Rachel McCoppin is no stranger to seeing her work in print, but the professor at the University of Minnesota-Crookston is still pretty excited to see her first book published.
"The Lessons of Nature in Mythology" will publish this coming fall and chronicle myths that connect nature and all aspects of life throughout different cultures.
McCoppin has helped author a handful of journal articles over the years but decided to write her own book after taking students on study trips abroad to sites such as Greece and Spain.
"I always just thought it was my thing, but I've really been finding that as I have it in my classes and I try to focus on myth I really am fascinated by how different cultures come up with these different myths, and students are just eating it up," she said.
McCoppin, who has taught at UMC for about 12 years, said after between two and three years of writing, the first publisher she sent the book to accepted it but divided it into two volumes for publication.
"Writing something so long and finding a publisher was a lengthy process, but it helps that I knew the topic, and I had created the piece already," she said.
The second volume, "The Cycles of Nature in the Hero's Journey," will be released in another year.
McCoppin said she hopes to continue doing research primarily in the area of mythology.
The book is available for preorder at
http://bit.ly/1FLoYJB
.
Other news
- The search committee for UND's dean of libraries has been named and consists of several UND professors, library employees, a representative from the UND Alumni Association and Foundation, a student, an administrator and Grand Forks Public Library Director Wendy Wendt.
- Harris Search Associates of Dublin, Ohio, will assist the committee in its search.
- A beam signing will be held from 8: 30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday for UND's new School of Medicine and Health Sciences building. UND faculty, staff and students are invited to sign one of two beams that will be placed on top of the building.
- Jessica Orth, a UND student in the Master of Public Health Program, was selected for a scholarship to the Academy Health Annual Meeting in June. Orth will receive a stipend, make a poster presentation at the meeting, and be assigned a mentor from the Public Health Systems Research Interest Group.
- Kristopher Chachula, UND aerospace student, was presented with the first-ever UAS training scholarship, providing hands-on training in Sensurion's MAGPIE MP-1.
- Entrepreneur David G. Ekman will be addressing the UMC Class of 2015 during the commencement exercises on Saturday. Graduates will take part in the ceremony, which begins at 2 p.m. in Lysaker Gymnasium.
- The 2015 Summer Showcase of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UND will be held from 4: 30 to 6 p.m. Monday at the Gorecki Alumni Center. The event's guest speaker will be Curt Hanson.
- Richard Van Eck has been named the founding Dr. David and Lola Rognlie Monson Endowed Professor in Medical Education at UND's School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He will begin his work July 1.
- A retirement reception will be held for Tom Rand, the associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, from 3: 30 to 5: 30 p.m. Tuesday at the North Dakota Museum of Art. A program will begin at 4 p.m, and parking is free.
- The Giants Entrepreneurship Challenge, a business plan competition, was held April 24 and 25. UND's team was ranked third for being the most improved and was made up of Cassy Landborg and Dylan Berg.
- UND's School of Medicine and Health Sciences received the American Academy of Family Physicians Top 10 Award for the fifth consecutive year, for its consistent contributions to building the family physician workforce.
