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2004 Outstanding Professors The University of The Outstanding Professor Award recipients for 2004 are: (click on names of awardees for more information)
Mona A.
Oliver, associate
professor of English, director of English as a Second Language (ESL) and
co-director of the Teaching & Learning Resource Center. B.A., A quote from a Journal
of Higher Education article entitled "To Teach Delight" communicates
Mrs. Oliver’s attitude toward teaching: “The important thing is to
conceive of education as an excitement, an expansion of one’s horizon,
as an extra involvement in the absorbing processes of life.” Oliver
firmly believes that education enriches us and is truly a life-long
enterprise beyond earning specific degrees: “Seeing students gain the
skills they need, becoming more confident of their abilities as a result,
is always gratifying.” Mrs. Oliver has taught
freshman composition, American and world literature, and advanced grammar
courses at
Dr. Mark E. Arant,
associate professor of chemistry. B.S., “As a teacher, one of the most crucial ideas for me is the word 'engagement.' To engage each individual student in every class is a tactical goal for the establishment of an environment conducive to learning. Engagement is crucial in every instance of communication. In college classrooms, engagement plays an important role during lectures, but it is just as important in the research setting and even in the office where, arguably, the most effective teaching occurs. Without engagement, teaching becomes merely a stream of words that only penetrates the ears and not the mind. A teacher must be capable of being taught. With the passing of time, knowledge grows and changes. The education of the educator must keep pace. This is accomplished through personal development, research pursuits, and collegial interactions. Only then can the instructor's students receive contemporary knowledge, which equips them with tools to enter the future.” Dr. Arant has taught at
Dr. Walter “Skeet” N.
Creekmore, professor of education “Hand picked should be those who are charged with transferring the body of knowledge to the next generation - teachers. I declare with pride and satisfaction that I am a teacher. I was born with a physical disability that necessitated others helping me overcome it. Because of those experiences and others, I chose this helping profession of education, thus my emphasis in preparing teachers to educate children with special needs for the past 38 years. My acquired degrees, research, grants, professional publications and presentations have purpose and focus – to prepare and continue preparing me to teach passionately and to teach well.” Dr. Creekmore has taught
at
Debra P. Brossett,
assistant professor of nursing. B.S.N., M.S.N.,
Northwestern “Focusing on students’ needs and outcomes is the central theme of my personal philosophy of teaching. As a teacher, one encourages and accepts each student into the “system” and it is our responsibility, to assist and direct each student through the system. Teachers have the power to role model and impact a person’s life, a responsibility that should not be taken lightly. Students come from diverse backgrounds and appear on our university doorsteps at different levels of experience, knowledge, development, spirituality, and economical. It is our role as teachers to nurture and empower these students and provide for positive outcomes in the lives of the students we touch. The true success of the teacher is the positive outcomes produced by the students into our society.” Registered nurse Brossett
is the lead teacher for community health nursing and believes that every
person has value and is entitled to the finest health care available. She
was recognized as the 2003 Nurse Educator of the Year and 2003 Louisiana
Tech University Alumnus of the Year for the
Dr. Michelle McEacharn,
department head and professor of accounting. B.B.A., M.B.A., “As teachers, we are given an incredible opportunity to influence, and often transform, the lives of our students. We are responsible for ensuring that our impact is a positive one. I believe quality teaching boils down to three essential characteristics. First, an effective teaching style is needed and is undoubtedly influenced by both the personal characteristics of the instructor and the intentional decisions made by the instructor in the classroom. Organization and preparedness are key personal characteristics and the willingness to make the classroom interactive and varied are key classroom decision strategies. Second, a good teacher must be an excellent coach. Quality teaching occurs when the teacher is adept at motivating others to excel beyond expectations and enjoys the challenge of doing so. Third, effective teaching requires an ability to interact successfully with students. Students will respect and appreciate teachers who are not only easy to talk to and able to relay ideas in a way that the student understands but also demanding, patient, and fair.” Dr. McEacharn has taught
at
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