Meet the Team

As curricular program director of Lawrence Launch, Dr. Theisen plans and manages academic activities, including the morning seminar course and the afternoon topics courses. She also plans and manages the trip to the Oneida Nation and the weekend at Björklunden.

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As the Director of ESL and the Waseda and Pathway Programs I work with multilingual students who wish to develop any English skill.  I teach University courses focused on the English language as well as courses in Education and Linguistics.

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I’m a Midwesterner, collaborative performance maker, personal trainer.  I believe dance is a practice of crafting pathways for curiosity, resiliency, and connection through movement. In our time together, we will engage with the histories and knowledge we already embody. We’ll explore preparations, practices, and wellness tactics for being a performative human, in this world, in this place, right now.

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Kramer is a twice published author and blogger who enjoys teaching writing and considers herself a creative problem-solver. Called after years of teaching to work in Lawrence's diversity office (I.D.E.A.S.), they enjoy being able to interact with faculty, staff, and students in furthering our goals of inclusion, diversity, equity, and anti racism.

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For me, studying languages has opened up countless possibilities for learning about people and stories in all sorts of contexts. Learning French as an undergraduate student eventually led me to studying francophone African literature and film, which I now also love to teach!

I teach all levels of classes in French, from beginner language and culture classes, to the intermediate-advanced levels like Creative Writing in French and Cinematically Speaking, to advanced topics courses such as Immigrant Voices, Race in France, and Francophone African Cinema. I also get to be a faculty lead for Lawrence’s study abroad program in Dakar, Senegal, which takes place every 2-3 years during spring term.

I love that my research involves marveling at creative, profound, and perspective-changing works of art made by artist-thinkers who take on big questions related to identity, power, and making meaning in the world. The learning journey thankfully never stops, and I look forward to continuing my own learning with you when our paths converge at the Summer Institute!

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I'm a historian of 20th Century United States and African American History. I was trained as an interdisciplinary scholar getting a PhD in American Studies. Some of my favorite questions are those that defy a single answer.

I’m the author of two books: Along the Streets of Bronzeville: Black Chicago’s Literary Landscapes and Dream Books and Gamblers: Black Women’s Work in Chicago’s Policy Game published by the University of Illinois Press. My work also appears in the Journal of African American History, Journal of African American Studies, and Southern Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal of the South. All of my work focuses on US race relations, cities, and uses interdisciplinary analysis.

In addition to hanging out in historical archives and writing, I offer courses in 20th Century American History, African American History, and Urban History. My classes always provide students with the opportunity to learn and examine of American Culture using an interdisciplinary lense. In my course History 204: “The Black Athlete’s Protest” students simulate the Olympic Project for Human Right’s debate on whether or not to boycott the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games. In History 266: “Race and Pandemics In US History” students study New Orleans’ 1853 yellow fever epidemic by tracking the city’s urban geography and social determinants of disease. Finally, in my course History 208: “African American History to 1865,” students examine runaway slave advertisements using the lyrics from Rhiannon Giddens’ song “At the Purchasers Option.”  

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I'm a cognitive scientist who studies how people construct meaning in interaction, with a focus on how we use our hands to express thoughts and guide the thinking of others. 

In my research I've studied how individuals use their hands in problem solving, how group members use gestures in collaborative reasoning, and how teachers gesture in the air and over objects as they seek to shape their learners' understanding. 

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Dr. Brigit Pacher is an artist determined to positively impact students, audiences, and collaborators with her art. She is delighted to carry out this mission as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Music at Lawrence University and Conservatory, a position she has held since Fall 2023. 

By emphasizing creativity and individualized instruction at every stage in the learning process, Pacher collaborates with students to inspire a lifelong journey of learning and creating as 21st-century musicians. She directs the Viking Bassoon Ensemble, an inclusive bassoon community that builds the skills of collaboration and creativity with three yearly performances. Recently, this ensemble has shared an interactive video game concert, a karaoke collaboration, and a performance at the Wisconsin Music Educators Association Conference.

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Mason received their PhD in Classical & Ancient Near Eastern Studies in August 2021 from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Their research interests focus around Roman philosophy and satire of the Neronian period, particularly the representation of the the body and agrarianism (which they pursue in Greek & Latin literature more broadly). Mason is also interested in the reception of Roman Stoicism in later philosophical authors from the Neo-Stoic revival of Early Modern Europe to 20th century Continental philosophical movements.

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Liv Johnson is a seasoned higher education professional and proud military veteran, bringing a unique blend of leadership, global perspective, and student-centered service to her role as Second Year Dean. She has contributed to a variety of student success and engagement initiatives at institutions including Texas A&M University, Southern Methodist University (SMU), and the University of Maryland.

Throughout her career, Liv has worked across multiple areas of student affairs and international education, supporting students through academic advising, residential life, and global engagement programs. Her passion for intercultural learning is reflected in her teaching of courses on intercultural competency and her presentations at regional and national conferences on international higher education.

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