2015 - Dr. Sara MacDonald

Great Books Program
BA (St.Thomas), MA, PHD (Fordham)

Dr. Sara MacDonald is a professor in Great Books who also teaches in the first-year interdisciplinary Aquinas Program. She teaches texts of cultural significance that can be intimidating, but according to her students and colleagues, MacDonald puts her students at ease and provides them with the confidence to read, debate and think about these texts in a meaningful way.

In the classroom, she has an energetic and engaging teaching style and has high expectations, pushing students to reach their potential. One of her student nominators believes that her “ability to captivate a student’s understanding of great texts is not only a rarity but a critical aspect for any professor in pursuit of excellence.” MacDonald also takes learning outside the classroom. Last year, she took a Great Books class to Boston to visit art museums, attend a production of Romeo and Juliet and visit the public library, all in order to explore the degree to which art can serve as a vehicle for truth.