Q&A with Jerry Lundin

Communication/Management

What made you want to teach, and why in your specific discipline? 

I've always had a passion for helping people and teams be at their best. Fundamental to that is effective communication.

What do you find to be the most rewarding aspect of teaching?

When a student tells me that I helped them in some way.

What is your favorite memory at WKU?

During my graduate days, taking classes taught by Dr. Cecile Garmon and Dr. Judith Hoover.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Being with the Grandkids, getting my hands dirty in the flower garden and landscape, photography, and a good cigar.

If you were to meet yourself as a 1st year college student, what advice would you give?

Be in the moment. Listen to understand, not necessarily agree. Ask questions. Find your passion.

What challenges has being a first-generation professor presented in your career, and how have you overcome them?

I've been fortunate and haven't experienced any issues.

How is being a first-generation professor an asset in your career?

I didn't have any preconceptions regarding teaching at the college level. However, after many conversations with Dr. Juanita Bayless I decided that I wanted to fill a need and teach at WKU-Glasgow. For that to happen, I needed a Masters degree which I began at age 55.

Q&A with Wren Mills

Organizational Leadership

What made you want to teach, and why in your specific discipline?

When I received an assistantship that included teaching, I wasn't sure I did want to teach, but I quickly fell in love with the interactions with students and celebrating learning with them. The first classes I taught were developmental English, and a lot of that was re-awakening learning that had been forgotten or instill confidence that yes, they could write better with a bit of commitment to learning. When I began teaching Leadership, the first thing I realized was that most people do not think they have leadership qualities. To help students learn about their hidden skillsets and purposely develop them is so much fun and so rewarding.

What do you find to be the most rewarding aspect of teaching?

Helping students to find personal connections to the content and creating assessments that allow for real-time, real-world implementation. I have found that the best way to keep students engaged since they can see the effects of their work in their own lives.

What is your favorite memory at WKU?

I've been at WKU since I was 17. There are so many memories for me here. But truly, my favorie professional experience on the Hill was doing three Living-Learning Communities with Heather Strode from the School of Media and Communication. Have not just a colleague but a friend and fellow alumna of WKU alongside me to work with our fabulous students in such a deep and meaningful way is not something that I think can ever be topped.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I love spending time outdoors on our little patch of land or back porch in Allen County, rain or shine, playing with my dogs, and herding chickens. I am also a supporter of Manchester United Football Club, and we travel to see them play when we can and never miss a match on TV..

If you were to meet yourself as a 1st year college student, what advice would you give?

Don't wait to get invovled. I wanted to see which RSOs did what before I got active, and I learned no more in 2 semesters of watching them do fun things than I did in the first few weeks of classes. I wish I had been more courageous!

Q&A with Michael Smith

Biology

What made you want to teach, and why in your specific discipline?

I have always loved biology since I was young. My family regularly visited state and national parks and I enjoyed using nature guides to identify plant and animal species.  As an undergraduate, I considered going to medical school since I enjoyed learning how the body functions and I was a teaching assistant for a physiology lab, but when I fainted after looking at photographs in a paramedics manual, I decided that med school was not for me. My focus on neurobiology did not come until my post-doctoral research at the University of Maryland, but I love teaching neurobiology at WKU. There are fun demonstrations that I do in class and there is always something new to share that has been recently discovered about how the nervous system works or ways of treating neurological diseases.  

What do you find to be the most rewarding aspect of teaching?

One of the most rewarding aspects of teaching is receiving thank you emails from past students. For example, students have told me that having taken my Neurobiology class at WKU made their first year neuroscience course in medical school much easier.

What is your favorite memory at WKU?

My favorite memory at WKU probably wasn't while I was physically on campus. Because of WKU, I have had the opportunity to travel to some pretty incredible and memorable places across the world (I taught a study abroad course in Australia, went with a WKU faculty group to South Africa, traveled to China to develop a course on the history of science in China, traveled to conferences in Hungary, Norway, Uruguay, etc.).

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I enjoy spending time with my family, playing racquetball, and fly fishing the local rivers and lakes.

