Associate Professor Jason Carbine, the C. Milo Connick Chair of Religious Studies, will be the new resident of Garrett House, beginning this year. Located in the heart of campus, the house is one of three awarded to faculty who plan years of diverse educational and social experiences for students in the home's intimate, informal setting, as part of the College's Faculty Masters Program.
Determined to make his appointment benefit students in their early years at the College, Carbine will bring his lens as an accomplished scholar of religious studies and passionate interest in global topics to the program. He has plans for musical, artistic, and academic gatherings; guest speakers; student-faculty joint presentations; and gatherings dealing with world events, among other activities.
"The goal of all of this programming is to continue Garrett's presence as a vibrant part of campus life and culture, by working with many constituencies across campus," Carbine said.
With Carbine living on campus, another well-respected member of the College — Rosemary Carbine, associate professor of religious studies and director of fellowships, who is Jake Carbine's spouse — will join him at Garrett House.
"I know that together, they will create a warm and welcoming home space for all students – whether they visit as a class, as an official or informal group, or simply as individuals," Herzberger said.
After earning his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago Divinity School, Jason Carbine began teaching at Whittier College in 2007. His research expertise focuses on the history and culture of Buddhism in South and Southeast Asia, and on Myanmar and Sri Lanka in particular.
The Carbines will move into the Garrett House in mid-August, after Associate Professor of Art Jenny Herrick concludes her term. For four years, Herrick organized and supported countless on-campus programs and popular excursions off campus.
The program is modeled after similar ones at Oxford and Cambridge universities. Students interact, listen to, and often dine with featured noteworthy professionals, from authors and artists, to musicians and entrepreneurs, to politicians, and scientists. Guests have included world-class authors Maxine Hong Kingston and Ray Bradbury, "Supersize Me" filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, advocate-activist Rev. Al Sharpton, and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Mario Mancuso.
