New Chapters Await: Welcoming Professor Brandon Taylor to Mount Marty University

New English professor Brandon Taylor, Ph.D., is excited. As part of the first week of classes in his composition courses, Taylor assigned the opening chapter of "The Truth About Stories" by Thomas King. "In that chapter, King claims, 'the truth about stories is that's all we are,'" quoted Taylor. "As in, we are all made of stories: the stories we tell, the stories we are told and the stories we create for one another. Thus, learning how to read, write and think about stories and storytelling in our classroom is everything. I teach this text often because it sets the tone for the course: storytelling builds community, so let's tell a story together."

Taylor mentioned that if you told his high school English teacher he would become an English professor, she would not have believed him. "… She would almost certainly faint, either from laughter or shock — or both!" said Taylor. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, master's from the University of Victoria, and Ph.D. from the University of Toronto. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Taylor began teaching at the University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus. "It was one of the best experiences of my life. I love teaching and learning as much from my students as I hope I teach them over the course of a semester."

Years ago, Taylor mentioned to his partner that he saw himself teaching at a small liberal arts college in the midwestern United States after receiving his Ph.D. His partner was puzzled as Taylor is from Canada and has only lived in large cities, but he said, "... It just felt right." Fast forward to this year when Taylor found an opening for an English professor at Mount Marty, and he was ecstatic to apply. "I was delighted to apply because I value not only my research but also teaching students in smaller classes, so I am better able to engage with them and foster a collegial community of scholars," said Taylor. "Mount Marty was the right fit for me, and I was happy to be welcomed with open arms."

Taylor hopes to empower his students and help them find a sense of community throughout their education, as community was one of the reasons he was first drawn to Mount Marty. "I know what it feels like to believe you do not belong somewhere, that you're not good enough or smart enough or qualified enough to be where you are," said Taylor. "As the first person in my family to ever attend university, I had that creeping feeling for the first few years I attended. My hope is that students understand my role here is to facilitate their success, to guide them through their university experience with clear eyes and good intentions, and to help them find their community so they can flourish in their own unique way."

Taylor is ready to show his Lancer pride for our basketball teams as he is very passionate about the sport. He invites anyone who wants to discuss basketball to stop by his office for a chat or an "avalanche of thoughts," as Taylor put it. When he is not supporting his favorite basketball teams, Taylor has scholarly work he is writing currently. "I often get asked, 'Why do you research 400-year-old English religious poets and political thinkers who talk endlessly about stuff that doesn't even matter anymore?' However, I would encourage you to swing by my office and ask me a bit about the book I'm currently working on and see if you feel the same way after."

Welcome, Professor Taylor! We're excited to have you in the Mount Marty community.

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ABOUT MOUNT MARTY UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1936 by the Benedictine Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery, Mount Marty University is South Dakota's only Catholic institution of higher education. Located along the bluffs of the Missouri River in Yankton, with additional locations in Watertown and Sioux Falls, Mount Marty offers undergraduate and graduate degrees focusing on student and alumni success in high-demand fields such as health sciences, education, criminal justice, business, accounting, and more. A community of learners in the Benedictine tradition, Mount Marty emphasizes academic excellence and develops well-rounded students with intellectual competence, professional and personal skills and moral, spiritual and social values. To learn more, visit mountmarty.edu.