When Amaru Tejeda ’13 returned to campus as a Return to Pomona Fellow, he found that what first drew him to Pomona remained as vibrant as ever: lively seminars, intellectually curious students and conversations that extend beyond the classroom.
During the spring semester, Tejeda taught Media, Technology, and the Energy Transition in the Anthropocene, drawing on his doctoral research to explore climate change, media and how we imagine our energy future. Students considered everything from fossil fuels and nuclear power to batteries, renewable energy and science fiction.
“What was great about returning to Pomona was seeing that the seminar style was still alive, and still incredibly effective,” Tejeda says. “I knew I could come to class every week and there were going to be students excited to discuss what we had read or watched.”
For Tejeda, the program creates a distinctive connection across generations. Students gain access to early-career scholars pursuing cutting-edge research, while returning alumni bring an intimate understanding of the Pomona experience.
“Return to Pomona is such a valuable experience,” he says. “It was a nice way to build rapport and connect with my students in a way I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise.”