Jolanta Wawrzycka truly embodies the passion of which Joyce speaks. It’s probably only appropriate that she is an internationally renowned James Joyce scholar.   Such passion is evident in her work and in the classroom, where students talk of her “instructional creativity and innovation” and her “infectious enthusiasm,” where she is dedicated to essentially offering the world to her students.

“My courses are an extension of my life-long effort to offer the world of experience to students—literally, by teaching multicultural/international authors and offering a Study Abroad course in Ireland/Italy, and philosophically by continuing to provide opportunities for intellectual reflection and growth in the global context.

“I strive to create a classroom environment where reading a book becomes a ‘pre-text’ for becoming better, more critical, ‘readers’ of such cultural ‘texts’ around us as advertising TV, fashion, politics, and even technology, for we do, indeed, reflect on all cultural dimensions of our ‘digital age’ world.”

And Wawrzycka is truly a “digital disciple,” if you will. All of her students are required to complete digital research portfolios. She was the first English professor to introduce “Wireless Digital Classroom” components in an English course. She even includes it in her summer study abroad program where students are asked to create websites and podcasts based on their international experiences.

Her innovative ideas have not gone unnoticed. She has received an Award for Innovative Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Technology. She was also the RU nominee for the Ernest L. Boyer International Award for Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Technology. 

“It is thanks to students that I’m immersed in teaching with technology: computer literacy is of paramount importance and I learn just as much from classes I take with RU technology experts as I do from some of my students. When I travel, I think about the ways to make my Study Abroad program even more exciting than it already is. In other words, I’ve learned the reciprocal value of sharing my know-how and experiences with my students. It fosters deeper and more meaningful connections with them in and outside of the classroom.”

Students may not describe Wawrzycka as an easy professor, but that’s exactly why she has earned their respect. In her classroom, her courses are not just a way to fulfill a requirement—it is a process of accountability.

“From my own teachers and mentors I have taken more than just passion for learning; they taught me that it is our responsibility to learn and to know: widely—across cultures, and deeply, across time.”