(The President's Letter, August 2012)
Friends and colleagues know that I’m a big fan of Major League
Baseball. Part of my summer reading this year included books by two
former college presidents, Gene A. Budig and the late A. Bartlett
Giamatti. Dr. Budig, former president of Illinois State University, West
Virginia University and the University of Kansas, also served for six years as
president of MLB’s American League. Dr. Giamatti was president of Yale
University for eight years and MLB’s National League before being named
baseball commissioner. Both men make some insightful comparisons between
baseball and higher education.
In baseball lingo, August constitutes the “Dog Days”—the hottest and
sultriest days of the summer—when contenders are separated from pretenders, and
the best teams rise to the top of their respective divisions. Likewise,
higher education begins its “stretch run” before the start of another academic
year. Thus, Bethany is preparing for the arrival of students in late
August.
Ted Williams (the Director of Physical Plant, not the late baseball great of
the Boston Red Sox) and his staff are putting the finishing touches on our
scenic, historic campus after a full summer of camps and conferences.
Coaches are talking enthusiastically about the talent in their recruiting
classes and looking to the new season. Fall sports teams are just weeks
away from reporting for pre-season conditioning.
Faculty are returning to their offices abuzz with stories of fascinating
summer travels and research and writing projects, eager to greet another
talented new class of Bethanians; this year’s incoming student class is among
the largest and best-prepared in Bethany’s history.
The coming academic year also represents a time of change. As classes
open, we will miss two long-time Bethanians who retired last spring—Dr. Robert
Paysen, The Goulding-Woolery Professor of Chemistry, and Registrar Susan Doty.
After several years as associate vice president for academic affairs, Dr.
Gary Kappel, the self-professed “utility infielder and jack of all trades,” is
transitioning back to the faculty as professor of history and the Perry E. and
Aleece C. Gresham Chair in Humanities. Gary will realize what he terms
“the dream of a lifetime” when he returns to the United Kingdom at the end of
this month to teach at Harlaxton College in Grantham, England, during the fall
semester. Harlaxton, the British campus of the University of Evansville,
welcomes visiting professors from affiliated institutions, including Bethany
College. In the spring semester, Dr. Kappel returns to Bethany as a
full-time faculty member in history. Bethany College is grateful for Dr.
Kappel’s devoted service over the past five years as interim vice president for
academic affairs, and as associate vice president for academic affairs.
Succeeding Gary in this post will be Dr. Katrina Cooper, associate professor
of psychology and director of the First Year Program. A campus leader on
assessment, advising, and assimilating first-year students, Dr. Cooper will
facilitate and lead several academic initiatives during the coming year.
I am pleased to share also that Dr. Joseph Lovano, longtime professor of
world languages and cultures, has become chair of the Department of Humanities,
while Dr. Lisa Reilly, assistant professor of chemistry, will chair the
Department of Physical Sciences and Mathematics. Dr. Reilly was the
recipient of this year’s President’s Award for Faculty Excellence in
Performance.
We also congratulate Professor Kenneth L. Morgan on his
appointment as Jennie Steindorf Renner Chair of Fine Arts, and Dr. Brooke L.
Deal, Thomas W. Phillips Chair of Religious Studies.
Aaron Anslow and Jesse Janeshek join the full-time
faculty after serving the past year as visiting professors in fine arts and
English respectively.
In addition, we welcome new members of the Bethany College faculty:
- Scott M. Brothers, assistant professor of
chemistry, holds a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from Texas A&M
University.
- Angela Icard, assistant professor of
education, holds a Master of Sciences in reading and literacy, and is an
expert in 21st-century learning strategies and assessment.
- Holly Hillgardner, Renner Visiting
Scholar in Religious Studies, will receive her Ph.D. in philosophical and
theological studies from Drew University in the coming days. She
holds a master's in theological studies from the Brite Divinity School at
Texas Christian University and has received the Micah Courage Award and
the Micah Fellowship from the New York Theological Seminary.
- Brandon Lamson, assistant professor of
English, holds a Ph.D. in literature and creative writing from the
University of Houston and an MFA from Indiana University. He recently
was awarded the Juniper Prize, which includes publication of his book Starship
Tahiti by the University of Massachusetts Press.
- Ted Langan, assistant professor of
chemistry, holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from West Virginia University.
He specializes in organic chemistry.
- Jason K. Smith, assistant professor of
communications and media arts, holds a Ph.D. in communications and
research theory from Florida State University and a master’s in mass
communication from the University of Hartford.
- Joseph Walsh, assistant professor of
mathematics, is expected to earn his Ph.D. in mathematics from SUNY Stony
Brook by August 2012. His specialties include mathematical physics and
quantum field theory.
In the final weeks of the regular baseball season, there may yet be
surprises, upsets and late-season comebacks. At Bethany, too, we strive to win,
and in the volatile world of higher education today, we also expect our share
of surprises. Yet our historic commitment to the liberal arts, outstanding
faculty and academic programs, national rankings, and devoted alumni and
friends—among our many strengths—always sustain us.
As the so-called leisurely days of summer slowly transition to autumn, we feel
the renewed excitement that arrives with each fall semester at Bethany. Soon
our freshman students will stroll through the Oglebay Gates to their first
convocation as Bethanians, taking their places as students have for 172 years.
Far from being a fading season, the late summer is a time of possibility and
new beginnings on a college campus. We wish you the very best from everyone
within the Bethany College community, and invite you to visit us and follow our
progress throughout the coming academic year.
To see Dr. Miller's biography:
