Kansas Independent College Association Announces Faculty of Distinction Honorees

The Kansas Independent College Association (KICA) proudly announced the selection of seventeen college faculty members to receive the association’s Faculty of Distinction award. The honorees will be recognized at a workshop and award reception in Newton KS, on November 3, 2015.

The KICA Faculty of Distinction program celebrates excellence and achievement among faculty at the 18 accredited private colleges and universities in Kansas. Throughout their existence, these colleges, which included the oldest colleges in Kansas, have emphasized the importance of classroom teaching, personal attention to each and every student, and a commitment to character, values, and learning through every facet of their graduates’ lives. The 2015 KICA Faculty of Distinction honorees are exemplars of this approach to college education and serve as models for educators everywhere.

“It’s inspiring to know these faculty and see how they live the mission of our independent colleges,” said Matt Lindsey, President of the KICA. “A common thread we saw among them is their gift for balancing a commitment to hold each student accountable for real, meaningful learning and a strong sense of empathy for the value of each student as an individual. Or as one nominee was described: they help every student ‘to find their voice,’ which is a central to forming college graduates with the ability to succeed wherever they go.”

Faculty of Distinction honorees are nominated by the President and/or Chief Academic Officer of each KICA member institution. This year’s recipients encompass multiple disciplines, including the natural and physical sciences, business, education, and several social sciences, as well as art, theater, and language. They include departmental chairs, individuals who teach and contribute to student life and athletics, and adjunct instructors who are practicing professionals in their chosen field.

The 2015 KICA Faculty of Distinction are:

    Baker University: Dr. Alan Grant – Business & Economics
    Benedictine College: Dr. Scott Baird – Physics & Astronomy
    Bethany College: Dr. Mark McDonald – Biology
    Bethel College: Dr. Dan Quinlin – Languages
    Central Christian College: Dr. Robin Jackson – Natural Sciences
    Donnelly College: Sr. Marie Kathleen Daugherty – Philosophy & Psychology
    Friends University: Dr. Tor Wynn – Sociology & Criminal Justice
    Hesston College: Michele Hershberger – Bible and Ministry
    Kansas Wesleyan University: Dr. Damon Kraft – English
    McPherson College: Ann Zerger – Art
    MidAmerica Nazarene University: Dr. Mark Brown – Mathematics
    Newman University: Dr. Susan Crane-Laracuente – English
    Ottawa University: Dr. Russ McCullough – Economics
    Southwestern College: Dr. Jackie Glasgow – Education
    Sterling College: Pete Manely – Athletic Training
    Tabor College: Carissa Fund – Education
    University of Saint Mary: Dr. Van Ibsen – Theater

For more information, visit www.kscolleges.org/faculty-of-distinction.html.