Mark Thamert, Homepage

Curriculum Vitae Mark L. Thamert, O.S.B. Saint John's Abbey and University Collegeville, Minnesota 56321 (320)-363-2394 mthamert@csbsju.edu

Education:

	Ph.D.	Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, 1986 Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures Dissertation: The Medieval Novelistic Märe: Telling and Teaching in Works of the Stricker." A commentary on the major works of a 13th-century Austrian poet and storyteller.
	M.Div.	Saint John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1979.
	B.A.	Saint John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1973. Magna cum laude. Major: German; Minors: Music and Education

 
Positions:

	1998-present	Associate Professor of Modern and Classical Languages, St. John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota.  Faculty Resident in Benet Hall.
	1994-98	Headmaster of Saint John's Preparatory School, Collegeville, Minnesota 56321
	1990-94	Associate Professor of Modern and Classical Languages with tenure, St. John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota,
	1984-90	Assistant Professor of Modern and Classical Languages, St. John's University.
		Courses taught at Saint John's University and the College of Saint Benedict 1984-present: Great Books & Great Ideas; The Divided Consciousness; Civilization and Its Discontents (year-long junior seminars in the honors program); The Medieval Genres (for German majors); Medieval Masterpieces in Translation; 19th-Century Romanticism and Realism: The Novelle; German Poetry (for German majors and minors); Classic Texts and the Ethical Life (Senior Seminar taught in Salzburg); German Conversation and Composition; First and Second Year German. Advisor for Senior Honors Theses: Vachel Miller's So Says Hans Sachs (1991); and Jenny Sell's Kreativität, Individualität und Umwelt bei Friedensreich Hundertwasser [Creativity, Individuality and Environment in the Architectural Works and Writings of Friedensreich Hundertwasser.] (1993).  Nels Ylatello's Nietzsche (1994).
	1979-84	Teaching Assistant and then Instructor, Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures, Princeton University.
		Courses taught at Princeton: Survey of German Literature; Honors section: Accelerated Intermediate German (language and literature); German Conversation and Composition.
	1974-79	Teacher of German, St. John's Preparatory School, Collegeville, Minnesota.
		Courses taught at Saint John's Prep: German Literature Courses for College Credit; European History and Geography (taught in German); Accelerated German I.
	1974-75	Teaching Assistant for the History Department, St. John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota.
		Course at SJU: 20th Century European Intellectual History
	1973-74	Director, Melk Study Abroad Program, Melk, Austria, for St. John's Preparatory School (one academic year).
		Courses taught in Austria: Intermediate German, Advanced German, German Literature; Advanced Trigonometry and Pre-Calculus; British Literature; Music Appreciation: Opera in Vienna; Acting and Drama (directed two productions); All about Austria (Current Events).

Academic Grants & Recognitions

	2005-2007	Poehler Strehmel Grant for Curriculum and Program Development for $21,000. Grants of $7000 received in April 2005, 2006 and 2007.  With input from the German Studies Faculty, John Taylor from Institutional Advancement and I have been writing these grant proposals as well as midterm and year-end reports each year.  Grant activities have focused on a complete revision of our departmental curriculum in step-by-step response to our departmental review.  We also worked on developing effective teamwork within the German faculty.  See the Chronology of our Curriculum revision at the end of this curriculum vitae.
	2007	Poehler Strehmel Grant of $7000 for support of a Fulbright Teaching Assistant from Germany for the German Studies Program.
	2006	Study Abroad Director of the Year Award, May 2006.
	2005	Faculty Curriculum Grant.   "Excellence and Coherence in the German Studies Curriculum." I was the  author of this grant and directed grant activities aimed at responding thoroughly to our departmental review.
	2003	Faculty Development Grant for Summer Research in Germany. Did research and conducted interviews at the Goethe Institute of Munich with leading teachers of German as a Foreign Language for the development of departmental pedagogies.
	1994-1998	I was Headmaster of Saint John's Preparatory School
	1996	Declaration of Honor in Silver for Service to the Republic of Austria.  Award presented to me by the Honorary Consul General of Austria to the State of Minnesota.
	1990-93	National Endowment for the Humanities grant for $228,885: "Excellence and Coherence in the Honors Curriculum." I was the main author of this grant and directed grant activities for two years. Activities included six one-month-long summer faculty workshops for 56 faculty members, and the establishment of the NEH Visiting Scholar Colloquia which invited eight nationally known speakers to campus for public talks and participation in honors seminars.
	1993-94	Faculty Development and Research Grant for $11,150: "Developing Coherence and Excellence in Proficiency-Based Language Teaching." Grant activities involving 30 teachers of Modern and Classical Languages. Grant author and director.
	1990-91	Curriculum and Program Development Grant for $6,432 for continued development of the Honors Program. Grant author and director.
	1989-90	Curriculum and Program Development Grant for $7,195: "Developing Coherence and Excellence in the Honors Core." Grant author and director.
	1988-89	Saint John's University Award for Faculty Advising. National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Grant for a 2-month seminar at Stanford University, titled "Reading Ironies."
	1987-88	Bush Group Scholarship Grant to study new developments in literary theory and criticism. Bush Group Teaching Grant: Led a faculty workshop with Thorpe Running and Barbara Freedman on recent developments in literary criticism and theory.
	1983-84	Faculty Grant, Princeton University: For the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG) seminars on language pedagogy, national conference, New York City.
	1980-81	Recipient: APGA "Teacher of the Year Award," Princeton University.
	1969-70	Carl Schurz Foundation Award for full-year study abroad in Germany, University of Minnesota.