If you were to meet yourself as a 1st year college student, what advice would you give?

Don't be afraid to get involved in anything you are passionate about. Join clubs, meet your professors and get involved with research, volunteer for service opportunities. But make sure you schedule your time well so that you can do well in your classes, but also have time for things that will keep your life balanced- time with friends, exercise, hobbies, etc.

Q&A with Aaron Wichman

Psychological Sciences

What made you want to teach, and why in your specific discipline? 

We all want to understand the things that are important to us. Having a good mental model of our reality allows us to act within it according to our values, and not so much according to our most base impulses. The world we want to live in demands education and understanding, and my field of Social Psychology gives us empirical leverage on what it is to be human. Whether making love or killing, my discipline has something to contribute to understanding.

What do you find to be the most rewarding aspect of teaching?

My most rewarding aspect of teaching varies by the day. Sometimes it is sharing a theoretical framework that renders the inexplicable into the orderly and frustration into calm understanding. Other times it is addressing student challenges that often are originate outside the classroom. Always it is working to learn more and collectively improve our understanding of the world.

What is your favorite memory at WKU?

My favorite memories are of the former student who wrote to share his success in becoming a judge, and another who wrote with appreciation that my respect for them was not affected by their addiction problems. I also, frequently, recall the pleasure I have with a job that allows me to teach as much as I want, and do research that advances science without needing to focus on sensational, unlikely to replicate, discoveries.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Fixing things--woodworking, blacksmithing, welding, fixing antique sewing machines, repairing shoes, gardening, walking the dog, learning new skills, gaining understanding from the news, being outside, arborist work, tying knots, building tools, watching how-to Youtube videos, talking with strangers, thinking of and about things, and most importantly, being with my family.

If you were to meet yourself as a 1st year college student, what advice would you give?

Taking naps is wise and not a sign of weakness; being uncertain and keeping your options open is exhausting--better to choose an option and committ yourself to it to realize the humanity you have; others, no matter how well-adjusted, experience the world in a way more similar to you than you might expect.

Q&A with Dawn Winters

English

What made you want to teach, and why in your specific discipline? 

I don't remember a time in my life when I didn't want to be a teacher, and I used to get in trouble for reading after bedtime by my night light. Books are magical, and school is a place to engage with that magic.

What do you find to be the most rewarding aspect of teaching?

I love getting to know students and learning from them. That's the best part of teaching Colonnade classes. My students are from all different majors, and they share their excitement and curiosity with me. I would also be lying if I didn't say I love when they say they enjoyed a book we're reading for class or they tell me something they learned in my class has helped them.

What is your favorite memory at WKU?

There are so many to choose from! I've hit so many milestones on the Hill, including earning my doctorate here. I've always enjoyed the student protests when they happen. This is a time when students' ideas of justice begin to solidify, and they really engage with their First Amendment rights. It's inspiring.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Read! I also love to travel and spend time with my wife.

If you were to meet yourself as a 1st year college student, what advice would you give?

I was super high-strung as a student, so I would definitely tell myself to relax and to not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

What challenges has being a first-generation professor presented in your career, and how have you overcome them?

I had to learn the language and world of upper-level academics. Really, I've only seen my first gen status as an asset.

How is being a first-generation professor an asset in your career?

I can connect with students who share this ethos and help ALL students navigate college. It can be a weird and vast world of offices, acronyms, rules, norms, mores...the students are adjusting and are usually thankful for the guidance.

Have you participated in any of our cohort programs (i.e. — first gen advocate, LLC Fellow, ITA, PLC)? If so, which program(s)? What impact has it had on your teaching or interactions with students?

I'm on the first gen leadership team, I'm an LLC fellow for Stonewall, I was in the first ITA cohort, and I love a PLC. Humbly, I'm a super CITL fan!

Q&A with Robin Ayers

Mathematics

What made you want to teach, and why in your specific discipline? 

