thePULSEPart of what makes Central MA so unique is its abundance of colleges and universities. And at each institution, there are professors, instructors, and coaches who go above and beyond simply dispensing academic fact inside the classroom; this special breed of educator becomes mentor, role model, and inspiration. It is these individuals whom we honor in Focus on Faculty. If you know a professor who should be featured in this section, please contact the Editor at ldean@pagioinc.com.
Jody Emel, Ph.D.:
Graduate School of Geography, Clark University
By Jennie Fitzgerald
It’s easy to say that Jody Emel is an environmentalist at heart. She’s no amateur and has been teaching for 25 years at Clark University. Beyond doing her part in trying to save the planet with her research and lessons, she wants her students to know about the “matrix” world they live in.
Jacque “Jody” Emel earned her M.S. in geography from the Pennsylvania State University in ‘77 and her Ph.D. in hydrology and water resources from the University of Arizona in ‘83. Looking back she says, “I am surprised I became a professor. I didn’t really plan it; it just sort of happened. I thought I would be a field hydrologist or an urban planner.”
She lectures, holds involved seminars, and enjoys hands-on teaching, but the best thing for her is when students present findings from their own projects. One of her students actually watched 30 episodes of “Star Trek,” examining the changing positions of protagonists toward race and gender. I’d sure love to see the results of that one.
I believe all teachers have some sort of hidden agenda, an underlying message they so subtly try to instill their students. And, yes, Jody is no different. Her passion for the environment drives her message to show her students “…that they really do live in a ‘matrix’-like world where you either swallow the red pill or the blue one. If you want to know what’s actually happening on the planet, you will find out lots of unsavory truths. Or, you can live in your virtual world and be ignorant of the implications of the money you spend and the resources you use.”
Jody, as you may guess, loves the outdoors. She hikes with her two dogs around Worcester and is also an animal rights activist. Her passion spreads to other places too, as her traveling has taken her to Tanzania, Nevada, and Montana. Throughout the course of her teaching career, she’s formed cherished relationships with her students “The students I have had the pleasure of working with are the most special thing. I have relationships with students from all over the country and the world…several are professors, others work for non-profit environmental organizations that have done exemplary work in protecting public lands, yet others are political organizers.”
There’s one more thing she loves about teaching, and that’s learning. She has done research about the oil industry, the Sierra Leone Blood diamonds and civil wars, and the horrors of the meat production industry. With the latest findings on the unfortunate state of our environment, Jody Emel is on the front line and knew about it long before its importance was made so public. And thank to her, her students did, as well.
