Popular culture librarian and Honors College Professor Rob Weiner’s philosophy of lifelong learning encourages student engagement in the classroom.

Rob Weiner’s office shelves are home to an action figure Stan Lee, a Pez collection of former presidents and music posters from nearly every genre. His office door is covered in mini posters of various films, bands and prairie dogs.

The pop culture librarian and Honors College professor’s office reflects his own curious nature. 

While his dream career shifted from an archaeologist, due to his young love for dinosaurs, to a respected career in pop culture studies, Weiner says he’s always been eager to learn.

As a lifelong Red Raider, Weiner dreamed of working at Texas Tech University. With both parents as professors in the computer science program his father formed, Weiner joked he was the “black sheep” of his family.

Prior to his time at Texas Tech, Weiner worked for the Lubbock Public Library system and did independent scholarly work. He attended conventions and worked to publish essays written during his time as a graduate student at the University of North Texas to get his name recognized in the popular culture space. 

Pop culture is Weiner’s specialty, and he feels that one should look to comics as they would any different form of media.  

“Well, it’s history, a moment in time, and comics are worth studying just as much as Shakespeare,” Weiner said. “They’ve impacted world culture in so many unique ways that I think it’s important not to dismiss popular culture.”

Weiner teaches a First Year Experience (FYE) course, a type of class required for all Honors students. “The Power of Comics: The Cultural Value of Sequential Art” provides students an opportunity to learn skills necessary for beyond graduation such as presenting publicly and working in teams.

Students in Weiner’s courses are tasked with assignments intended not only to help them understand their coursework but to learn practical skills such as creating a movie to present at the end of the semester. 

Weiner’s love for learning extends to students in each course he teaches. He said his goal is not just for students to learn and engage with the assigned readings but furthermore gain a deeper appreciation for education. 

Regardless of where students find their interest outside of the class, Weiner said that curiosity is critical in not losing the ability for lifelong learning.

“Because we learn ‘til we die,” Weiner said, “and all I know is that I really don’t know anything.”

First-year students are not the only demographic Weiner teaches. His 4000-level seminars, which are another requirement of the Honors College, are typically full of students he has previously taught in FYE. 

“I think it’s wonderful,” Weiner said. “I had one student who went from FYE to the seminar and took five classes with me – and he was an engineering student.”

Over the years, former students have reached out to Weiner, saying his unique courses have helped them in job interviews and put them on employers’ radars due to the intriguing topics.

In appreciation of his help in their job interviews and future endeavors, Weiner’s office is decorated with gifts from former students. Mixed in with the superhero action figures from his Honors students is the collection of Pez presidents given to Weiner by his Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) students. OLLI is an educational program through Texas Tech designed for adults over 50 who are looking to explore new topics and interests. 

“The American Presidency class lasted seven years. It was very fulfilling,” Weiner said. “I’ve always wanted to make a positive difference in people's lives, and I think one of the best ways you can do that is by volunteering and doing things in the community.”

Weiner’s positive impact on students in his class leads to future student enrollment. Sebastian Salinas, a senior biochemistry major from Houston, was a mentor for Weiner’s fall 2024 FYE course.

The Honors College assigns two Honors upperclassmen to each FYE to serve as mentors and meet with students once a week for a Learning Community Group to discuss topics such as on-campus resources. 

Salinas said that after being a mentor for Weiner’s comics FYE and hearing only positive notes from his roommate, he was excited to take Weiner’s seminar, “The Horror Genre.” 

“I recognized everything I knew about or that I assumed to be true about Weiner was, in fact, true,” Salinas said. “And not just that, but also how knowledgeable he is about the content he teaches, and how he’s just an amazing lecturer and how he kind of ties everything together in a very interesting and connected fashion.”

The curiosity of the professor is prevalent in each course Weiner teaches. With reading-intensive classes and most end-of-term projects being creative, students are pushed to determine their own interests.

“It’s a part of being a good citizen to expand your mind constantly,” Weiner said, “and when you realize what you don’t know and how much there is left to learn, then it is utterly impossible for you to ever be bored again.”