Noah Lebowitz, Special to The Denisonian –

Jeff Kurtz, a Northfield, Ohio native, has been teaching at Denison for 23 years and has nothing but kind words for the students at the university. 

“What I’ve seen in my classes has just been like this energy and this curiosity, and most importantly, I think just this openness,” said Kurtz. 

Kurtz mentioned how much he appreciates how his students are prepared for every class year in and year out, ready to learn with an open mind. 

“It’s been really gratifying and just made it a fun place to come work,” Kurtz said. 

Kurtz isn’t only appreciative of the energy and effort students bring to the classroom, but he is “profoundly grateful the way that people show up to make Denison work.” 

He’s noticed the exceptional work done around campus, as the Chair of the Communication Department. 

Kurtz found his passion for teaching and rhetoric at Mount Union University, where he majored in English. He had the opportunity to be a teaching assistant where he had a small class of students he was responsible for.

During his time as a TA, he thought to himself, “Huh, this could be a cool way to spend a life.” 

Afterward, he earned his master’s and PhD in speech communication.

When he started his graduate work, he knew that combining his love for English and history could overlap with his passion for studying rhetoric, which eventually led to teaching classes under that umbrella at Denison. 

“I have a book manuscript that I’m trying to revise about the 19th-century abolitionist Wendell Phillips,” said Kurtz about what he’s currently working on outside of the classroom. 

“Phillips is interesting because, in the middle of the 19th century, he was this rich white guy who could have remained completely silent on the issue of slavery, and he chose not to, and in fact spoke out against it often, and often at great risk to his personal well-being,” he said.

Kurtz wants to gain a deeper knowledge of the impact Philips had in the United States.

“I’m interested in trying to understand what speeches Phillips gave and how that mattered to the culture of debate around what it meant to be in America in the 1840s, and 1850s.” 

The second project Kurtz is working on is in the earlier stages of development, but the focus is on sports. It begins with his respect and fascination for Allen Iverson, who is a former NBA basketball player and Basketball Hall of Fame inductee. 

He was a guard most known for playing for the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets. 

Kurtz said that Iverson “turned the NBA upside down because he thumbed his nose at some of the overt professional expectations. He wanted to play the game in the way he thought had the deepest integrity.” 

Iverson’s style of play was unique.

“His (Iverson’s) game was often at odds with the broader narrative about what it meant to be a professional basketball player. And so I’m trying to understand better both how he played that game, how people thought of him, and what his legacy was,” said Kurtz.

He wants to understand the ins and outs of how individuals outside of the game of basketball, perceive how AI played, and what that means for the sport. 

This project is continuing to grow in its early stages, but he believes that it could be an academic article. 

 Kurtz values open and honest communication, and thinks the communication department can help bring people together and encourage that. 

“I think I want to be more helpful. I want to be more intentional. I want to be more direct. I want to be more engaging,” Kurtz said. 

Editor’s Note: The professor spotlight is a recurring feature. Email [email protected] if you would like to suggest a professor to be featured.