The College welcomes thirteen faculty members to emeritus status. Retiring during the 2004-05 academic year were Alice F. Berry, Professor of French for the Department of Foreign Languages; David W. Borst Jr., Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences; James (Jim) R. Carter, Professor of Geography-Geology; Clifford M. Caruthers, Instructional Assistant Professor for the Department of English; Richard H. Dammers, Assistant to the President and Professor of English; John B. Freed, Distinguished Professor of History; Douglas A. Hardwick, Associate Professor of Psychology; Barbara Heyl, Professor of Sociology; L. Dean Hiebert, Professor of Economics; David MacDonald, Professor of History; Sharon MacDonald, Instructional Assistant Professor for the Department of History; Martin Nickels, Professor of Sociology; and Susan Westbury, Assistant Professor of History. Combined, these faculty members have served the College for over 300 years. We wish them well!

By Sarah Diel-Hunt, Assistant Dean, College of Arts and Sciences

Someone forgot to tell Dr. Lauren Brown, Emeritus Professor of Vertebrate Zoology in the Department of Biological Sciences, that retirement involves the “withdrawal from one’s occupation, business, or office” (American Heritage College Dictionary, 3^rd edition) because he is anything but withdrawn from the occupation he actively pursued at ISU for 35 years. He maintains an active research agenda, regular office hours in his Felmley attic office, and a regimented schedule that includes time for a daily swim in McCormick Pool. Oh, and let’s not forget that while some take solace from the “meeting-less” nature of retirement, Dr. Brown is willing to tolerate the occasional meeting in the name of continued service to the University he says provided him with such a rewarding career and life.

The editorial board of Renaissance Retirees asked Dr. Lee to submit an article about her activities post-retirement. Since retiring, Dr. Lee has published several novels and has endowed a scholarship for non-tradition graduate students at ISU.

Retirement is a great gift. I have not ceased to be grateful for it and I hope (and question whether) future generations will be able to experience it. I have been retired since 1991, although I returned briefly to serve as Acting Chairperson during the 1992-93 year.

By William Morgan, Emeritus Professor of English

WM: Jo, you’re now the University Archivist. Can you tell us something about the position? I don’t even know, for example, where your office is.

JR: The University Archives office is in Room 7 in Williams Hall. In the basement of the old library – wouldn’t you know?

WM: A suitably archival location, I agree. And your position is part-time, I believe?

JR: Yes, I do have a half-time job. Actually I work about 30-35 hours most weeks. That's half of what I worked as a faculty member--so isn't that half-time? I am asking folks to call ahead and make appointments to visit the Archives. Life is pretty hectic just now as we prepare for the sesquicentennial.

WM: What are some of the interesting inquiries you’ve fielded?

Laura Berk, Psychology Emerita, was appointed to the National Board of Directors of Jumpstart, a nonprofit foundation that provides early childhood education intervention to poverty-stricken preschoolers; delivered a guest lecture at the University of Madrid, Department of Psychology, Symposium on Vygotsky and the Significance of Private Speech; and published the fifth edition of Infants, Children, and Adolescents and Infants and Children and Awakening Children’s Minds: How Parents and Teachers Can Make a Difference, in paperback by Oxford University Press.

Over 20 retired professors, from disciplines spanning the College, currently serve on the College's new Emeritus Faculty Advisory Board. "The College has a proud history, and the link between the proud past, bright present, and promising future is our emeritus faculty," said Dean Olson. The Board provides the Dean with input on current College initiatives; assists with the writing of the College's emeritus faculty newsletter; helps to narrate the institutional history of the University—particularly the College; and assists in the development of new initiatives for enhancing the retirement experiences of all emeriti faculty. Board members were chosen based on their demonstration of continued commitment to scholarship, teaching, and/or University or community service.