Q&A
with
Kathleen Paul, London program director
K
athleen Paul has been back and forth “across the pond” as both a U.K. and U.S. citizen, for her own educational achievements and to help American students accomplish theirs. St. Albans, a small medieval city just outside London, is now home for the London program director but she considers herself lucky to have experienced both cultures. “That feeling of being able to slip easily in and out of different cultures is something we aspire to for our students here in London,” says Paul, who has been program director since January 2008. The London program had 691 students in the 2017-18 academic year and 737 students for the 2018 calendar year. Paul grew up in Liverpool, and she earned a
How has your academic experience in Boston influenced your life and career? My academic experience in Boston taught me the value of hard work well done. I was extremely fortunate in working with professors who were able to take the time to mentor me, people who helped me not only with the specifics of my courses and research but who served as role models for academic excellence both in and outside of the classroom. Their belief in me, and what I could achieve, gave me the confidence to push myself further. Now, as a professor myself, I seek to emulate those instructors who did so much to shape my life and career. Working with students is the highlight of my role and I want always to push them to the limit of their potential, to encourage them to work harder, think more critically and get the best from themselves. In so doing, I hope that I am paying it forward. How have you used your study abroad experiences to help students in London? I try to remember how strange it all felt when I first arrived in the U.S. Initially there is great excitement, but quite soon the reality kicks in that you are here for a definite period of time and that you can’t (easily) go home. I encourage students not to run away from the differences between the two cultures but rather to embrace the difference—to relish the opportunities to do new activities, to become part of a different culture and society. I know that for me, becoming involved in my university and going out of my way to learn about my city facilitated my integration, made it easier for me to one day realise that I felt like a Bostonian not a U.K. citizen studying abroad. That is my ambition for our students here—to help them become Londoners. How has your extensive knowledge of British and European history enhanced your life in London? I am extremely fortunate to be able to play
32 Nomadic Noles // Summer 2018
bachelor’s degree in history from the University of York in 1985. She earned a post-graduate certificate in education in 1986 from the University of Bath, before earning her master’s (1988) and doctoral (1992) degrees in history from Boston College. She spent a total of 26 years in the U.S., with one year studying abroad on a Rotary scholarship, five years at Boston College, and 20 years teaching history as a tenured professor at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Paul conducted this email interview with a Nomadic Noles Valencia student. Q&As with Carlos Langoni, Republic of Panama campus rector, and Frank Nero, the Florence program director, follow on pages 34-37. a part in shaping this program for so many students each year. I am able, through my academic background, to provide an overarching vision of how the program might develop, how it might make best use of the resources around the U.K. and European continent. One of my goals upon taking the role was, by building upon the work of my predecessors, to enhance the academic rigor of the program. We have done that by integrating academics with the cultural opportunities. Our courses are based around using London as a textbook, taking students to sites of commemoration, museums, galleries, and theatres as an integral part of their academic experience. In short, we seek to make the extraordinary opportunities of London part of the everyday curriculum. What is your favorite part about living in London? Walking through the neighborhoods and parks, being able to visit internationally famous museums in my lunch break, and sharing my day with FSU students and colleagues.
All photos courtesy of Kathleen Paul
Kathleen Paul has been director of FSU London since 2008. ties available has increased considerably. We now offer spring break and “wintermester” programs, for example, along with additional specialized programs by major. Similarly, our programs devised for first semester or first year in college students have dramatically increased in size from perhaps 10 per academic year to over 100. We have also taken control of the management of our own building in Great Russell Street, which has allowed us to both save money and, more importantly, ensure that the fabric of the building is preserved and protected with the best possible care for future generations of Seminoles. How does the study center’s location allow students to get the full British experience? The Centre is located right in the heart of London. We are two minutes’ walk from the British Museum, one of the most-visited museums in the world. We are surrounded by public parks and squares, yet we are only 15 minutes’ walk from Trafalgar Square, the of-
What do you like to do outside of work? Pretty much the same as I like to do while at work—visiting galleries and museums, travelling around the U.K. discovering new places to make my own for a while, reading, and staying in touch with family and friends. How has the FSU London program developed under your time as director? Student numbers have doubled and the range of program opportuni-
Kathleen Paul chats outside the FSU London Study Centre (here and on opposite page) with three students studying theatre in fall 2018, from left, Hannah Spears, Claire McCarthy, and Francesca Martin.
