CWU Distinguished Professors Recognized at Honors Convocation

June 7, 2007

ELLENSBURG, Wash.-Since 1977, Central Washington University has honored its faculty through the distinguished professor program, which recognizes professors for their accomplishments in teaching; research, artistic accomplishment and invention; and service.

Central will recognize its 2007-08 Distinguished Professor award winners at Honor's Convocation Friday, June 8, at 8 p.m. in McConnell Auditorium. This year's recipients are wonderful examples of the standard of excellence set by previous winners. They are: Dr. Gerald Stacy, Distinguished Professor for Teaching ; Dr. Peter Saunders, Distinguished Professor for Research; and Dr. Jeffrey Dippmann, Distinguished Professor for Service.

Dr. Gerald Stacy-Distinguished Teacher Professor

Enthusiasm, sense of humor, and knowledge are the keys to Dr. Gerry Stacy's success as an educator. And at 66-years old, he isn't changing a bit or letting anything slow him down. Fact is he could actually make more money if he retired. But don't count on him leaving anytime soon. "I teach because I absolutely love it," says Stacy. "I still vividly remember walking across campus after teaching a particularly good class at Western Illinois University, where I was an instructor back in the 60's, and thinking to myself, 'They pay me to do this! I'd do it for free, and they pay me for it.'"

Forty-four years later, Stacy is still in the classroom doing what he loves. His energy comes from his passion for the job, and that's what makes him good at what he does. Crediting enthusiasm as his chief teaching strategy, Stacy finds it easy to capture the attention of students and make them more excited to learn.

"If I am genuinely caught up in the material, students will be as well," Stacy explains. "Helping students see the value of literature, or grammar, or humanities, so that they get caught up in it is my number one goal in the classroom."

One thing Stacy never leaves home without is his sense of humor. He consistently brings it with him to class because he believes his students should enjoy class and be entertained while they learn no matter how dry the material. As Stacy puts it, "If students are enjoying the classroom, they will learn."

It takes more than enthusiasm and humor to be successful at helping students learn. Stacy adds knowledge as his final teaching strategy. That knowledge comes from countless painstaking hours Stacy spends preparing and studying for each class he teaches. It's all worth it to him though because he knows he's "doing more than teaching subject matter; he's teaching an approach to life and to work." For Stacy, it's especially important to demand so much of himself because he's very conscious of the fact that he's setting an example for this students.

"My philosophy of teaching demands that every class I teach be conscientiously prepared," states Stacy. "I owe it to the students. How can they learn if I don't take their learning seriously?"

Stacy has taught 21 different courses ranging from Shakespeare, to the Bible, to Greek Literature, to Advanced Composition, to Grammar since joining Central's English department in 1995. He still enjoys the challenge of taking on courses he's never taught before. This past spring, Stacy was asked to teach British Novel I. Not only had he never taught this particular course before, he had also never taught a novel course, but it turned out to be a wonderful learning experience for both teacher and students.

In the past 12 years at Central, Stacy has developed the Shakespeare on film course, chaired a committee of humanities professors to create a general education humanities course sequence, served as the lead teacher of the Douglass Honors College freshmen, and picked up the grammar course, which no one particularly wanted to teach, because he believes every student going into secondary English teaching should have a solid background in grammar.

As one of Dr. Stacy's English Department colleagues expressed, "I'm impressed that after many years of teaching, Gerry continues to be moved and inspired by what he reads and learns, and he has an innate talent for passing on this awe. In doing so he honors his students and his field."

What matters most to Gerry Stacy is that his classes help to develop highly motivated, conscientious, dedicated human beings. That's what makes him so deserving of this award.

Dr. Peter Saunders-Distinguished Research Professor

"I have two passions in my professional work: teaching and research," explains Dr. Peter Saunders, CWU College of Business Economics Department. "Research helps me to be a better teacher as it keeps me current in my areas of expertise."

Since he began his career at Central in 1988, Saunders has researched numerous topics of national and international significance. He focuses on the empirical investigation of policy-related issues in economics and linkages between our country's agricultural sector and the economy as a whole using time-series methodologies. He has also published numerous research articles and abstracts in highly regarded mediums.

