In his blog, Dr. Çağlar Çetin-Ayşe (second from the right) shares the meaning of “Shoulder to Shoulder,” an installation in the exhibition based on research into vocation. Its neon message, “mutual dependency,” lights up when people gather shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the display. Photo by Ky Duyen Nguyen ’29
Faculty and students weave art into vocational research
What if vocation is less about finding the right answer and more about learning to ask better questions? That idea is at the heart of "Alive: Journeys in the Making," a collaborative research project in which Dr. Çağlar Çetin-Ayşe and three Augustana students explored vocation through art, conversation and reflection.
Dr. Çetin-Ayşe, a visiting assistant professor of sociology, was awarded a vocational exploration grant from NetVUE (Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education), a program of the Council of Independent Colleges, for this project.
In a blog for NetVUE, Dr. Çağlar Çetin-Ayşe reveals what became possible when students and faculty approached vocational discernment as a shared inquiry.
Drawing on their experience with Augustana’s ALIVE program, Areeya Tandukar '28, Phat Lam '29 and Selina Yawson '28 reflect on how art can create space for individuals to look more closely to consider the experiences and relationships that shape sense of purpose.
Their work culminated in an exhibition at the Putnam Museum and Science Center in Davenport, Iowa, last spring.