Holthaus to deliver Society of President’s Scholars’ ‘Last Lecture’ Nov. 19

C.J. Holthaus, an instructor of English in Northwest Missouri State University’s Department of Language, Literature and Writing, will present this year’s Last Lecture, titled “Bearcats Believe.” 

C.J. Holthaus

The lecture begins at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19, in Room 2550 at the Garrett-Strong Science Building. It is free and open to the public.

Sponsored by Northwest’s Society of President’s Scholars, the annual event gives a Northwest faculty member the opportunity to speak as if they were presenting the last lecture of their career.

Holthaus will discuss beliefs that have guided her as an undergraduate student, graduate student, adjunct faculty member and instructor at Northwest. Through humor, hard-earned wisdom and practical insights, she will encourage the audience to explore their own paths to success.

Holthaus, who joined Northwest as a full-time faculty member in 2018, has academic interests in composition rhetoric, ethics in fiction and young adult bildungsroman books. She has a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Master of Arts in English, both from Northwest.

The Society of President’s Scholars annually selects its “Last Lecture” presenter after gathering input from Northwest students.

“Holthaus’s background in composition and rhetoric gives her a unique perspective on how language can be harnessed to improve our everyday life, and I’m eager to see what wisdom she will bring to the Last Lecture,” said Ethan Shutts, a senior computer science and cybersecurity major from Kansas City, Missouri, who serves as president of the Society of President’s Scholars.

For more information about the Last Lecture, contact Shutts at S543345@nwmissouri.edu.