Lessons of empathy and compassion in literature: Meet assistant professor of English, Judah-Micah Lamar

By Zack Armstrong

In the basement of the historic Cambridge Hall, you can faintly hear the chatter of distant lectures and the idle conversations of students awaiting their next class. The brick walls and dusty hallways give the impression that the building has remained mostly unchanged for decades, resigning itself from the constant hustle and bustle of the outside world.

Within these quiet grounds of the English department, you can find the cozy office of Muskingum University’s newest assistant professor of English, Judah-Micah Lamar. Upon entering his office, the atmosphere was warm and inviting, due mainly to Lamar’s hospitable and expressive personality. You wouldn’t have guessed it, but this was Lamar’s first semester teaching at Muskingum. A semester full of wonderful teaching experiences, Lamar said.

Judah-Micah Lamar / Photo provided by Lamar

“My classes have been engaging – you all make me work for my money!” Lamar said. “Teaching has been fun for me again since coming here.”

Lamar especially appreciates the amicable dynamics between students and faculty on campus.

“The students are really kind; relationships between faculty and students here are a lot different from what I’ve ever experienced,” Lamar said. “Y’all are cool!”

Lamar has always been passionate about English and literature, earning his undergraduate degrees in Literature and Secondary Education at Old Dominion University. He went on to earn a post-graduate certificate in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. While looking for the next step in his career, Lamar was blown away by his experience interviewing at Muskingum.

“My interviews did not feel like interviews. They were very warm, very welcoming,” Lamar said. “Some universities always talk about the idea of having community, and, you know, the culture of care, but it’s lip service … when I came for my campus visit, it was so warm, it was so pleasant, people were nice - people are still nice to me - but I’m still learning names.” 

While working as a full-time faculty member at Muskingum this fall, Lamar also successfully defended his dissertation and earned the title Doctor of Philosophy. This semester, he is teaching “Intro to Literature,” a course he believes is a critically important subject that everyone, no matter their major, can benefit from.

“Looking at literature, reading it, studying it, enjoying it, embracing it, then having thoughtful stuff to say about it, is important. It's how we learn empathy. Those first lessons of empathy and compassion are taught through literature,” Lamar said.

As an English and computer science student currently enrolled in Lamar’s “African American Literature” class, I can personally attest to his passion for teaching and discussing literature. His students can always expect thoughtful and engaging conversations on the assigned material when coming to class. I asked Eva Finni, a fellow English major and student of Lamar, what kind of impact this class has had on her.

“This class has really shown me a different perspective on aspects of life and relationships that I have not previously focused on too much,” Finni said. “I always love reading books that allow me to learn more about periods of history and these novels have given me a glimpse into the experiences that people during that time lived through.”

During our conversation, Lamar also mentioned that he believes the humanities are an essential and underappreciated part of college curriculums. In our conversation, we discussed our shared feelings on how too much emphasis is put on STEM-related degrees as the only viable career path while the humanities are pushed to the side. I asked associate professor of English and Department Chair Kekoa Kaluhiokalani why English and the humanities are important subjects to teach at universities.

“The humanities provide a human perspective to a world that can sometimes feel cold and empty. The business degree gets you the job; the humanities degree makes you good at your job,” Kaluhiokalani said.

            Lamar wants the community to know that he appreciates his time spent at Muskingum University and is looking forward to future semesters of teaching English and literature. If you pass him in the hallway, feel free to ask him about his love for baking and cooking, which he has been doing since middle school. I asked him if he had any advice for future Muskingum professors. His number one advice would be to build relationships and stay humble and kind.

            With his passion for teaching, love for literature, and warm and welcoming demeanor, Assistant Professor of English Judah-Micah Lamar is not only making a positive impact on the students of Muskingum but also reminding us of the importance of the humanities in higher education. From the quiet basement of Cambridge Hall, he is helping students discover the transformative power of literature and the deeper dimensions of empathy that it can provide.