Presentations and Papers:
 

2003-present	Presentations:  "Planning for the Saint John's and Saint Benedict's Experience," I have given this talk about ten times over the years to Regent Scholarship winners and other high-ability students we want to recruit for CSB/SJU.
2005,2006,2007	"Directing Study Abroad Programs -- Best Practices." Talk given for newly named study aboard directors for CSB/SJU.
2004-2005	Presentation:  "Effective Leadership -- Understanding Motivations of Peers, Subordinates and Superiors," given for the CSB/SJU Student Leadership Initiative
2003-2004	Workshop:  Spiritual Direction and Use of Personality Theory" Gievn for leaders of Companions on a Journey program at CSB.
2002-2003	Presentation:  “The Importance of Benedictine Values for Today’s University Students.” Talk given for Minnesota Guidance Counselors in Catholic High Schools: September 27, 2002, at the Minneapolis Club.
	Workshop:  “Spirituality and Personality:  Understanding Your Character Type for Growth in Faith.”  Paper presented and workshop conducted for the SJU School of Theology student body, July 9, 2002.
2001-2002	Presentation:  "Saint John's Resident Assistants in the Tradition of the Dessert Monastics" given for the training of Resident Assistants of Saint John's University, August 2001.
2000-2001	Conference Paper: "The Enneagram Intelligences: New Approaches to Motivation and Personality Types in the Honors Classroom" given at the October 2000 convention of the National Collegiate Honors Council in Washingtton D.C. Presentation: "The Enneagram Intelligences: New Approaches to Motivation and Personality Types in the Honors Classroom," SJU/CSB Learning Enhancement Services, March, 2001. Presentation: "Electronic Workbooks, Wieldable Webs:  Approaches to the New Technologies in the Modern and Classical Languages Classroom."  MCL Department Presentation, October 2000. Presentations:  1.  "Pedagogies of Literature and Language:  Designing Content Specific Webpages."  2. "Initial Energies, Web Assignments and Student Autonomy:  The Three Stages of Web Page Integration in the Language, Literature and Cluture Classroom."  3. "Import/Export: The Marriage of Web Pages, Public Folders, Electronic Workbooks and Hardcopy Activities In the Language, Literature and Culture Classroom."  These are presentations given during a 3-Day MCL Workshop titled Technology and Language: Webpages, Resources and Computer-Assisted Instruction.   May and August 2001. Presentations for Collegium 2000 held at Saint John's University:  This is a gathering of some 100 university professors from the US held each year in the summer.  The focus of the weeklong conference is the Catholic Identity of Catholic Universities.  In my role as Retreat Director and Speaker, I gave talks on Lectio Divina and Benedictine Life and Values several times during the week.
1994-1998	As Headmaster of Saint John's Preparatory School I wrote many talks, essays and presentations. Topics:  Benedictine values and education, excellence in teaching and technology, the globalization of education, the importance of study abroad, community service in the life of adolescents.
1993-94	Conference Team Presentation: "Great Teaching Seminar," A one-day workshop conducted for 20 honors directors and teachers at the National Collegiate Honors Council convention in Saint Louis, October 1993. With Michael McHargue and Rinda West.
1992-93	Paper: "Contemplation and Metaphor in Works of Rainer Maria Rilke." Given for the monastic chapter of Saint John's Abbey, March 1993. Panel Presentation: "Using the Mainframe Computer for Teaching Writing and Discussion." Session organized by the SJU/CSB Learning Enhancement Services, December 5, 1992. Presentation and Demonstration: "Getting Started on the Vax." Session organized by the SJU/CSB Learning Enhancement Services, Jan. 1993. Presentation: "Now That Your Classroom is Electronicized." SJU/CSB Learning Enhancement Services, March, 1993.
1991-92	Conference Paper: "Rainer Maria Rilke unter den Trappisten: Thomas Mertons Gebrauch von Rilkes Gedichten in der Unterricht von Novizen in einem amerikanischen Kloster." [Rainer Maria Rilke among the Trappists: Thomas Merton's Use of Rilke's Poetry in the Teaching of Novices in an American Monastery.] Conference of the International Rilke Society at Sorbonne University, Paris, September 1991.
