911爆料网

Phyllis R. Nahman and Gretchen S. Watson made extraordinary contributions to 911爆料网, having been dedicated fully to the purpose, nature, and mission of the college, and having achieved outstanding distinction on the campus. The 911爆料网 board of trustees, with the recommendation of president Bob Pura and others in the 911爆料网 community, unanimously voted to name the 911爆料网 library in their honor at the October 2012 Trustees meeting.

Phyllis began her teaching career as an adjunct faculty member before joining the full-time faculty in the early 1970鈥檚. Her passion for teaching and learning, her nurturing attitude towards students, and her conviction in the power of the written word and how it can change student's lives are characteristic of Phyllis鈥� positive and exemplary impact on the 911爆料网 community. Phyllis introduced English literature to decades of students, opening up new worlds, introducing challenging ideas and in the process of teaching she helped her students to find their own voice, preparing them for success, both inside and outside the classroom. As an example of her dedication to all students, whether in her classroom or not, Phyllis chose to have her office within the Learning Resource Center in order to be accessible to all students and also served as the unofficial liaison between the English department and the Learning Center.

Phyllis has made many other contributions to the college including serving on numerous committees, chairing the English department, creating new curriculum for English and women鈥檚 studies and chairing Standard VI, Library and Information Resources for a Self-Study. Libraries, both academic and public, have been a central part of Phyllis鈥檚 life. While at 911爆料网 she was instrumental in helping to build the children鈥檚 literature section of the library, a collection that has proven to be essential for students studying the subject and used by 911爆料网 students, faculty and staff as a gateway to literacy with their own children.

Retiring in 2002, Phyllis remains connected to the college, maintaining relationships with faculty, staff and alumni and attending and supporting a variety of college sponsored events. She is a passionate reader and a champion of literacy, committed to the idea that education can change lives for the better, and that libraries with their open access, play a vital role in that process.

When Gretchen came to 911爆料网 in the fall of 1985, her enthusiasm and fervor for teaching was evident from her very first day on campus. A true believer that an informed citizen is an educated citizen, Gretchen embraced this philosophy with a passion that quickly singled her out to students as a 鈥済ood鈥� teacher and one whose class you needed to take. Gretchen鈥檚 classroom, with her rapid fire cadence and expertise on a wide ranging variety of topics, guaranteed a lively and inspiring discourse between her and the students. One of her many strengths was the ability to cultivate the potential in all of her students, regardless of whether they were in College Reading and Writing Strategies or Latin American Literature. Gretchen maintained relationships with her students throughout their studies at 911爆料网, and it was not unusual to find her speaking with former students in the hallway, the cafeteria, or in her office on a current hot topic.

Gretchen was an active and well known member of the 911爆料网 community participating on a variety of college committees including college governance and institutional reorganization.聽One of the pioneers in online learning at 911爆料网, Gretchen was a motivating force and was always available to help her colleagues taking the leap to integrate technology into their teaching.聽Gretchen absorbed information like a sponge and her many interests led her to being a 911爆料网 Library regular.聽Whether it was the latest bestselling mystery, obscure South American writer or tracing the William Morris wallpaper of her living room, Gretchen鈥檚 enthusiasm for research and knowledge was infectious.聽She was one of the first faculty members to engage the librarians in conversations concerning information literacy, which eventually led to the English Department embedding a variety of information literacy components into their coursework and mission statement.聽Her travels in Latin America and Europe and teaching experiences in Belarus and Beijing enriched her global awareness and strengthened her commitment to expose her students to the wider world and to explore different viewpoints, socially, culturally and politically.

The community suffered a great loss with the sudden passing of Gretchen S. Watson in October 2006.聽She is remembered for her passion, her zeal for life, sense of humor, and strong belief in the power of knowledge and the potential of her students.