With a combined 127 years of service, four beloved faculty members share memories and what’s kept them at Linfield

Linfield Magazine Staff

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DigitalCommons@Linfield

Linfield Magazine Volume 10 Number 1 Summer 2013 Article 6 Summer 2013 Goodbye Classroom, Hello Retirement Linfield Magazine Staff Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/linfield_magazine Recommended Citation Linfield Magazine Staff (2013) "Goodbye Classroom, Hello Retirement," Linfield Magazine: Vol. 10 : No. 1 , Article 6. Available at: https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/linfield_magazine/vol10/iss1/6 This article is brought to you for free via open access, courtesy of DigitalCommons@Linfield. For more information, please contact digitalcommons@linfield.edu. Bob Wolcott, professor of chemistry, at Linfield since 1980Memorable moments: During the Harry Potter craze, appearance of a carefully lettered sign on the door of the organic chemistry lab that read “Potions Lab”; another time, in the same lab, a Muppets poster appeared: “Another Day in the Lab” featuring Beaker and friends.Favorite course: BiochemistryChanges in students: In recent years a higher proportion have become very intentional and dedicated to doing well academically and maturing personally.Learned from students and colleagues: How to work constructively with people with different learning and communication styles.What I will miss: Seeing the joy of “I get it!” in students when they first understand a difficult concept; positive interactions with students and colleagues.What I won’t miss: Grading lab reports.Biggest surprise: A phone call out of the blue from President Hellie to ask if I would consider being the interim dean of faculty (2010).Best thing about Linfield: Sense of cooperative community among students and faculty.Retirement plans: Some travel in the western U.S./Canada, volunteering in my church and the community, possibly part-time teaching.Diane Welch, professor of nursing, at Linfield since 1992Memorable moment: The moments just keep coming: every time I encounter a Linfield student out in the community taking care of clients I feel so proud of having contributed to their careers.  Favorite course: I enjoyed introducing students to nursing in the fundamentals course Nursing 106 and watching them go from knowing virtually nothing about the discipline to becoming ‘nurse persons.’  Changes in students: It was very exciting to add the second degree summer students to our program. Their commitment and focus brought amazing energy to the program and the college. What I will miss: The individual connections with students. What I won’t miss: Grading papers in APA format in the evenings, weekends, early mornings, late nights, etc. Goodbye classroom, hello retirement1 4  -  l i n f i e l d  m a g a z i n e  Summer 2013With a combined 127 years of service, four long-time faculty members share their biggest surprises, favorite classes and the secret to what’s kept them at Linfield all these years.13-0110 LC_Magazine_28.indd  14 6/12/13  11:33 AMDave Hansen, professor of economics, at Linfield since 1969 Memorable moment:  Giving the commencement address last year. Sitting on the speaker stand and thinking about all the graduates I had seen cross that stage over the years. Thinking this would be among the last times I would experience that exciting day.Favorite campus hangout: The old Riley Gymnasium. It was historic, it was intimate.Favorite course: I loved teaching Principles of Economics and lived for those days when I could see that students first got excited about learning.Learned from students and colleagues:  One’s acts have more meaning to others than you might first realize.What I will miss:  Day-to-day contact with students both in and out of the classroom.What I won’t miss: Committee meetings, grading papers, starting to get ready for the next week starting  mid-Sunday afternoon.Best thing about Linfield:  The genuine feeling of community.Retirement plans:  I came to Linfield without many preconceived expectations. I enter retirement much the same way. I look forward to seeing how it unfolds. I think we may travel some, walk more, continue to attend campus events, garden a little and develop new interests as yet to be discovered.Eugene Gilden, professor of psychology, at Linfield since 1983Favorite course:  Really three of them: Introduction to Social Psychology, Seminar in Social Psychology, and Senior Seminar.Learned from students and colleagues:  Achievement is not unidimensional and there are insights gained only by considering lots of points of view.Retirement plans: Travel, reconnect with music, see more baseball in person, volunteer.Favorite campus hangout: Fred Meyer Lounge while working on a novel with  Ken Ericksen, Anything that Moves (unpublished).Favorite Linfield tradition: Annual Psych Department barbecueLast lecture title:  “How Did I Get Here or From Type A Behavior to Black Helicopters”Current activities:  Take care of the garden, and dogs; travel the Northwest, enjoy not being on a schedule.Goodbye classroom, hello retirementSummer 2013  l i n f i e l d  m a g a z i n e  -  1 513-0110 LC_Magazine_28.indd  15 6/12/13  11:33 AM

Goodbye Classroom, Hello Retirement

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Goodbye Classroom, Hello Retirement

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