Two CHESS faculty serve as University marshals for commencement

Margaret M. Quinlan, Ph.D., and Mark I. West, Ph.D., faculty members from the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences, were selected as University marshals for two of the UNC Charlotte December commencement ceremonies. The honor of serving as University marshal is bestowed upon faculty who have given exemplary service to the campus and community, and displayed leadership in teaching and professional achievement.

Margaret M. Quinlan

Quinlan, professor of communication studies and director of the Health & Medical Humanities program in Interdisciplinary Studies, was the Marshal for the Saturday, Dec. 14 ceremony from The Graduate School for students graduating with master’s degrees and graduate certificates. Quinlan was last year’s recipient of the Harshini V. de Silva Graduate Mentor Award.

Quinlan investigates the role communication plays in public understandings of medical expertise, illness, wellness, caring, treatment, health, and healing. Her research and teaching explore how communication creates, resists and transforms knowledges about bodies, examining power structures and individuals who are marginalized inside and outside of healthcare systems. She publishes regularly, produces research translations for blogs and magazines, and is regularly interviewed on local, regional and national media. 

Mark I. West

West, a professor of English, was the Marshal for the morning ceremony on Friday, Dec. 13, for undergraduates from the Klein College of Science, the College of Health and Human Services and CHESS. West is the recipient of the Holshouser award for Excellence in Public Service and was also a finalist this fall for the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence. He has taught literature at Charlotte for more than 40 years. “I have never thought of teaching as work. For me, teaching is a calling; it is a core part of my identity,” said West.

West is the author of 24 books, with his latest “The Literary Legacy of Jimmy Carter:  Essays on the President’s Books,” debuting this week. West’s expertise ranges from fairytales and early American classics, to popular culture creations including Harry Potter, Godzilla, and Disney characters. He has written on and taught works such as “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” “The Wind in the Willows,” and “Winnie-the-Pooh,” and is considered to be a leading expert on children’s authors L. Frank Baum, Dr. Seuss, Roald Dahl, and Beatrix Potter.