Researcher

Robert Goodrich

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Researcher Bio

Robert Goodrich

Associate Professor 208E Cohodas 906-227-2037 rgoodric@nmu.edu

Dr. Goodrich's major research interests lie in Modern German history with a broad, integrative approach to the various sub-fields. In particular, his research and teaching emphasize cultural and social history with an eye towards the interplay of various factors such as labor, gender, sexuality, and religion. However, the nature of Dr. Goodrich's research into religion and identity also requires a comparative view of European and American experiences, reflected in his interest in American labor history and pan-European subjects. Perhaps at heart he is more of a generalist than a specialist.

Most recently, Dr. Goodrich found himself drawn towards the interplay of consumption and religion as part of the experience of modern consciousness. Regardless of research interests, he places primary emphasis at Northern on the classroom experience, where he sees the cultivation of interdisciplinary-oriented, critical-thinking skills as the ultimate goal. Here, an active, student-centered pedagogy drives Dr. Goodrich's relationship to the learning process.

Dr. Goodrich also actively works to promote internationalization and interdisciplinarity at NMU. He has taken students to Granada in 2005 with Dr. Susan Goodrich and Professor Amy Orff, to Peru in 2006 with Dr. Susan Goodrich, to Greece in 2007 with Dr. Mihalopoulos, and he has created an on-going initiative open to all NMU students each summer to Vienna with Dr. Strauss..

The Vienna Study Abroad Program takes students to Vienna, Austria each May for four weeks of language, cultural, and historical immersion. Dr. Goodrich, working with local instructors and Prof. Strauss from German, are on-site for this field experience to offer their expertise for living and studying abroad.