"Dr. Saunders has produced an impressive record of research that is consistent and compelling in its quality and its scope," explains Roy Savoian, Dean, CWU College of Business, who supported Saunders' nomination. "He is an important role model for both junior and senior faculty regarding what it means to pursue an extended research agenda over an extended period of time."

Saunders is known for spending quality one-on-one time with his students, which is critical to their success. As a way to help students truly understand the methods and assure that they will be able to apply those methods to projects, Saunders explains his methodologies and shares his research findings with them.

"My research helps my students see the importance of the economics they are learning in the classroom," Saunders says. "Results of empirical research, such as mine, may influence national economic decisions and policies."

Some of Saunders' research includes analyzing the effects of productivity on inflation, the implications of federal budget deficits for economic growth, the relation between international trade and wage differentials, and the impact of monetary and fiscal policies on economies. Some of the highly regarded outlets his work has been published in include the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Finance Review, The Atlantic Economic Journal, and Contemporary Economic Policy.

It's not uncommon to find Saunders' research findings cited in top scholarly journals. To add to his credibility as a researcher, Dr. Saunders has been invited by editors of nearly a dozen domestic and international journals to review articles for publication, including two top publications in the field, the Cambridge Journal of Economics and American Journal of Agricultural Economics.

According to Savoian, Professor Saunders is especially deserving of recognition as Central's Distinguished Professor for Research. "Clearly, Dr. Saunders' research agenda stands on its own merit as high quality scholarship. But, the record is even more significant and meaningful because it is significantly tied to working with students."

Saunders is honored to receive this award as he knows Central is filled with outstanding scholars. He adds, "Central has been a wonderful place for me to work. I have always found support among my colleagues and from CWU's administration for my research."

Dr. Jeffrey Dippmann-Distinguished Service Professor

The combination of Dr. Jeffrey Dippmann's love of education and belief in public service is what makes him who he is today. "I hope that my service in working with students, faculty and other institutions will foster a more humane and compassionate global community," he explains. "As a first-generation college graduate, I feel extremely fortunate to have been given the opportunity to earn a doctorate and eventually obtain tenure at Central Washington University. For this reason, I view service as a natural responsibility in order to bring those opportunities and the knowledge gained to others."

For two years, Dippmann shared that knowledge with others on campus by serving as a faculty mentor to first year students in Davies Hall. He felt the role enriched relationships between faculty and students and allowed students to build a more personal bond with professors and see them as friends. Dippmann adds, "The experience really gives students a different picture of what faculty is like."

When it comes to public service, Dippmann goes above and beyond the call of duty. He has been a member of the CWU Faculty Senate since 2003, a member of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee since 2004, and he currently serves as Faculty Senate Chair. He has served as faculty advisor for two clubs, Director of Central's interdisciplinary Asia/Pacific Studies program since 2002, as a member of the Provost's Task Force on Interdisciplinary Programs, acted as Library Liaison for the Asian/Pacific Studies Program, served on numerous search committees and worked as a member of the Leonard Thayer Small Grants Program Review and Awards Committee for the CWU Foundation.

Because Dippmann believes public service activities foster a more humane and compassionate global community, it's no wonder one of the experiences he's most proud of is his leadership role in the 2005 CWU Tsunami Relief Fund campaign. His efforts helped raise about $3,500 for relief.

Service plays an essential role in Dippmann's professional and personal endeavors. "In scope, in depth, in quality, and in quantity, I honestly cannot think of anyone else at this university who has done so much service and done it so well," states Chenyang Li, professor and chair of philosophy, who nominated Dippmann.

Dippmann is extremely active in professional organizations including serving as program chair for several conferences, as president of the regional chapter of the American Academy of Religion/Society of Biblical Literature, and on the Executive Board of the Asian Studies of the Pacific Coast Association. He is currently treasurer of the Association of Regional Centers (ARC), a consortium of institutions focused on the infusion of Asian Studies into the undergraduate curriculum, which is something Dippmann holds near to his heart. In fact, he co-directed three faculty-led trips to Asia, funding one through a Fulbright-Hays Small Group Project Grant. This trip to Southeast Asia was designed as a way to immerse middle and high school teachers into the culture and help them develop curriculum they can bring back and incorporate into their classrooms.

It is apparent by Dippmann's contributions to service, and by the way he models service as an element of academic professionalism and as a basic human responsibility, that he is truly deserving of this recognition.