College of Liberal Arts – Musings A Message from the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts Bryan Zygmont, Ph.D. 
Dear College of Liberal Arts Family,
The late twentieth-century philosopher Ferris Bueller said it well; “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
So it was with this academic year. It seems that only yesterday we were welcoming in a wonderful class of first-year students. And then I woke the next day—seemingly—and we were celebrating the Class of 2024. But, the great part of this academic year was that there were plenty of opportunities to stop, look around, and observe some of the wonderful things that have happened at the Mount.
I have been at a university—either as a student, a member of the faculty, or more recently, as a dean—for thirty years. And, this spring I was able to attend my first campus opera when the Department of Visual and Performing Arts staged a production of Henry Purcell’s 1695 masterwork Dido & Aeneas. With music conducted by Dr. Mark Carlson and the singing arranged by Professor Francesca Aguado-Murray, the performance was truly a ‘swing-for-the-fences-and-let’s-see-how-far-it-goes!’ kind of event. I still consider myself pretty new here, but I’ve never heard quite the ovation as I did as the curtain went down. This kind of ambition—the “Let Us Dream Big Dreams” mindset—has thus far very much framed my Mount experience.
Some colleagues and I have been working hard this year on a new program that is set to launch this summer, First Ascent. Described as a pre-college summer program, we hope to interact with up to 50 high school students and give a week-long introduction to what it means to be a college student at the Mount. These lucky participants will stay on our beautiful campus, attend classes taught by our amazing faculty, and participate in a vibrant spiritual life that can only be found on the oldest independent Catholic university in the United States. Although spearheaded by the College of Liberal Arts, First Ascent is truly a campus-wide initiative, and has engaged faculty, staff, and administrators from all parts of our campus. My colleagues and I very much look forward to giving these students a world-class experience.
Long before I ever stepped foot on campus, I was amazed by the quality (and quantity!) of the study abroad opportunities at the Mount. Indeed—and as I constantly say to prospective students—the Mount has Big School travel opportunities at a small school kind of place. Need some proof? How about this: During this academic year—that is, the fall of 2023, the winter break, and the spring of 2024, faculty members led study abroad trips to these places:
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Florence (Assistant Professor of Philosophy John Hersey, Ph.D.)
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Dublin (Associate Professor of English Tom Bligh, Ph.D.)
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Ecuador (Professor of Theology David McCarthy, Ph.D.)
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Prague (Associate Professor of History Michelle Patterson, Ph.D.)
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Berlin (Professor of German Susann Samples, Ph.D.)
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Spain (Associate Professor of Spanish Diana Rodriguez-Lozano, Ph.D., and Associate Professor of Philosophy Mike Miller, Ph.D.)
The Mount is a small place—and this is a great thing—but these trips allow us to take our students out into the world, preparing them for their lives once they leave our beautiful campus.
In addition to taking students out into the world, we do our best to bring the world to them, and nowhere is this clearer than in the speakers we feature on campus, both those from outside our community and those who are from within it. Some of our internal speakers were amongst the newest members of our community—people such as Core Fellow Taylor Nutter, Ph.D., and Assistant Professor of Theology Roberto de la Noval, Ph.D. We also welcomed Paul Scherz, Ph.D., associate professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia, who explored the ways Catholic healthcare providers are using artificial intelligence to increase the efficiency in aid of better patient outcomes.
It is often sad to say goodbye to students when they graduate to pursue what is next in their lives, and the same is true when our exceptional faculty choose to retire. And so it is with some melancholy that I wish Professor of History Curt Johnson, Ph.D., a hearty, “happy trails” on his retirement. Dr. Johnson has devoted nearly four decades of his life to teaching generations of Mount students. He is a wonderful scholar of American history and a devoted and enthusiastic teacher. The Mount (and I!) lament him leaving the ranks of full-time faculty.
With another spring comes another One Mount, One Day, and, as last year, I was sincerely moved by (and so thankful for!) the generosity of our community. Contributions to the Dean’s Fund for Excellence help make small miracles happen. Rock star faculty member needs some financial help to make it to an international conference in Austria? The Dean’s Fund can help. Associate Professor of Visual Arts Nick Hutchings, M.F.A., has yet another great idea and needs some seed money to get it started. The Dean’s Fund is there. A fantastic student wants to attend a professional conference but does not have the means? I can help out.
Yes, the Dean’s Fund for Excellence makes me look—at times—like some kind of College of Liberal Arts superhero. But it is those who contribute to it that are the true heroes. Thank you—so much—to everyone who has become a part of that. It really does allow for some exceptional opportunities for members of our community. Thank you.
As I wrapped up this note last spring, I wrote of my thankfulness for being a part of the Mount family. This feeling of appreciation has only grown during this second year. It remains an honor to serve with our faculty and staff, and a delight to work in service of our tremendous students.
With great esteem,
Bryan Zygmont, Ph.D.
Dean
College of Liberal Arts
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