Blue Mountain Christian highlights faculty scholar Connor R. K. Fisher

Blue Mountain Christian University is highlighting the scholarly and creative work of Connor R. K. Fisher, an assistant professor of writing and literature who joined the faculty in 2021. His publications include full-length poetry collections, multiple chapbooks, dozens of fiction publications and more than 100 poems in literary journals and venues in the United States, Australia and Canada.

Fisher views that work as a way to enhance students’ education. His published writing frequently explores faith, language, creation and spiritual longing. In one poem, he reflects on the interior life of faith and humanity’s search for God; in another, recognized by Poetry Daily on Christmas Day 2022, he considers Christ’s incarnation and humility.

Fisher also has said that language is a gift from God and that writing can tell the truth, bear witness, encourage others and glorify the Creator. Students describe his classes as places where creative expression and intellectual curiosity develop alongside Christian discipleship.

In addition to teaching and publishing, Fisher mentors students as they develop as writers, with an emphasis on confidence, creativity and critical thinking. He also has worked as a longtime editor for the U.S. Geological Survey’s Science Publishing Network, collaborating with hydrologists, biologists and geologists to prepare scientific publications.

Barbara McMillin, president of Blue Mountain Christian University, said Fisher’s work bridges multiple fields of knowledge and highlighted his commitment to students. His writing has received awards, fellowships and finalist or semifinalist distinctions, including the Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award from the University of Georgia, the Diann Blakely Graduate Student Poetry Prize and the Javonovich Imaginative Writing Fellowship.

The university said Fisher’s scholarship, creative work and teaching reflect its commitment to academic excellence grounded in a biblical worldview.

Source: Blue Mountain Christian University.