Lori Verderame, or "Dr. Lori V" as she's more commonly known, is an antiques expert and a World Campus art history professor. Her syndicated column about antique appraising appears in newspapers around the country each week. Lori recently talked about being a Penn State alumna, her online students, and the field of antique appraising.
How long have you been working as a World Campus instructor and how did you get started?
I was invited to become a World Campus instructor in 2004. I am a Penn Stater; my Ph.D. is from Penn State. I was teaching at University Park and was asked if I wanted to teach for the World Campus. I said sure and have been teaching Art History 111 and 112 ever since. Those courses serve as the basis for art history majors, but are open to all students.
What are some of your former students doing now?
A lot of my students from the World Campus are still pursing their degrees and working to further their careers. I continue to be impressed by how these students manage their crazy schedules and maintain family, educational, and occupational commitments. Education should be about what is possible, and the World Campus makes an education possible for a lot of people who cannot attend on-campus classes. Those students are still able to have a one-to-one relationship with me even though I might never meet them in person.
What is the most exciting part of your job?
I'm fortunate that I have a multifaceted career and I've been able to teach in a lot of different ways. I'm teaching when I'm on television or writing my newspaper column or standing in a museum talking to third graders. These are all just different ways to teach and empower people on a broader, more global scale than a lot of teachers get to do by staying in a classroom all day.
