BIDI 1080 (3 Credits): This course focuses on the scientific process and how curiosity and focused observations comprise the cornerstone of rigorous hypotheses in biology. We will use repeated observations of biological phenomena to formulate hypotheses, design experiments and collect data with the goals of cultivating curiosity and appreciation for investigations of biological phenomena.

ENDI 1650 (4 credits): Using meditation, contemplation, writing, and reflection, students explore ways to approach work and life creatively. This writing-intensive course foregrounds playfulness, experimentation, and uselessness as key parts of the creative process. This course cultivates students’ curiosity, builds a sense of agency, and shows how creative enterprises can be a lasting and meaningful part of life.

ENDI 1700 (4 credits): Using meditation, contemplation, reading, writing, performance, discussion, research, and reflection, students explore the relationships among the past and the present. Students use the work of Shakespeare and later adaptations to consider how and why we approach large themes differently over time, space, and other contexts. This course cultivates students’ curiosity, builds a sense of agency, encourages purposeful expression, and demonstrates the significance of how the past and present shape one another.

CMDI 2300 (3 credits): Using meditation, contemplation, writing, and reflection, students explore ways to approach the public good as an engaged citizen taking meaningful action. Students learn about socially broad mindful movement as they relate to communication ethics, public advocacy and social justice.

Brigid C. O’Donnell, Ph.D. (Faculty in Biological Sciences, TESD and HHE Clusters) is an integrative biologist who studies mayflies and wild brook trout in NH. Her approach to research and teaching focuses on linking across scales and bridging field and laboratory investigations to better understand biological phenomena. Her interests in Contemplative Communities centers on how curiosity, wonder, and creativity are the wellspring of rigorous questions/hypotheses in science, and the role of focused observations of natural phenomena in generating biological knowledge.

Victoria Forester Courtland, MA, CAGS (Graduate Student in Learning, Leadership and Community, EDSC Cluster) is a doctoral candidate in the Learning, Leadership and Community Ed.D. program at Plymouth. The current focus of her dissertation research is on the lived experience of embodied spiritual awakening and its impact on healing. Victoria works as a writer and yoga instructor and holds certifications as a professional life coach, meditation facilitator, holistic chef, and Reiki master.

Raegan Young (Undergraduate Student in Environmental Science and Policy, TESD Cluster) is a third year undergraduate student who has found articulation for her concerns and interests in contemplative pedagogy. With an enthusiasm for change, personal awareness and improvement, Raegan hopes to voice the needs of the undergraduate population who could benefit most from contemplative action. She is also actively involved with her department, as well as the Geography department, TRIO, and the Writing Center.

Ryan Donathan (Staff in Student Affairs) is a Student Success Coach. Previously he worked in Residence Life, both here at Plymouth but also during his time in graduate school. Originally from the Cleveland area of Ohio, he has bounced around northern & southern Ohio, Kentucky, and now New Hampshire. He earned a BS in Education and MS in Human Development and Leadership, focusing on College Student Personnel. He is committed to helping students help themselves through a variety of approaches to life and learning. He is a big sports fan, loves hiking & camping, craft beer, and traveling.

Sandra VanGundy (Faculty in Nursing, Health and Human Enrichment Cluster) is a holistic nurse and certified yoga instructor committed to compassionate kindness. She supports the integration of contemplative practices in the lives of PSU community members in and out of the classroom. Through this integration she aims to create a compassionate awareness. These efforts are put forth with the desire to alleviate suffering, and promote well-being with hope for a more just and peaceful world.

Kathy Tardif (Community liaison) has been a campus minister at Plymouth State since 2005. She enjoys helping students of all faiths and perspectives in answering the big spiritual questions: What gives their life meaning and purpose? How do they discover and develop their gifts for the sake of their community and the world? How do they thrive in the midst of stress and suffering? As a member of the Peace & Social Justice Studies Council, she led the effort to create a Peace Garden on campus. She was on the advisory board for the three years of the University’s Garrett Lee Smith Campus Suicide Prevention Grant and is a suicide prevention trainer. And she was a founding co-advisor for the University’s Student Support Foundation. She has M.A.s in English (University of Connecticut) and Pastoral Ministry (Boston College) and a Post-Master’s Certificate in the Practice of Spirituality (Boston College).

Karolyn Kinane, Ph.D. (Faculty in English, Arts & Technology Cluster, Contemplative Communities Project Manager) has been a medievalist at Plymouth State since 2006, studying the social and historical roots of western Christianity’s spiritual cravings, experiences, and articulations. She researches and teaches on Arthurian legends, Chaucer, and Shakespeare as well as New Religious Movements, mysticism, and contemplative pedagogy. Her purpose in higher education is to cultivate awareness, compassion, and curiosity to encourage ethical action.