ΦBK Honors U.S. Professors of the Year
Outstanding Baccalaureate Colleges Professor of the Year and ΦBK member
Jerusha B. Detweiler-Bedell (left) is congratulated by ΦBK Associate Secretary
Scott Lurding at the Capitol Hill reception co-sponsored by ΦBK and CASE.
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Every fall, Phi Beta Kappa partners with the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and the Carnegie Foundation in honoring the outstanding scholars and teachers selected as U.S. Professors of the Year.
This year's Capitol Hill reception, co-sponsored by ΦBK and CASE, was held November 20 at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. The honorees were greeted at the reception by ΦBK Associate Secretary Scott Lurding, where they mingled with members of the U.S. Congress and other guests.
"The Greek initials ΦBK represent the Society’s motto, 'love of learning is the guide of life,'" stated Lurding during his opening remarks. "Great teachers understand this profound idea and instill this love of learning in their students." The Professors of the Year program could not be a more worthy partner in the Society's efforts to advance excellence in higher education , he said.
Among the State and National U.S. Professors of the Year for 2008, the following are also ΦBK members:
Martin C. Carlisle
ΦBK, University of Delaware, 1991
Professor of Computer Science, United States Air Force Academy
Scott E. Casper
ΦBK, Princeton University, 1986
Professor of History, University of Nevada, Reno
Jerusha B. Detweiler-Bedell
ΦBK, Stanford University, 1995
Associate Professor of Psychology, Lewis & Clark College
Jeffrey Gray
ΦBK, West Virginia University, 1992
Associate Professor of Computer Science, University of Alabama at Birmingham
Robert Hackey
ΦBK, University of Rhode Island, 1987
Professor of Health Policy and Management, Providence College
Mary Spratt
ΦBK, St. Olaf College, 1957
Cox Endowed Professor of Biology, William Woods University
Ralph G. Williams
ΦBK, University of Michigan, 1965
Thurnau Professor of English, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
To see a list of 2008 winners on the CASE Web site, click here.
CASE and the Carnegie Foundation have been selecting the U.S. Professors of the Year since 1981. CASE assembles two preliminary panels of judges to select finalists. The Carnegie Foundation then convenes the third and final panel, which selects four national winners. CASE and Carnegie select state winners from top entries resulting from the judging process. The honorees are selected from faculty members nominated by colleges throughout the country.
TIAA-CREF, one of America's leading financial services organizations and higher education's premier retirement system, became the primary sponsor for the awards ceremony in 2000. Additional support for the program is received from a number of higher education associations, including Phi Beta Kappa.