Career
I chose this profession because I wanted to teach. I was an engineer for about 10 years and I had gotten to the point where I found that I was interested in other things, so I went to seminary and earned a Master of Divinity degree. Although I initially wanted to teach, I thought that my academic performance was not high enough. However, I was encouraged by one of my professors to apply to a doctoral program. I looked again at my academic record and it was not as bad as I had thought. I took a chance and left my job.
Professional Accomplishments
It is difficult to say what my proudest professional accomplishment is because I feel very fortunate just to be teaching—simply the whole teaching experience. One very memorable occasion, though, is being presented with the MLK award.
Learning to Learn
My biggest goal is to help students learn how to learn. I use a number of techniques to accomplish this goal. One of them is to have the students present the material to the rest of the class. The other technique is that instead of a final exam we have a town meeting where students will discuss a number of agreed-upon topics from the perspective of the religion that they presented in class.
Interesting Research
I've studied the relationship between the civil rights movement and Mahatma Gandhi's impact on the movement, Gandhi's impact on the thinking of MLK, Howard Thurman, Colored Cosmopolitanism.
Favorite Part of the Job
My favorite part is seeing students get excited about their work and the work of other students and the material that we are examining.
A Unique Program and Campus
We marshal support for the students from many parts of the campus. We encourage students to move beyond the traditional strictures of the classroom and move beyond. Mount Union promotes impactful practices with small classes with a focus on student development. Study abroad encouragement and assistance for our students. The experience of the faculty provides students with a broad perspective.
Preparing Students
I think we prepare students through our commitments to better our profession and society. We also strive to work with others.