Glenda Swan Receives an Award for Her Teaching in the Visual Arts

Glenda Swan, an associate professor in the department of art and design at Valdosta State University in Georgia, received the Award for Excellence in Teaching from SECAC, formerly the Southeastern College Art Conference.

SECAC is a nonprofit organization that promotes the study and practice of the visual arts in higher education on a national basis. Its Award for Excellence in Teaching annually recognizes an outstanding teacher who demonstrates exceptional command of his or her discipline through the ability to teach effectively, impart knowledge, and inspire students.

Dr. Swan primarily teaches courses in art history and perspectives and enjoys researching ancient art. She is the author of Re-Envisioning the Material Past: How to Educate and Engage Modern Students Using Visual Culture, a book that is forthcoming from Palgrave Macmillan.

“I love teaching students about how material culture — the objects made and used by people — can reveal insights into the way people lived and thought, especially as we so often treat visual images as something to absorb rather than analyze,” Dr. Swan said. “I’m addicted to the revelation that comes from students who come to understand that they can use detailed observation and research to see beyond the surface and gain meaningful insight into a past time or place.”

Dr. Swan is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. She earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. at Princeton University in New Jersey.