by Le Moyne students), featuring both large lecture sessions and more intimate seminar sessions. I’m not sure whether that material can be digested in a form for the website, but I did want to let you know that the institute will inform my teaching in that context as well–the syllabus approved for the spring includes some readings we did as well as readings suggested by other participants when I presented. With the somewhat improbable title of “McDevitt Core Professor” (I’m not much for titles, but there it is), I have some resources for the course; at some point may be able to invite one or two institute participants to join us for a night or two–I’ll keep you posted if that works out.

Right now teaching is at the heart of my professional agenda. I’m keeping up a steady stream of articles, but largely in response to specific invitations. I have resisted some (tempting) offers from presses to work on larger projects–I don’t want to begin my next book until I’m passionate about what I’m working on. At this point I anticipate that mortality (and related questions of what it means to be human) will be central to that project, but I’m taking my time to think it through…

I want you to know that the institute made a significant impact.

Jennifer A. Glancy is the McDevitt Core Professor and Professor of Religious Studies at Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York.