Alyssa Camejo ~ Assistant Editor
The Critograph will continue to showcase the women who make a difference at the University of Lynchburg.
This week, we feature Dr. Laura Long who is a professor of English and the Prism Magazine faculty advisor at University of Lynchburg.
She holds a Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature from the University of Houston, masters degrees in English/ Creative Writing and in Anthropology/Folklore from the University of Texas at Austin, and a bachelor’s degree in English/Creative Writing from Oberlin College.
Dr. Long joined the Lynchburg campus as an assistant professor in 2004, became an associate professor in 2009, and became a full professor in 2016.
English instruction in academia is no longer a male dominated field but has been revolutionized by women.
Long said, “I benefited from the support of one undergraduate woman professor and one graduate woman professor; they encouraged me, and also shared their personal experiences of how hard it had been for them to be treated equally to their male colleagues. So I became aware that the women before me were paving the way. They told me how they had to fight their college and university administrations to receive equal regard, such as consideration for tenure.”
The struggle of women entering the scene of academia persisted for many years. Long said, “In my experience as a student in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, women were viewed as less likely to be serious and less likely to succeed professionally compared to men, period. Over 90% of the professors were men.”
Nicole Tolley, a senior English major who is a student of Long said, “I have had Dr. Long for three different creative writing classes over three years, and she is my faculty advisor for The Prism. I have been lucky to grow as a writer with her encouragement, and I love seeing so many women in power on campus and how it has become more normalized.”
Today, women represent 45% of faculty, and 26% of tenured professors. Though the numbers have improved, there is still more work to be done to continue the fight of inequality that women might face in their careers.
Long said, “Academia is not a bubble. Someone told me this recently, and it struck me as accurately describing an underlying, unconscious attitude in our society: “People assume a man can do something until he proves he can’t. People assume a woman can’t do something until she proves she can.”
Still, the profession of academia is a dedication to learning and curiosity, and a backbone to the advances that might come in the future, if the good work is continued.
Long said, “We live in a society that has historical roots in sexism, racism, homophobia– that is, discrimination about human differences that we should celebrate and that make us stronger together. Academia by its very nature has a positive allegiance to the future, and is a space where ideas can be discussed and challenged. So academia, whatever its shortcomings then or now, is essential in nurturing positive changes.”