Isabelle Champlin

Champlin I.
 Ms. Isabelle Champlin
Assistant Professor of Anthropology, Director of International Studies
Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences

M. A. George Washington University 1970
B. A. George Washington University 1968

        Isabelle Champlin has been teaching at Pitt-Bradford since 1971 and is one of the few faculty members who was a student here first.
       
        Besides hiking, gardening, and basket weaving, Professor Champlin likes to canoe. She loves antiques and visiting archaeological sites and museums. Professor Champlin also appreciates old-fashioned arts and crafts; in fact, she teaches people to weave cloth, dip candles and make baskets. She is included in the Register of Professional Archaeologists and has been involved in many projects with the Allegheny National Forest and has also done underwater archaeology.
        Professor Champlin feels pleased to be able to use her expertise, not only in the university, but also to help the local community. She is a member of the local Landmark Historical Society and the Potter County Historical Association. She is also on the board of the Penn-Bradford Historical Oil Well Museum and the American Association of University Women.  She has received the 2005 University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Alumni Association’s Teaching Excellence Award.
        Her research interests include the archaeological site of Glen Charles (Allegheny National Forest), religious pilgrimage trails (Shikoku and Fujisan, Japan), and Spring Break trips to the Maya ruins.

What is the most rewarding aspect of teaching at Pitt-Bradford? 

I appreciate the very congenial camaraderie with the other faculty.  I like the opportunities to team-teach, develop interdisciplinary courses, and develop courses of my own. 


What do students like best about your classes? 

They say I am enthusiastic and knowledgeable. I am always available outside of class because I am on campus every day, almost all day, and I am very easy to talk to. 


What makes teaching at Pitt-Bradford unique? 

Teaching such small classes, and the mixture of older students and younger college-age students, which I enjoy. 


What makes teaching at Pitt-Bradford challenging? 

I love to keep current in my field, which has meant constantly revising and relearning all the new discoveries in archaeology and human evolution. 


Why or how did you come to teach at Pitt-Bradford? 

I actually was a student here for one year, back when Pitt-Bradford was only a two-year campus. After I finished graduate studies, I interviewed for a position here and at several other places. 


Why should a student choose to attend Pitt-Bradford? 

Besides the pure beauty of this campus and our small classes, most students also mention how friendly and helpful the faculty and staff are.