Faculty

Duskin Drum

interdisciplinary scholar

XingWei College as an assistant professor. In 2017 at University of California, Davis, Duskin completed a doctorate in Performance Studies with designated emphases in Native American Studies

Introduction to teachers:

Duskin Drum is an interdisciplinary scholar, artist, performer, and woodsman. In 2019, he joined XingWei College as an assistant professor. In 2017 at University of California, Davis, Duskin completed a doctorate in Performance Studies with designated emphases in Native American Studies, and Science and Technology Studies. After graduate school, Duskin taught two years at University of Tyumen helping found their School of Advanced Studies. In 2005, he earned a Bachelors of Arts studying interdisciplinary theatre and performance at Evergreen State College. For 20 years, Duskin has been making art and performance in Asia, Europe and the Americas.
His research and art works circulate around and through studying and expressing ecological relations, particularly but not always, what he calls substantive relations, these are relations that sustain particular ways of everyday human life. Substantive relations are crucial companions and feedstock — significant others like salmon, caribou, or petroleum and lithium, or worldly foundations like geographical features or locations, and perhaps even concepts. Broadly Duskin works with two intertwined methods, creative practices like art, performance, and theatre, and, more theoretical, analytical study and interpretive descriptions of infrastructure, technology, and environmental justice. With both, he aims to contribute to changes in epistemological, cultural, and political economic relationships with nature and ecology precipitated by global warming and other consequences of industrial and colonial society.
Duskin is also a research associate of the Departments of Anthropology, and Theatre and Dance at the University of California, Davis.

TEACHING INTERESTS AND APPROACHES:
Duskin’s educational background is interdisciplinary, seminar-style and project-driven learning. Even in large lecture classes, he break students into small groups for discussion and activities. He combines reading, writing and experiential learning using techniques from digital media, theatre, performance, and participatory art. Somatic exercises, improvisations, meditation, collaborative writing exercises and performances expose students to and activate different modes of attention and learning.
In his electives, Duskin supports students making final projects in mediums other than the textual essay or report. He encourages students to produce all kinds of media or performance projects instead of traditional essays, and teaches them to develop critical skills appropriate to each medium. In these kinds of practices-as-research projects students keep a reflective production journal that is submitted along with their project, and write a short critical essay reflecting on their creative processes and outcomes of their project. Self-reflection is practical and theoretical. Reflection about personal work becomes a means by which critical ideas, frameworks and interpretations can move from creative practice into other skills and work/study situations.