By Ashley Reese
This semester marks CITL’s fourth time organizing Thank-a-Professor. The program gives students the opportunity to share a thoughtful note with faculty
who made an impact – faculty who were engaging, supportive, innovative, inspiring,
or helpful.
As Spring 2024 submissions open, we want to look back and celebrate some of our previous faculty and what their students
shared about their experiences.
Stephanie Arthur
Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Learning, College of Education
“Thank you for being one of the best teachers I have ever known. Thank you for letting us as a class be silly and learn hands-on instead of just lectures. You have been a breath of fresh air during the semester. I always looked forward to going to your class and loved the way you viewed everything. Thank you for the field trips and the laughs we all had in your class. You truly are an amazing professor and I can only dream of being like you in a classroom. Thank you for awakening a new passion in STEM while I am in the classroom. I learned a lot through you and learned how to fight for what I want when it comes to my students. You are an amazing person and such a role model to all future teachers. Truly thank you for being an amazing teacher and supporting us as teachers and students!”
Melissa Faith
Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences
“I want to shout out Dr. Faith for her exceptional teaching in her Health Psych class. She translated complicated medical jargon, procedures, and concepts into something understandable by all her students. She facilitated three hours of respectful discussion, and really got her students thinking critically. She highlighted inclusivity, and brought attention to underserved populations. I feel like being in her class made me a better student.”
Carolyn Ford
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, College of Behavioral and Community Science
“Thank you, Dr. Ford. I have enjoyed learning from you this semester. I want to thank you for being the first professor I've ever had between undergrad and now that I've felt comfortable going to talk to. Starting graduate school was very intimidating and you've made me feel competent, smart, and confident in my skills. I've learned so much from you professionally and personally. You have been a joy to see every Tuesday and Thursday this semester. Thank you for being so positive and keeping classes entertaining. Thank you for challenging us and helping out any time you can. I will truly miss seeing you after next semester but I wish you all the best in your well deserved retirement. You have truly inspired me.”
Zachary Purdue
Judy Genshaft Honors College; Department of Philosophy, College of Arts and Sciences
“I wanted to thank you for teaching what was my favorite class this semester (Biomedical
Ethics), I loved the way you engaged the class and didn't make the information and
content feel clinical and sterile, but something we could connect to and have matter
in our professional lives for those pursuing healthcare related fields. Your anecdotes
& additional knowledge supplementary to the class material made your class have a
warmer feeling to it.
“I also want to thank you for being so accommodating in terms of working with students
with disability, it made my semester a lot easier knowing I could openly communicate
with you when I was struggling with something in class, or needed additional support.
I didn't feel like a burden or scared to ask for assistance. I really appreciated
that.”
Donald Saunders
Department of Religious Studies, College of Arts and Sciences
“Thank you so much for a wonderful semester! The learning environment in your classroom was always engaging and communicative, making it an easy place to understand the information presented. The assignments and notes we had in and out of class were very helpful to me and they challenged me to really remember the over-arching themes of various religions. Hope all is well, have a great rest of the year!”
Our spring Thank-a-Professor submissions start April 1 and will be sent to faculty after final grades are submitted.