Maria K. Bachman, professor and chair of the Department of English at Coastal Carolina University, has received the 2012 Horry Telephone Cooperative Distinguished Teacher-Scholar Lecturer Award and will present a lecture on “We Read, Therefore We Are: Novel Reading in the Age of Neuroscience.” The lecture, which is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 29, in the Wall Auditorium, is free and open to the public.

Bachman received the award in recognition of her achievements as a teacher, scholar and communicator during her tenure at CCU. Recipients of the award give a lecture on an original topic, drawn from their area of expertise. Bachman, a professor of English, will be the 16th recipient of the award presented annually by HTC.

Bachman will present her research on the impact that the sciences of mind is having on literary study. Her presentation will focus specifically on the ways in which novel reading can illuminate and contribute to current research on the neural basis of human nature. “The application of the cognitive sciences to reading narrative may prove to be the defining element of literary criticism in the early 21st century,” said Bachman.

"HTC is proud to support the Distinguished Scholar Lecturer Series, and we look forward to honoring CCU faculty members recognized for the outstanding ways in which they connect with their students," said Tom Vitt, HTC director of marketing. "We encourage students and community members to attend the lecture and connect with the expertise of Professor Maria Bachman as she delivers a dynamic presentation focused on her application of cognitive theory to literature."

Bachman joined the CCU faculty in 1999. She earned a bachelor’s degree from The George Washington University, a master’s degree from George Mason University and a Ph.D from the University of Tennessee. She has served as the director of Women’s and Gender Studies, director of Interdisciplinary Studies and co-director of the University Honors Program. The Carnegie Foundation named her South Carolina Professor of the Year in 2006.