Lauren Matz: Class of '80

Literature has opened the mysterious and decisive doors of imagination and understanding. It allows us to see the way others see, to think the way others think, and above all, to feel.

-Salman Rushdie

Lauren Matz

Class of ‘80

Lauren Matz has kept a deep connection with Bonaventure most of her life, including before she was even a student. Not only did she receive her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the university, but she also returned years later with her doctorate and became an English professor. Lauren has maintained a very fulfilling career at St. Bonaventure University since then and hopes to continue her years at the university doing what she loves most: teaching.

Lauren was first introduced to St. Bonaventure University at her high school, Mount Saint Mary Academy.

“I visited the university twice during my junior year of high school: on Press Day and Modern Languages Day. Both were very enjoyable and I thought, and still think, that those events were excellent recruitment techniques for the university.”

She was also strongly influenced to attend the university from reading Thomas Merton’s autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain, which she found to be very aspiring and admirable.

Lauren attended her first class as a St. Bonaventure student in the fall of 1976. One of her favorite memories as an undergraduate student was spending time at the Friedman Library on campus.

“I appreciated that a good library was available to us right on campus that I could go to anytime. I would spend a lot of my time in there either working, socializing, or attending group meetings. However, most of the wonderful hours were spent reading all the different types of books that the library has to offer.”

Lauren also worked in the library for her work study. She found that having this job had its own set of perks.

“My favorite memory of working at the library was during my senior year when I was the one to lock all the doors and close the library. I always felt special to be the last one in there.”

Throughout Lauren’s educational career at the university she was interested in a lot of courses along with her regular literature courses that caught her attention. Her three main topics of interest were European History, French Language and Literature, and Ancient Greek studies. She graduated St. Bonaventure University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English in 1980.

After graduation, Lauren dived right into a doctoral degree program in English at The Ohio State University.

“I chose Ohio State because, well for starters, the school offered me the best financial aid. The main reason, however, was my admiration of the work done by faculty member Richard D. Altick. He was a literary historian who specialized in 19^th century Victorian British literature. I had admired his work for so many years and it was an honor that I had been in two of his classes.”

By 1985 Lauren, who was now Dr. Matz, had received her bachelor’s, master’s, and now a doctoral degree in English.

After receiving her doctorate, Lauren stayed in the small college atmosphere. She taught her first postdoctoral class as an adjunct in 1984 at Ohio Dominican University, a small Catholic school located in Columbus, Ohio. In 1986, she moved to Nebraska to teach at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Lauren taught at this university until 1988 when she saw an opening for a teaching position at her alma mater and applied for it.

“I never thought that I would come back to Bonaventure in my career. I was excited to have the opportunity to return but I did so under sad circumstances. One of my mentors in college, Boyd A. Litzinger, had died the previous year from cancer. A year later I was taking over his teaching position. I try to fill the big shoes that he left at this university every day.”

During the fall of ’88, Lauren taught her first class in the English Department at St. Bonaventure and is still happily teaching to this day.

Lauren says that her favorite elements of being a professor at St. Bonaventure are familiarity with the environment and being part of the wonderful community again.

“Weirdly, this place has not changed in its essentials. The Bonaventure community still feels the same as ever.”

Since her return to the university, Lauren has many fond memories of being a professor. Some of her favorite recollections include being part of the Oxford program from 1994–1997 and the College Quiz Bowl – National Academic Tournaments from 1998–2008.

“We do what we do because of the students. I have always enjoyed introducing young students to great literature. I’ve been teaching for 34 years now and I can’t wait for many more years to come of doing what I love to do.”