CONWAY, Ark. (April 12, 2022) —
Hendrix College chemistry professor Dr. Bill Gunderson was recently named
Director of the Hendrix Odyssey Program. Gunderson succeeds politics professor
Dr. Kiril Kolev, who will become the College’s new Associate Provost for
Engaged Learning. Both appointments are effective June 1.
“We are excited to have Dr. Gunderson lead this critical program,”
said Hendrix Provost Dr. Terri Bonebright. “He has done great things with the
students and general chemistry curriculum, and he’s looking forward to
collaborating with faculty and staff to enhance engaged learning across the College.”
Gunderson h
as served on the Committee for Engaged Learning (CEL)
for the past two years, learning how Odyssey proposals are reviewed and
funded, as well as how courses are reviewed and coded for Odyssey credit,
Bonebright added.
Gunderson’s priorities include identifying ways to make the
Odyssey program more accessible to all Hendrix students, provide leadership for
the development of assessable learning goals for the Odyssey Program, develop
programming that encourages current students to complete Odyssey projects, and
elevate the visibility of the Odyssey Program to prospective students and
parents.
“One of the strengths of the Odyssey Program is that it
supports experiential learning opportunities that are inclusive of many
different ways of knowing,” Gunderson said. “As Odyssey Director, I will work
with faculty from all areas of the College to ensure that this important
strength of the program is maintained as changes are considered. I look forward
to using my experience to help guide the Odyssey Program forward in the coming
years.”
Gunderson earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from Allegheny
College and his Ph.D. in chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University.
Beginning June 1, Dr. Kiril Kolev will serve as Associate
Provost for Engaged Learning. Kolev has led the Hendrix Odyssey Program
since 2019. After graduating from Whittier College with a degree in economics,
he earned his Master of Science and Ph.D. in comparative politics at Duke
University. He has taught courses on political economy, democratization,
elections, research methods, and contemporary global issues. He has held the
James and Emily Bost Odyssey Professorship, which funded his recent research on
election quality, electoral systems, and political clientelism.
“Engaged learning is among the most exciting aspects of being
a student, faculty, or staff member at Hendrix,” said Kolev, who joined the
Hendrix College Department of Politics in 2011. “Engaged learning experiences
stimulate creativity, encourage reflection, and develop a long-lasting sense of
ownership and exploration of one’s academic and vocational pursuits. It
facilitates the out-of-the-box thinking that today’s society really needs.”
About Hendrix College
A private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix
College consistently earns recognition as one of the country’s leading liberal
arts institutions, and is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools
That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges. Its academic quality and
rigor, innovation, and value have established Hendrix as a fixture in numerous
college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876, Hendrix has been
affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. To learn more, visit www.hendrix.edu.