Simpson University's Faculty in Residence (FIR) program is an effort to extend intellectual conversation beyond the traditional classroom. Participating faculty (and their families) live in an apartment within a residence hall and work to create a welcoming space in which to explore ideas and stimulate honest conversation. About the faculty in residence:
The Stonehouses
Dr. Paul Stonehouse is As
sistant Professor of Outdoor Leadership at Simpson University, where he has taught since the fall of 2008. Paul recently completed his dissertation and graduated with his PhD from the University of Edinburgh. He and his wife, Amanda, and their young son, Findley (5 years), live in Currie-Ediger residence hall for men. Amanda, who has a Master's degree in Plant Ecology (from Ball State University), has taught as an adjunct in the Biology Department at Simpson and is currently full-time mother to Findley. She has just begun taking classes at Shasta College in Geographic Information Systems. Findley is in Kindergarten in Redding School of the Arts Mandarin Immersion program. He loves to chat with any student that will give him the time. His interests include legos, listening to stories, and riding his bike. As a family, the Stonehouses like to be active in the outdoors - camping, hiking, canoeing. They can be seen on campus each evening taking their nightly walk. They enjoy sharing conversation, meals, and a good cup of tea. The Philippians
Dr. Mardy Philippian, Jr. and his family will be joining the Faculty in Residence program this fall at Simpson University, living in the Morgan-Sharpe Residence Hall. The Philippians are excited about this opportunity to live among students in a communal arrangement, an interest they developed many years ago while undergraduates when they read Sheldon Vanauken’s A Severe Mercy (1987), a college professor’s autobiographical narrative set against the backdrop of living in close relationship with college students. The Philippians have been married for sixteen years and have two sons, Samuel (9 years) and Oliver (5 years). Samuel is an avid amateur astronomer and enjoys bicycle riding, non-fiction, and three-dimensional computer modeling. Oliver, also a lover of the cosmos, loves trains, school, and whatever his big brother is doing. Look for the Philippians this fall to be out each night with their Orion Starblast 6, a dobsonian telescope that makes easily visible the moon’s contours, Jupiter’s four largest moons, and other wonders in the night sky. A member of the Department of English at Simpson University since the fall of 2003, Professor Philippian is a specialist in English Renaissance literature and culture and has served since 2005 as the Writing Center Director. Serena, who earned a Bachelor’s degree in small business management (Purdue University 2002), has been a professional florist for the past fourteen years. Professor Philippian and his wife believe that the university is a wonderfully unique cultural institution that allows people to develop an enriching social life that is driven by academic interests and ultimately by life-long learning. The Philippians hope to bring their love of conversation, books, music, films, food, and community into Morgan-Sharpe this fall.
