Welcome, Dr. James Howard!

By Anna Rafferty

Dr. James Howard is new to Park Hall. Much of his previous research has focused on medieval and early modern literature, with his passion for that topic having begun in an undergraduate English class on British culture. Recently, he has done research on writing center studies and says an important overall undercurrent for his work is play.

“I am an avid tabletop and video game player with some sports experience (bowling, fencing), and I occasionally bounce ideas off of game studies to see what sticks. In short, I find myself frequently thinking about reading and writing as a player, looking to see what I can do with them,” Howard said.

The professional field of academia is nothing new to Howard. His mother and two of his three siblings are teachers, while his father works as a trainer. Their influence has been a source of inspiration.

“When my mom went back to school to get her undergraduate degree to be a teacher (she was a nontraditional student), I asked her where her teachers (her professors) got their degrees,” he said. “I was fascinated by the idea of becoming a professor, which got into my head as a teacher of teachers.”

The move to Athens has been a big change for Howard in many ways, as both the campus and the surrounding community provide more of a vibrant experience than he has had at other campuses.

“UGA has more to explore than I'm used to: more coffee shops, more sections in its libraries, more quiet buildings and reading spots, more lunch destinations. That is not to mention the many lovely people - students, colleagues - I've met and continue to meet,” he said.

The most powerful part, overall, of academia and English for Howard is the human connection, in fact.

“What I value the most in academia is the sense of purpose centered on collaborative, lifelong learning. We learn through reading, talking to each other, writing, and teaching. I knew that, if I could center my work on that, I could keep doing it for a long, long time.”