From teaching students about Greek philosophy to engaging with residents in Totem Park, Professor Michael Griffin is an active member in the UBC community. While many of you know that Totem Park is a first year residence, many of you may not know that a UBC professor is one of the residents! So what is a Professor-in-Residence?
The Professor-in-Residence program is intended to give students a chance to connect with faculty in a more accessible and approachable way. It can be pretty intimidating to approach your professor, especially as a first-year student, so this program aims to break down the barriers between professors and students. During his 2.5 years living in Totem Park, Professor Griffin has run numerous events such as providing academic support sessions, hosting informal dinners with students each week, and bringing faculty into residence to chat with students.
Some notable events that Professor Griffin has organized include the speaker series Prof Talks which takes place at both the Walter Gage and Place Vanier residences. During Prof Talks, UBC students get the chance to talk with faculty over dinner about a variety of interesting topics. There are two upcoming Prof Talks in Gage during the month of November that you should definitely check out! Professor Griffin has also hosted multiple “Profs-n-Pizza” events in Totem Park, which are “conversational film nights with delicious pizza.” The latest “Profs-n-Pizza” night featured the movie WALL-E and a discussion about sustainability and the environment. Professor Griffin has even put on a Plato-themed performance for Totem Park’s Coffee House. As an attendee at Professor Griffin’s performance at Coffee House last year, I can personally say that it was a wonderful performance and quite philosophical!
Why did Professor Griffin want to become a Professor-in-Residence? As a former UBC undergraduate himself, Profession Griffin says, “I remember from my own first-year experience just how enormous – and sometimes faceless – a big research university like UBC can feel when you’re starting out, and how far away professors seem when they’re at the bottom of a 300-seat lecture. I thought the program would be a great chance to bridge the gap, to put a human face on the faculty at UBC for first-years.” Professor Griffin also attributed his interest in being a Professor-in-Residence to his experience as a graduate student at the University of Oxford. In the college system at Oxford, interdisciplinary residential communities integrate faculty, grad students, and undergraduates into a single home. Professor Griffin really enjoyed the college experience there and says that his time in residence “led to a lot of great conversations and some great inspiration for my own research.”
For Professor Griffin, the best part about being a Professor-in-Residence is “the people.” “It feels like being part of a big family here,” says Professor Griffin, “it’s a great way not to feel lonely on a big campus, whether you’re a professor or a student.” It is clear that Totem Park is very lucky to have a faculty member so eager to connect with students. Keep an eye out for events hosted by Professor Griffin, you won’t regret it!