1990-91	Panel Presentation: "Does the SJU/CSB Curriculum Over-Emphasize Western Civilization?" Session organized by Richard Ice and the SJU/CSB Forum Debate Society, November 1990. Conference Panel Presentation: "Building Successful Honors Programs in Liberal Arts Colleges." Member of a panel to inaugurate the Minnesota Collegiate Honors Council in a session organized by John Deanhart, Philosophy Department, Saint Cloud State University, October 1990. Presentation: "Moral Imagination and Liberal Arts in the 1990's: The Special Contributions of Small Catholic Colleges." Phoenix area alumni gathering, October 1990.
1989-90	Faculty Colloquium: "Hermitesses, Shrews, and Ornery Husbands: The Fate of Medieval Narrative in the Early 13th Century," November 1989 at Saint John's University. Conference Paper: "Great Books and Great Ideas: New Approaches for Today's Students," given at the October 1989 convention of the National Collegiate Honors Council in New Orleans. Panel Presentation: "The Stanford Controversy: Tradition vs. Pluralism." Session organized by John Young for Parents Day at St. John's University. Together with Janet McNew. Conference Keynote: "Tradition and New Needs: The Pros and Cons of Teaching Classic Texts and Perennial Ideas Today." UMHC conference at Illinois Benedictine College. Panel Presentation: "Benedictine Values in the Workplace." Chaired by Jeana Koenig for the Administrative Assembly of Saint John's University. Together with Michael Naughton, Tom Andert, Gordon Tavis, Jonathan Licari. Faculty Workshop: "Plato's Meno and Honors Pedagogy." Three-day workshop conducted for Honors faculty and students of Saint Leo's College, Saint Leo, Florida
1988-89	Conference Presentation: "New Approaches to Teaching Great Works," given at the 1989 Annual Conference of the Upper Midwest Honors Council at the University of Minnesota, April 1989. Presentation: "The Critical Years: Tasks and Promises of an Undergraduate Liberal Arts Education," given at the Saint John's University National Advisory Council Meeting, October 1988. Presentation: "Martha Nussbaum's Moral Imagination," given at the June Workshop for Senior Seminar Faculty, led by John Klassen, OSB. Address: "Elements of Leadership," given at the Stillwater High School graduation honors banquet.
1987-88	Paper: "The Irony of Values in Heinrich von Kleist's 'Erdbeben in Chili,'" presented at the National Endowment of the Humanities Summer Seminar at Stanford University, led by Professor Lilian Furst, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
1986-87	Paper: "A Precarious Pedagogy: The Parables of Franz Kafka and Jesus Christ," presented at the annual faculty workshop at Saint John's University. Presentation: "Internationalizing Undergraduate Education: The Importance of Modern Languages and Study Abroad in the 1980's," given to the student body and faculty of Saint John's Preparatory School.
1984-85	Paper: "Sinful Saint, Holy Shrew: Gender and Genre in the Stricker's 'Eingemauerte Frau,'"presented at the 1985 International Medievalists' Conference in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in a section titled "Feminist Re-readings of Medieval Texts," chaired by Professor Margaret Schleissner, Haverford College. Presentation: "The Awareness of Self: Study Abroad at a Tender Age," presented at 20th Anniversary Academic Convocation at the Stiftsgymnasium in Melk, Austria. Presentation: "New Research in the Literary Genres of the Early 13th Century," presented at the St. John's University Medievalists' Colloquium, led by Fr. Wilfred Theisen, OSB.
1982-83	Paper: "Narrator Reliability and the Reader's Freedom in W.H. Wackenroder's 'Herzensergießungen eines kunstliebenden Klosterbruders,'" presented at the 1982 American Association of Teachers of German Congress in New York City, in a section chaired by Professor Herbert Lederer, University of Connecticut. Conference Presentation: "Our Use of Language and the Search for Peace," given at the annual regional Pax Christi Conference at Princeton, chaired by Elizabeth Schorske, Princeton University.

