Kentucky Christian University professor awarded fellowship to study medieval manuscript fragments
The fellowship was awarded by the Appalachian College Association which provides benefits to 33 Appalachian-area colleges in the form of financial support and opportunities for students and faculty.
Dr. Gerald Dyson, an associate professor of History and the director of the History/Pre-Law program at Kentucky Christian University, has been awarded a fellowship from the Appalachian College Association to continue his research on medieval manuscript fragments. His fellowship award coincides with a pre-planned sabbatical for research purposes, which he hopes will culminate in enough material for his second book, “The Manuscript Fragments of Early Medieval England.”
According to an article on Kentucky Christian University’s website, Dr. Dyson said of his research, “For every manuscript that has survived a thousand years more or less intact, others didn’t and are preserved only in fragmentary form. I’ve been working with and studying medieval manuscripts since 2009 and I enjoy it quite a bit. What may be trickier is analyzing what it all means after piecing together a corpus of scores of manuscript fragments, but I’m looking forward to the challenge.” Dr. Dyson’s sabbatical and fellowship research will take him off-campus for a full school year. He will visit other areas of Kentucky, Singapore, and England.
Dr. William Stevens, who serves as the dean of the School of Humanities and Sciences, discussed how the idea of Dr. Dyson taking a research sabbatical came about, saying, “We were discussing faculty development almost exactly a year ago, and Gerald brought up the idea of traveling abroad for a research project. Opportunities for faculty to get out of the classroom and pursue research interests create numerous benefits for our institution. Such opportunities tend to reinvigorate faculty when they return to the classroom. Additionally, sharing our faculty with the global community spreads awareness of the excellent work we do here at KCU. Finally, the publications and presentations of the research will serve to inspire faculty and students alike to pursue their own academic interests.” He went on to say, “Dr. Dyson is an excellent scholar and educator. He will be gone for one academic year and travel between Kentucky, Singapore, and England. We will miss him around campus but are excited for his return.”
The Appalachian College Association is, according to its website, “a non-profit consortium of 33 private four-year liberal arts institutions located in the Appalachian mountains of Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.” The board of the Association is made up of the presidents of each institution and the Association “supports its member colleges and universities in providing higher education opportunities for people who live in Appalachia. Programs offered by the Association are designed to promote cooperation and collaboration among member institutions, and to support scholarly and creative activities of faculty and students.”
Dr. Dyson is the recipient of the In-Year Research Fellowship. He was one of 34 faculty members from Appalachian College Association institutions to be awarded one of three types of available fellowships.
Dr. Rob O’Lynn, who serves as the Dean of Distance Education and liaison to the Appalachian College Association for Kentucky Christian University, said of Dr. Dyson’s fellowship award, “The ACA provides a number of fantastic resources that can help faculty members grow as educators and mentors, some which I am honored to have participated in. This fellowship is a testament both to the investment the ACA makes in Appalachian-based faculty as well as the excellent quality of Dr. Dyson’s scholarship.”
For more information about Kentucky Christian University, visit the school’s website.