I have always enjoyed helping others. I have long had a "mothering" instinct and nature. During my undergraduate days, I was hired as a tutor for the first Student Success Center for at risk students at WKU in 1983 and I discovered that I was good at explaining math to others. I had the patience and the knowledge. I also had a several mentors that put me on the track of education: Pat Hooper, Mary Barr Humphrey, Mr. Sipes, and Dr. Livingston Alexander. However, my biggest impact involved a comment that "my people cannot do math", that lit a fire in me to achieve a mathematics degree and to show my worth and ability.

What do you find to be the most rewarding aspect of teaching?

The most rewarding aspect of teaching is truly seeing the students "get it" and when students say to me that they used to not like math, but I have given them a new sense of appreciation of math.

What is your favorite memory at WKU?

There are so many, but two of my favorite memories at WKU: one was going to the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl, Dec. 26, 2012 game with my sons in Detroit during a snow storm to watch WKU play and then driving down 8-Mile for my son and the other was winning the Spirit of Western Award in 2015.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I love sports. I spend my free time either watching sports at WKU, or playing a sport myself.

If you were to meet yourself as a 1st year college student, what advice would you give?

My advice to my 1st year college student would be to study aboard, be a Spirit Master, and be a more outgoing individual.

What challenges has being a first-generation professor presented in your career, and how have you overcome them?

My biggest challenge has been that I do not use my voice enough. I am overall, a shy quiet person that never saw myself as a leader, but I am learning that I have a strong voice and strong servant leadership skills.

How is being a first-generation professor an asset in your career?

Being a first-generation professor has permitted me to use my own experiences to teach. I teach from my heart and my own experiences.

Have you participated in any of our cohort programs (i.e. — first gen advocate, LLC Fellow, ITA, PLC)? If so, which program(s)? What impact has it had on your teaching or interactions with students?

I am a first gen advocate and I was in the first cohort of ITA. These programs have allowed me to understand the importance of transparency with my teaching and within my syllabus. I enjoying attending functions to meet students to learn more about them and help them on their college journey.

Q&A with Jessie Hussung

School of Teacher Education

What made you want to teach, and why in your specific discipline? 

My whole life I have always had a passion for learning and teaching others. My zeal for education has been a part of who I am since I can remember. As a small child I would play “pretend” teacher for hours; I would line up my stuffed animals and be immersed in my “first” classroom. As a young teenager I would help my oldest sister in her kindergarten classroom at T.C Cherry. When I came to Western Kentucky University as an undergraduate student there was no doubt in my mind I wanted to be the greatest public servant, a teacher.

What do you find to be the most rewarding aspect of teaching?

The most rewarding aspect of teaching is the hopeful impact that I have on future educators. I think I have the most amazing students. To have the ability to impart knowledge to future teachers is a wonderful gift.

What is your favorite memory at WKU?

There are many special memories that I have at WKU. My favorite memory goes all the way back to 2004, which was studying at Craven's Library with my future husband and best friend.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

During my free time I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. My husband and my girls make the world a brighter place. Whether we are exploring a new place or cleaning our house, being with my family is what I enjoy.

If you were to meet yourself as a 1st year college student, what advice would you give?

I would tell myself to take a deep breathe, enjoy all the beautiful opportunities WKU offers, learn as much as I can, and be present in the moment.

Q&A with Eric Knackmuhs

Recreation, Park & Nonprofit Administration

What made you want to teach, and why in your specific discipline? 

My background is working as a park ranger, historical interpreter, and educator in the national parks. I enjoyed coaching my peers and it made me want to teach the next generation of park rangers and those interested in parks, recreation, and nonprofit administration more broadly.

What do you find to be the most rewarding aspect of teaching?

It’s a bit of a cliché in teaching but “your success is through your students.” I find the most rewarding aspect is seeing students grow academically, intellectually, and personally over the course of a semester and over the course of their academic career.

What is your favorite memory at WKU?

In the classroom: Teaching my Honors Colloquium Public Enemies, Prisons, and …Tourists? for the first time. Teaching “naked” (i.e. without PPT or other technology) under a tent outdoors during the pandemic. It revolutionized my approach. On campus: Being in attendance for some big wins by the men’s basketball team at Diddle Arena. Taking family photos under the cherry blossoms on Centennial Mall.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I enjoy spending time with my wife Katie, and my children, Benjamin (4) and Ada Virginia (1). We can often be found exploring the trails of Mammoth Cave and other parks together hiking, running, or biking. I also dabble in triathlon and love history, reading, and reading history.

