LYCOMING COLLEGE 2024 FALL MAGAZINE

FACULTY SPOTLIGHT

GARY HAFER, PH.D. EMERITUS PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH

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ary Hafer, Ph.D., always saw himself as a reader, so it seemed natural to imitate his favorite writers. He remembers writing science fiction stories in school study halls, and by fifth grade, he had written a mystery novel over the course of a year, all typed

on a vintage, second-hand Royal typewriter that his parents bought for him. Those early audiences were very encouraging and led to his majoring in English during college. Hafer reflects, “It was there I took an undergraduate rhetoric class, and suddenly I was hooked for good!” In the fall of 1992, Hafer joined the Lycoming faculty where he specialized in teaching rhetoric and composition. During his tenure, he says it was fun to take both modern and ancient rhetorical understandings and make them practical strategies for undergraduates. “In particular, I liked teaching strategies for starting out in writing, what Rosemary Deen calls ‘writing that can’t be done wrong.’ I think we need far more writing practice in class for students to see how they can employ it to puzzle through all the new knowledge they’re exposed to in the college classroom.” Hafer retired from the department of English this spring after 32 years of dedicated service. “I will miss the daily interaction with colleagues and young people, but I’m anticipating new interactions in my retired life.” And this is where his story heats up…quite literally. When did you first develop a passion for grilling? I intensified my interest in grilling after my near-fatal heart attack in 2011. I knew then that if I were to recover, I would have to make lifestyle changes. Grilling became integral to that change because it provided a healthier method of cooking and allowed me a way to relax and slow down, particularly when I centered on charcoal grilling. I was a father of two middle school children, and my wife and I led busy lives; grilling provided me a way to slow down and to express my love for family and friends. You are a Weber Grill Ambassador. How did you come to hold that honor, and what all does it entail? For years, I was grilling for Weber at various sites across Pennsylvania. I even had the great privilege of grilling in Germany and Denmark, and my wife, Margie, and I were guests within the royal residence of Denmark! In all these adventures, there is a social media component, and Weber soon noticed and reached out to ask me to join their new Friends of Weber program. The ambassadorship followed, opening opportunities for me to appear in media events as well as other venues where I teach others how to grill.

20 LYCOMING COLLEGE 2024 FALL MAGAZINE