Teaching and learning have taken Sarah to many places

Sarah Franzen

Trine University - Jannen School of Arts & Sciences
B.A., M.S. Indiana University
260.665.4849  |  email

Though I now spend my time helping students write about their own lives, writing my own life story has not been without its twists and turns.

Since graduating with a B.A. in literature, my teaching career has taken me from Hungary to rural Kentucky to suburban Indianapolis and now, finally, to Angola. Each stop along the way has given me new insights into the art and craft of teaching. They have also sparked my interest in research on topics such as feminism in country music and the confluence of race, class and poverty in rural areas. I am presently pursuing a Ph.D. in literature and criticism from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Recently, my writing about education in rural Kentucky was honored by the Emerging Southern Women Writers Conference. Each semester, I look forward to helping students find the inner writer in them and welcome them to stop by my office.

Since taking up running, a dreaded routine has become a daily ritual I look forward to. I like pushing myself farther than I think I can go, while simultaneously accepting my limitations.

2018 Barrenbrugge Award for Faculty Excellence recipient

Established in 1984 and endowed by 1932 aeronautical engineering alumnus Charles C. Barrenbrugge, the award recognizes all-around excellence in teaching, scholarship and service to the university.