A number of Hillsdale professors are leaving for sabbatical this spring. All professors will return to Hillsdale in the fall of 2014, with the exception of Associate Professor of Politics Kevin Portteus, who will resume teaching at Hillsdale in the first summer term.
Ryan Hutchinson, associate professor of mathematics
Hutchinson plans to work on course development during his sabbatical. Due to a marked student interest in probability and mathematical statistics, Hutchinson will be developing a follow-up class to the current Theory of Probability class. He will also be advising a student who is finishing his senior thesis.
Michael Bauman, professor of theology and culture
During his sabbatical, Bauman will be completing four books and seeking an agent for a fifth. The titles include “The God of the Philosophers,” “The Little Book of Labor Unions: Who They Are, What They Do, and Why They Do It,” “Mere Indoctrination and Other Reasons Why Christian Colleges Sometimes Fail,” and a book on theology and politics that does not yet have a title. “Long Walk Home,” an autobiographical work of creative non-fiction, is finished but needs an agent.
“You could say it’s life with my two fathers, Ed and God,” Bauman said when describing the book.
Bauman also plans to start cycling again. He won a world championship in 2000 and wants to begin training to race again in 2015.
“I had a heart attack a few years ago and haven’t been able to ride,” Bauman explained. “Now the time has come when I might be able to try it once more.”
Daniel Coupland, associate professor of education
Coupland will be working with a friend to create an elementary grammar program for kids to use in private schools, charter schools, public schools, or homeschools. Aside from this task, he plans to catch up on reading related to his classes.
Paul Rahe, professor of history
Rahe is currently at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, where he is on sabbatical for the entire 2013-2014 academic year. Rahe, his wife, and their four children moved in July to California, where Rahe has been revising two book manuscripts. He recently sent “The Spartan Regime: Its Character, Its Origins” to the publisher, and plans to send “The Grand Strategy of Classical Sparta: The Persian Challenge” soon. Afterwards, he will begin work on a sequel to the second book: “The Grand Strategy of Classical Sparta: The Athenian Challenge.”
Aside from his work, Rahe has been enjoying showing America to his children. The Rahe family has already visited many sites, including Yellowstone, the Black Hills and Pebble Beach and plans to visit the Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert and Salt Lake City before they head home in June.
Kevin Portteus, associate professor of politics
According to Mickey Craig, professor of politics, Portteus will use his sabbatical to work on two articles to be published in refereed journals. Craig said in an email that one article will be on the topic of how Progressive Era reforms changed how Congress functions and the other will be on how new left critiques of the 1960s affected the relationship between the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the independent regulatory agencies. Portteus also plans to use the sabbatical to catch up on reading and research.
Christopher VanOrman, professor of chemistry
During his sabbatical, VanOrman will begin assembling a reader for a new Foundations and Importance of Chemistry core course. His tasks include gathering and organizing sources for the reader and seeking copyright permissions. VanOrman also hopes to finish up and publish the results of a current research project focusing on binuclear transition metal chelates. He will continue to perform his duties as a core advisor while on sabbatical.