Publications:

	1. "A Jesting Pilate: Great Books and Today's Students." An article on new approaches to teaching the great books with a sensitivity to multi-cultural issues. This article also explores reasons why it is important to use classic works in the liberal arts classroom. In refereed journal Academic Questions, June 1989.
	2. "Truth, Freedom and the Pursuit of Knowledge." Examines two tasks of secondary and postsecondary education today: "cultural socialization" (grounding students in the traditions and classics of the multi-cultural society in which we live) and "individuation" (teaching students to critique those same classics of our literary, scientific, and fine-arts traditions). In The Journal, Spring 1991.
	3. "Great Books and Today’s Students."  Symposium: A CSB/SJU Faculty Journal. (Editors Lisa Ohm and Gregory Schroeder.)  December 2003.

 

Professional Organizations:

· Modern Language Association · National Collegiate Honors Council · Upper Midwest Honors Council · Minnesota Honors Council · American Council of Teachers of Foreign Languages · American Association of Teachers of German, national and state chapters.

 

Study and Research Abroad:

· Melk, Austria, nine months 1967-68; · Cologne, Hamburg & Berlin, ten months 1970-71; · Jerusalem, five months 1976; · London, Cambridge & Munich, ten months 1991-92; · Rome and Munich, four months 1999.

 

Directorships Abroad:

· Summer Term:  India-Nepal-Tibet: Sacred Heights of the Himalayas -- July/August 2007 · Summer Term:  Rome-Florence-Munich, Arts and Ideas           -- May 2004, May 2005, July 2005, May 2006, July 2006, July 2007. · Summer Term: Berlin and Munich, Arts and Ideas -- May-June 2003. · Greco Roman Program -- Fall 2002 · Salzburg Program for SJU & CSB, five months Fall 1987 and Fall 2005 · January Term in Germany and Austria -- 1989; · Saint John's Preparatory Melk Program, nine months 1973-74; · Saint John's Prep Christmas in Austria Tour, two weeks, 1972, 1975, & 1978; · Mexico, Easter 1975.

 

Academic Committees and Community Service:

