College of Charleston Podcast: Exploring Meta-Majors
On this episode of "Speaking of ... College of Charleston," we discuss the College's new meta-majors.
The College of Charleston has introduced meta-majors – areas of interest that pull together majors from various schools that have related courses and career goals – for incoming students to explore different majors in an intentional and guided way.
On this episode of Speaking of … College of Charleston we speak with Mark Del Mastro, associate provost for academic and international programs, and Chris Korey, associate provost for student success, about meta-majors and how they will help incoming students explore various academic fields intentionally while building an academic community.
Join us to hear about the advantages of meta-majors for both undecided and declared students, the skills gained through these programs and their role in enhancing student retention and success. Plus, learn how you can access more information about meta-majors and discover how these initiatives align with the broader mission of the College of Charleston.
Tune in for insights that could shape your academic journey.
Featured on This Episode:
Mark Del Mastro, professor of Spanish/Hispanic studies and associate provost for academic and international programs, provides leadership and support in the area of curriculum development and review and academic policy. He also oversees the Center for International Education, the Office of the Registrar and the Office for Institutional Effectiveness.
Born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and raised in northern New Jersey, Del Mastro earned his bachelor of arts at Wake Forest University, his master of arts at Middlebury College and his doctorate at the University of Virginia. After defending his doctoral dissertation in August 1992, he relocated to Charleston to begin a career at The Citadel, where for 18 years he taught a variety of courses, including Spanish language and literature and Hispanic culture and business. In July 2010, Del Mastro joined the College of Charleston, where he served as chair of the Department of Hispanic Studies until August 2019, when he transitioned to his current role as associate provost for academic and international programs in the Office of the Provost and Division of Academic Affairs.
An active scholar, Del Mastro focuses his research on the history of Hispanic professional organizations in the U.S., Spain’s Generation of 1898 literary movement, the Spanish novelist Carmen Laforet, and female identity, psychosocial development and psychoanalysis in 20th-century post-Spanish Civil War narrative.
Chris Korey, professor of biology and associate provost for student success, leads the Office of the Academic Experience, which provides students with educationally purposeful activities that lead to deep learning, integrated social and intellectual development, and engagement with local and global communities. In this role, Korey leads eight units and multiple programs. Korey joined the College of Charleston’s Department of Biology in 2003. In 2020, he served in the role of associate dean for the School of Sciences and Mathematics. Korey was a faculty fellow for the Center for Academic Performance and Persistence from 2018 to 2020. He also served as the director for the First Year Experience from 2012 to 2017 and as co-director of the Program in Neuroscience from 2010 to 2011.
Korey earned his Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Notre Dame and his Doctorate in Cell and Developmental Biology from Harvard University. His past research focused on the development and plasticity of the invertebrate nervous system and model systems for studying human genes associated with neurodegenerative disease. Currently, he is part of an interdisciplinary research team that studies student experiences of college transitions.
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