Spotlight

Winter 2008                                                                  Back to Spotlight home page

Roe R. 'Cross-disciplinary' excellence in teaching

A prestigious group of professors is crafting its own contribution to ESU’s students as they learn from each other.

The current and former professors, honored with the Roe R. Cross Distinguished Professor Award, the highest faculty honor, are also looking forward to celebrating the award’s 30th year. Many recipients are still teaching at ESU, and an infusion of new energy has the group plotting to endow a scholarship for top-tier students and leave their legacy on campus.

Or rather, more of a legacy than they’ve already established in the young minds who enter their classrooms. Like many on campus, Roe Cross professors still get excited about new students arriving in the fall who are eager to learn. “There’s always a little bit of nervousness, a little bit of uncertainty. But I think that’s healthy,” said Dr. Betsy Yanik, a professor of mathematics and the 2007 Roe Cross recipient. “It makes you more engaged if you have those butterflies in your stomach. If you didn’t have that, maybe it’s become too ordinary. That’s one of the interesting things about this career – there are so many fresh beginnings.”

The award is named after the late Roe R. Cross, a banker and city official from Council Grove who left part of his estate to support ESU. Since 1979, the award has been given annually to a professor who exhibits a broad interest in excellent education, through teaching, professional activities, fostering an intellectual atmosphere, service to ESU outside the classroom, and mentoring students.

Now they’re finding new ways to enrich students outside of the classroom. At the presidential inauguration in March, the professors held a panel discussion on contemporary issues in higher education. The professors are also raising money to endow the Roe R. Cross Distinguished Professors Scholarship, hoping to appeal to current and former ESU professors – and particularly former students of the Roe Cross professors – to push the fund upward. Donations may be sent to the ESU Foundation, 1500 Highland St., Emporia, KS 66801, or give online at www.emporia.edu/give.

In the spirit of lifelong learning, the professors find themselves enriched from contact with the cross-disciplinary group. “It’s helped me gain greater understanding into the diversity and perspectives, seeing different backgrounds and different experiences,” said Dr. Don Miller, a business professor and 2005 Roe Cross honoree.

Dr. Yanik said the cross-disciplinary exposure is a result of ESU’s “ideal” size. It’s not too big – there aren’t 50 professors in the math department – but it’s big enough to offer a rich variety of expertise in its faculty. “You make connections with people outside your discipline, and you see the same thing in the Roe Cross professors. It takes place across campus,” Yanik said. “I really enjoy the atmosphere, when I can know an artist, I can know a historian, I can know an economist. It does make for some very interesting conversation.”

If ESU’s professors are so stimulated – if they have butterflies in their stomach at the beginning of a new semester – it certainly bodes well for the education they deliver to young minds.       

The Roe Cross professors

2007 Elizabeth Yanik, Department of Mathematics, Computer Science and Economics
2006 Herbert Achleitner, School of Library and Information Management
2005 Donald S. Miller, Department of Business Administration & Education
2004 Larry Schwarm, Department of Art
2003 Ronald T. McCoy, Department of Social Sciences
2002 Harvey C. Foyle, Department of Instructional Design and Technology
2001 Marie Miller, Department of Music
2000 William Clamurro, Department of Foreign Langugaes
1999 Kenneth Weaver, Department of Psychology & Special Education
1998 Joella Mehrhof, Department of Health, Physical Education & Recreation
1997 Ronald Q. Frederickson, Department of Communication & Theatre Arts
1996 Martha Hale, School of Library & Information Management
1995 Gaylen J. Neufeld, Department of Biological Sciences
1994 James Aber, Department of Physical Science
1993 Roger C. Greer, School of Library & Information Management
1992 Teresa A. Mehring, Department of Psychology & Special Education
1991 Philip L. Kelly, Department of Social Sciences
1990 Cooper B. Holmes, Department of Psychology & Special Education
1989 Dan R. Kirchhefer, Department of Art
1988 Carl W. Prophet, Department of Biological Sciences
1987 Thomas D. Isern, Department of Social Sciences
1986 Elaine V. Edwards, Department of Music
1985 Melvin G. Storm, Department of English
1984 Stephen F. Davis, Department of Psychology & Special Education
1983 James F. Hoy, Department of English
1982 Helen McElree, Department of Biological Sciences
1981 DeWayne A. Backhus, Department of Physical Sciences
1980 Loren E. Pennington, Department of Social Sciences
1979 William R. Elkins, Department of English

Last Updated April 17, 2008