	· As Fulbright Advisor, I guided Paul Krook, Andrew Stern, Gabi Fosado, Paul Zimmel, Jeremy Chinquist, Gretchen Diercks, Brian Schnese, Sarah Miller, Kim Skramstad, Stefan Theimer,  Danielle Simpson, John Kamman, Josh Wittrock, Lew Grobe, Keith Spinali, Bennett Frensko, Laura Wunsch, Ryan Fader, Mark Bublitz, Erik Hendrickson, David Lambert in their application for Fulbright-organized Teaching Assistantships, 2003-2007. All of them were successful in receiving the nine-month scholarship for teaching and research in Germany or Austria for one or two years.
	· Faculty Advisory Council for International Studies (2004-2006) · Member, Austria Committee for the Center of International Studies.
	· German Studies Program Head  (2001-2004 and 2006-2009)
	· Member of the Saint John’s Corporate Design Committee, 2003-2008
	· Advisor of the German Studies Club (2007-2008)
	· Benedictine Values Group with SJU faculty colleagues (2006-2007)
	· Leadership Team for Saint John's Abbey (2005-present) I am one of three monks guiding the monastic community in creating a new mission, vision and statement on the common life. Workshop planning and execution.
	· Board Member, Saint John's Boys' Choir and it Personnel Committee (2004-2007)
	· Spiritual Director for SJU undergraduate and graduate students and monks.  Leader of men's spirituality groups (1999-2007)
	· Developed and lead a 3-part Learning Strategies Workshop for Modern and Classical Languages for five MCL students with learning difficulties, February-April, 2003. Did research to prepare for this special kind of advising. Worked with Susan Douma to refine the contents of the workshop
	· Pedagogy and Technology for Language and Culture.  For the past 6 years I have worked on creating extensive websites, audio resources on the web, and web exercises for students in the German Program.  Examples: 1) created 250 new audio exercises for program text, A Practical Review of German Grammar 2) created an extensive audio website for German Poetry.  3) authored five German Studies Program newsletters to share information with colleagues, administrators, students, alumns, and high school teachers of German in Minnesota..  These projects took about 200-300 hours of computer work and are used by the German Faculty. (2001-2007)
	· Departmental Review -- Took on task of researching MCL Programs at eight other top liberal arts colleges.
	· SJU Rank and Tenure Committee (2003-2005)
	· German Section Head  (2001-2004 and 2006-2009)
	· Talks on Lectio Divina and Benedictine Values for various summer conferences and teen camps and Admission Department national events (1998 to present).
	· Headmaster of Saint John's Preparatory School (1993-1998)
	· St. John's Preparatory School Board of Regents (1992-1996).
	· Chair, Development Committee of the Board of Overseers (1992-1993).
	· Long-Range Planning Committee of the Board of Overseers (1992-93).
	· Executive Committee of the Board of Overseers (1993-1998).
	· Member, Committee for Evaluation of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Saint John's University (1994)
	· Chair, Search Committee for the SJU & CSB Director of International Studies (1993).
	· Elected Member, Committee on Academic Computing for SJU & CSB (1993-1995).
	· Chair, German Section of the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (1988-1992).
	· St. John's University Board of Regents (1984-1988, 1989-1991).
	· Long-Range Planning and Development Committee for the Board of Regents, SJU (1984-1988).
	· Finance Committee of the Board of Regents, (1989-90)
	· Student Affairs Committee of the Board of Regents (1990-1991).
	· Regents' Capital Campaign Steering Committee and Leadership Gifts Committee, SJU (1986-1993).
	· Regent's Committee to Evaluate the SJU President (1989)
	· Member, Teaching and Learning Committee, National Collegiate Honors Council. (1992-1994)
	· Member of the Board of Directors for Minnesota Public Radio, Saint Paul (1990- 1992).
	· Member of the Executive Board, American Association of the Teachers of German, Minnesota (1988-1991).
	· Director, Minnesota Deutsches Fest: a day of academic activities for 2,000 Minnesota high-school students, 50 high-school German teachers and 20 college professors (spring 1989,1990,1991). · Dean, The University Deanery of Saint John's Abbey (1988-1990).
	· Faculty Advisor: For students applying for fellowships from Mellon, Rhodes, Fulbright, Truman, Marshall and similar foundations (1985-1995). · Faculty Resident: St. Benet Hall, St. John's University (1985-present).
	· Task force on Benedictine Values (1988-1991).
	· SJU/CSB Board for International Studies (1984-1987, 1989-1994). · Academic Standards Committee (1988-1991). · The Collegeville Consort, Renaissance Vocal Group (1989-present). · Stile Antico, Renaissance Vocal Group (1993-1994) · Consultant, Gustavus Adolphus College Modern Languages Department (April 1989). · Presider, Chaplains' Team for the College of Saint Benedict and for Saint John's University (1985-1989). · Peace Studies Committee (1986-1991). · Core Curriculum Committee and Council (1984-1986). · Search Committee for Endowed Chair in Critical Thinking (1984). · Chaplain, Princeton University (1979-1984).

Initiatives as Honors Director:

· Devised a Senior Honors Thesis Program. This program has grown from two students in the pilot year 1989 to62 students from 18 departments in 1994-95. Under this program, students complete a research or creative project which they defend publicly and which makes them eligible for a baccalaureate degree "with Distinction" from their major department. · Changed the program from a nearly all-male program to one involving more than 50% women students and nearly 50% women faculty. · Implemented courses in honors math, theology, ethics (senior seminar), psychology, political science, and Judeo-Christian Heritage to complement existing the 7-course requirement in honors for graduating with "All-College Honors." · Added three year-long freshman symposium courses on the topics of "The Classical World and Its Modern Echoes," "The Search for Social Justice," and "Cultural Heritages" and organized teams of teachers for each topic. · Devised a "call for proposals" procedure for interested faculty which has brought more than 60 new faculty members to the program since 1988. · Devised an honors faculty development program which has included extended summer workshops and retreats and participation in regional and national conferences.