If you were to meet yourself as a 1st year college student, what advice would you give?

I was very shy as an 18-year-old and lacked the self-confidence I would develop over the course of adulthood. So, my advice would be: 1. Don’t be too easily discouraged or intimidated by “hard” courses or subjects.  2. Push yourself to speak up in class and to expand your social circle.

Q&A with Sedrik Newbern

Management

What made you want to teach, and why in your specific discipline? 

My dad's father and my mother were college professors. I saw the joy my mom experienced over the years and the impact she was able to have on the lives of the young people she taught. Additionally, I enjoyed my college experience at WKU. The connection with my professors, especially the late Dr. Rick Shannon who suggested that I consider being a professor someday, helped to plant the seed. I chose to teach about entrepreneurship, because I wanted to demystify what it takes to run your own business and encourage WKU students to have faith and believe in themselves and the skills they have attained.

What do you find to be the most rewarding aspect of teaching?

The opportunity to mentor students and watch them pursue their dreams and purpose.

What is your favorite memory at WKU?

I have so many wonderful memories on the Hill from my days as an undergraduate to being a professor to serving on the WKU alumni board. If I have to choose one memory, I would say the night in mid-July when I was sworn in as president of the WKU alumni association.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I'm a DJ, and I really enjoy DJing for weddings, birthday parties and school dances.

If you were to meet yourself as a 1st year college student, what advice would you give?

Take full advantage of the resources and opportunities available to you on campus and within your major discipline. Invest in the relationships you make and don't be afraid or feel that you are bothering your mentors. They want to help you reach your full potential.

Q&A with Julie Shadoan

Political Science, Professional Legal Studies Program

What made you want to teach, and why in your specific discipline?

I come from a family of teachers. Being one never willing to conform, I wanted to do something different and pursued a law degree. As my law career advanced, I was invited to teach part-time at WKU. In those first few classes, I realized that I what I loved about the law was bringing others into the fold‚ teaching what I had learned and seeing the interests it sparked and the possibilities it created for students.   

What do you find to be the most rewarding aspect of teaching?

Relationship building is the most rewarding part of my job‚ and the opportunity to build relationships with so many different people along my long and winding path of teaching and administering higher education. With students, my goal is to be both a teacher and mentor. My hope is that  students are comfortable coming to me with questions, concerns or accomplishments relating to their education, extracurricular activities or career path. I have decades of academic and professional experience that I can share with students to help guide their decision-making. Ultimately, I want them to know they have a partner in their education‚ one who will be brutally honest but undyingly supportive. My relationship with colleagues is also one that is very important to me. I have a close group of faculty that I grew up with at WKU‚ people who are friends and confidants.  It is this group of people who have supported my professional growth and who are there for the ups and downs of teaching. (Yes, there are downs.)

What is your favorite memory at WKU?

My favorite memory is not just one. Instead, it is any time that I have been able to see students on the other side, after graduation when they have found their path and are appreciated for who they are and what they can do. The best day is when I hear from a former student who is reaching out to share some good news: acceptance to graduate or law school, a new position, a promotion, or when an attorney approaches me and raves about a former student. I am extremely proud of their hard work and dedication as well as the small part WKU and the Professional Legal Studies program was able to play in their success.  

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I love to spend time with family and my dogs, travel, search for that perfect mid-century antique and design (and redesign) homes.

If you were to meet yourself as a 1st year college student, what advice would you give?

Talk to your professors! I was incredibly shy and thought professors were unapproachable. I missed out on a lot of valuable guidance and advice because I navigated my academic choices alone. It wasn't until I worked on my senior thesis and had to meet with my political science professor weekly that I realized that my professors were there to make sure I was successful. It was eye-opening, and I still communicate with that professor to this day. They will never appreciate the impact they had.