2026 Faculty
Paul Byrd
Professor of History and Political Science
When I was in college, I decided I would travel. I was so focused on learning about the rest of the world, I just felt like I needed to see it for myself. I just jumped in and went overseas on my first spring break in college. I went to London for my first trip. It was amazing and something I didn’t want to be a one-time thing. While I was still in college, I went back to Europe and went to several countries. I have been to Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Czechia. These short-term trips were eye-opening and vital to my education.
Since I became a teacher, I had the pleasure of leading a class to Russia several years ago. We studied together in a Russian history course and then actually traveled to Moscow and St. Petersburg. It was a very short trip, but transformative, nonetheless.
I am looking forward to returning to London after 20 years and seeing what is new and different and the old that still remains. We will have the study of the history of England and politics in a class setting, but then we will be able to go out and see it in person, making history come alive. There is so much vibrant and rich culture and history in London. I can’t wait to see you there!
Colin Hogan
Instructor of English, Literature, and Theatre
The first time I left the United States was when I studied abroad in London when I was 20 years old, and it was one of the best decisions that I ever made. London has such a rich combination of history and culture to explore. I spent the semester in museums, at the theatre, at the opera, in bookstores, and in pubs; I wandered around markets and strolled through parks and along the Thames. The 18th-century writer Samuel Johnson famously noted, “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life,” and it’s true. In London, there is always something to do.
It’s a cliché about studying abroad that it changes your life, but it did mine. London made it clear to me that I wanted to keep exploring. While I was there, I travelled throughout the United Kingdom and to Ireland, France, Spain, Sweden, and Norway as well. The semester after, I studied in Italy, and after graduating from college, I bounced around from Canada to France and finally Argentina. I would not be the person or the thinker I am today without these experiences, and it was London that inspired these international journeys.
While in London, the courses I want to offer will immerse you in the city’s rich cultural history, which was my favorite part of the courses I took while there. We’ll use the city as our classroom, so I hope that you’ll join Paul and me next spring!
The picture on the left is me now, but the picture on the right is me during my first weeks in London in 2005!