Julessa Olgen
Managing Editor
The W has had many great professors to come and go, but it means something special when they chose to stay. Dr. Thomas C. Richardson, currently Dean of The College of Arts and Sciences, has been a faculty member for 26 years. He has recently decided to continue his studies and research on Scottish writers which allows him to travel across the country. The Spectator had the honor of sitting down with him to talk about his interest, his job and why he calls The W his home.
Spectator: Are you originally from Columbus?
Richardson: No, I’m originally from North Carolina. I got my undergraduate degree at Davidson College in North Carolina I received my graduate degree from Duke University. I have called Columbus my home for the past 25 years.
Spectator: You have had the chance to travel with the honors college to Scotland in the past, why do you enjoy it?
Richardson: I actually travel to Scotland at least two times a year to do research on Scottish writers. I have traveled to Scotland for 10 to 12 years. Right now I am working on a biography of the Scottish writer and poet James Hogg.
Spectator: What made you interested in Scottish writers?
Richardson: I took a trip to Edinburg as a graduate student and taught at the University of Edinburg for a year. I researched early 19th century writing.
Spectator: What are some of your favorite subjects to teach?
Richardson: I enjoy teaching early 19th century literature, such as the Victorian and Elizabethan period. I also teach a class in the fall for the Writers Symposium.
Spectator: What positions have held in the years you have worked here?
Richardson: I have worked as the Head of the Humanities division, the Vice President for Academic Affairs and now I am the Dean of the Arts and Sciences. I also hold the Eudora Welty Chair of Humanities, and it is a great privilege and honor.
Spectator: Lately, The W has been in the news and has been ranked in many publications. Do you think that those rankings are well deserved?
Richardson: Yes, I think it is well deserved. Their focus is very effective and the rankings reflect their focus on students.
Spectator: So, The W really is the best place to work for?
Richardson: It really is the best place to work for. Everyone is welcoming and they make people feel at home. I love working. The faculty is outstanding and we have a good group of students.