Dr. Jesse Weiss, Hastings College professor of sociology, will give an Invited Faculty Lecture titled “What an Experience: People, Places & Pictures” on Wednesday, October 30, at 1:30 p.m. in French Memorial Chapel. The lecture is free and open to the public.
Weiss will share his examination of how experiential education marries the wanderlust of a child with the curiosity of an academic to create a passion for an educator.
The presentation will be an interdisciplinary examination of his personal and professional journey in creating and facilitating off-site, travel-oriented experiential education for college students. It will prominently feature videographic and photographic documentation of student and faculty experiences.
Weiss’s presentation is part of the Invited Faculty Lectures series.
Each spring, Hastings College students select two faculty members to present campus-wide lectures on the professors’ topics of choice during the next academic year. Considered a prestigious honor for the faculty, the tradition dates to 1967, and is sponsored by the Hastings College Lecture Series. Dr. Nicole Muszynski, assistant professor of psychology, will give the second Invited Faculty Lecture of the academic year on April 9, 2025.
Biography for Dr. Jesse Weiss
Dr. Jesse Weiss is a professor of sociology who joined the Hastings College faculty in 2019. He spent the first 15 years of his career as a professor of sociology and environmental studies at the University of the Ozarks.
Weiss is a part of the Department of Psychology and Sociology and teaches courses in sociology, criminology and environmental studies.
His academic curiosity includes research in areas such as the social construction of nature, definitions of place and place significance. Weiss has a passion for experiential education and has experience leading travel courses in Ireland, San Juan and Colorado Rivers in Utah, and National Parks throughout the west, including Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Zion, the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone.
Weiss is an amateur filmmaker who creates short-form documentaries to tell the stories of places and participants in his travel courses. He and his partner Holli are the parents of four children and enjoy traveling to National Parks, spending time outdoors and raising their family.
Hastings College is a four-year residential college that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. Discover more at hastings.edu.
