This year’s Leonard DeGrassi Distinguished Faculty Award (DFA) presentation is scheduled for Tuesday October 29, at 12:20 to 1:30 pm in Kreider Hall. The recipient is Prof. Shant Shahoian, and the title of his talk is “I’m Totally Lost (And So Can You!).”

His presentation will focus on the value of heutagogy, an educational approach that privileges self-direction and autonomy in the learning process. Shant’s central thesis is that independence can be disorienting but, ultimately, exciting. Instead of running to the safety (and boredom) of certainty, he believes that students (and faculty) should embrace a degree of uncertainty, as this is required for authentic learning.

After graduating from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in English literature, Shant taught high school for one year before starting graduate studies at UC San Diego, where he earned his master’s degree in Literatures in English. He also holds a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Alabama. He started his career at GCC in 2006 as a full-time English instructor, and now he is also a librarian and the faculty coordinator of the GCC Learning Center. He has presented at numerous state, national, and international conferences on topics ranging from ancillary instruction to writing pedagogy.

Shant has been married for over 24 years to his amazing wife Lucy, and they have two wonderful sons: Atom and Noah. He swims at least one mile every day, practices yoga, and enjoys reading.

The DFA Committee invites everyone to attend Prof. Shant Shahoian’s presentation, Tuesday October 29 in Kreider Hall.