Central College Faculty Receive Recognition
Pella, IA (05/23/2019) — Five Central College faculty members received awards this spring for outstanding leadership in teaching, service and scholarship:
- Brian Roberts, professor of art, (B.A., Central College; M.A., Iowa State University; M.F.A. Sculpture, M.F.A Metals, Miami University) received the Dr. John Wesselink Award for scholarship with a direct impact on teaching.
- Lee Macomber, assistant professor of biology, (B.S., Cornell University; M.S., Ph.D., University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) received the David Crichton Memorial Teaching Award for excellence in teaching which challenges and shapes the intellectual development in students.
- Paul Weihe, associate professor of biology, (B.S., University of Michigan-Dearborn; M.S., Eastern Michigan University; Ph.D., The Ohio State University) received the Frank W. Moore Faculty Award for promoting student learning in the natural sciences.
- Sara Shuger Fox, assistant professor of exercise science, (B.S., Iowa State University; Ph.D., University of South Carolina) received the Huffman Award for Outstanding Support of International Education. This award recognizes the contributions made by Donald and Maxine Huffman to Central's programs in international education.
- Linda Laine, professor of communications studies, (B.A., Abilene Christian University; M.A., Ph.D., University of South Florida) received the Hutch Bearce Community-Building and Faculty Leadership Award for community building and mentorship or leadership.
Six faculty members retired at the end of the 2018-2019 academic year. Collectively, they served the college and its students for 174 years:
- Al Hibbard, professor of mathematics/computer science, (B.A. St. John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota; M.S., Ph.D. University of Notre Dame) has taught mathematics and computer science.
- Keith Ratzlaff, Professor of English, (B.A., Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas; M.F.A., Indiana University) has taught poetry, essay, newswriting, travel literature and American literature.
- Kimberly Koza Harris, associate professor of English, (B.A., Colby College; M.A., Ph.D. Indiana University) has taught women's literature, feminist criticism, African-American literature, peace studies and writing for nonprofit organizations.
- Michael Harris, professor of English (B.A. Tulane University; M.A., Ph.D. Indiana University) taught African/Caribbean, and Irish, British and Indian literature.
- Peggy Fitch, professor of psychology (B.A., Stephens College; M.A., University of Maryland; Ph.D. University of Kansas) taught intersections, inequality and social change, developmental psychology and more.
- Treva Reimer, professor of art (B.A., Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas;M.F.A., Indiana University) taught and designed theatrical sets, costumes and lighting, fiber arts, museum studies, installation and environmental arts.
One faculty member was honored for 25 years of service:
- Mark Johnson, Ruth & Marvin Denekas Endowed Chair in Science and Humanities and Professor of Mathematics/Computer Science (B.A., St. Olaf College; M.A., Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison). Johnson began teaching mathematics and transitioned to computer science, include computer graphics, theory of computation and mathematical logic.
Central College of Pella, Iowa, is a private, four-year liberal arts college. Central is known for its academic rigor, leadership and character development, global experiential learning, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and sustainability education, athletics and service. For more information about Central College: www.central.edu.
Media Attachments
Front and center: Mark Johnson. Back, left to right: Michael Harris, President Mark Putnam, Linda Laine, Kimberly Koza Harris, Kieth Ratzlaff, Marguerite “Peggy” Fitch, Vice President and Dean of the Faculty Mary E. M. Strey, Sara Shuger Fox, Brian Roberts, Treva Reimer, Lee Macomber and Allen Hibbard.