Inaugural Professor Pat Gantt Provides Lecture

Professor Patricia Gantt lectured on the origins and the importance of research as part of the Inaugural Professor Lecture Series at President Stan Albrecht’s home Tuesday, Jan. 24.

As a professor in the Department of English at Utah State University, Gantt’s curriculum focuses on diversity literature, particularly writers of color, women writers and regionalists. She teaches courses in English education and multicultural American literature. Her work in diversity literature sprang from an investigation of privilege, as well as a support for inclusiveness.

 

“As I read so-called ‘minority-literature,’ I found the same satisfaction with the use of language that I had always found in the written word,” said Gantt. “My goal is that one day courses such as the ones I teach in multicultural literature will be unnecessary, because studying the works of diverse authors will be a given in any class.”

 

In addition to her role in the classroom, Gantt served as associate department head from 2003-2005 and currently supervises secondary English pre-service teachers. Her love for English grew from a love of words. Whether in a historical report, a poem or an essay, Gantt said it intrigues her to hear or read words used well.

 

“I find the precise use of language intellectually seductive,” she said.

 

Gantt has been at Utah State since 1999, but her career in education spans four decades. She came from a long line of educators, and discovered at a young age what a “satisfying life” teaching could be. 

 

Since coming to Utah State, she has won two Mortar Board “Top Prof” awards, the President’s Diversity Award (2002), and was a nominee for 2003 and 2004 Carnegie Professor of the Year. In 2004 she was named Outstanding Faculty Employee at Utah State.

 

“Teaching is simply the best life I can imagine,” said Gantt. “I feel so fortunate to have the give-and-take of a classroom discussion of literature as my career.”