Dear Dear Alumni, Parents, and Friends of Colorado College,
This edition of the Bulletin celebrates the contributions of our dedicated faculty. During Homecoming weekend we honored Professor Tim Fuller and Professor Owen Cramer for 50 years of service to Colorado College. Their careers embody what it means to be a teacher-scholar. They have taught and mentored thousands of CC students and the outpouring of gratitude from alumni that I witnessed at Homecoming is a testament to the difference that dedicated faculty make in students’ lives.
Excellent teaching and mentoring are fueled by a passion for scholarly work. Not only does devotion to one’s scholarship ignite a spark in the classroom, but it also results in exciting opportunities for students. As part of our strategic plan, “Building on the Block,” we are doing more to support these collaborations. For example, in September, we highlighted the research of dozens of students and their faculty mentors at our second annual Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium. Tess Gruenberg ’17 and Edward Weeks ’17 presented their work with Professor of Comparative Literature Corinne Scheiner on the philosophy of David Foster Wallace, and Adam Hunter ’16 explained his research on the cognitive mechanisms involved in mindfulness meditation, which was guided by Assistant Professor of Psychology Kevin Holmes.
As we express our gratitude to those faculty members who have given a lifetime of service to the college, we also celebrate the 13 teacher-scholars who joined the CC faculty this fall. They bring a variety of interests and backgrounds, all of which make for a vibrant intellectual environment for our students. I hope you enjoy reading about their exciting work!
We know that the close mentorship of our students is important. The Gallup-Purdue study of more than 30,000 college graduates examined elements of the college experience that matter most. No surprise to us at CC, the study revealed that those who felt supported by a professor during college were more engaged at work and more likely to be thriving in overall wellbeing.
Professors who care, who make our students excited about learning, and who mentor students are central to our mission at Colorado College. That connection is what John Novembre ’00, recently named a MacArthur Foundation “Genius,” expressed when he said his first phone calls upon learning of the award were to his mentors, CC professors Ralph Bertrand and Jim Ebersole (see profile on page 25). It’s what I hear time and time again from you — parents during Family Weekend, and alumni at Homecoming. You tell me that transformative, life-long relationships are built here.
Thank you for staying engaged with Colorado College. Thank you for helping us support our faculty’s commitment, as we continue to “build on the block.”
With warm regards,
Jill Tiefenthaler
