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Myles Brand
President of Indiana University
Who among us has not been forever changed by a teacher? Who among us does not remember the sudden flash of understanding brought about by the lucid explanation of a topic that had remained stubbornly out of reach? Or the mounting excitement in a class taught by a dedicated scholar who, week after week, was able to share not only his or her discoveries, but the thrill of the hunt. At the end, we realized that we had conquered not only the subject at hand, but had learned something about ourselves as well.
We never forget such teachers. We carry their lessons in our hearts and in our heads and if you're like me, you may wish that you had paused to thank the teacher who changed your life forever.
Next weekend we will all have the opportunity to say thank you. For March 1 is Founders Day, when we salute the faculty members who will receive awards for distinguished teaching, research and service and, in so doing, carry on the highest traditions of Indiana University.
Four faculty members will be named 1997 Distinguished Professors -- the most prestigious academic appointment IU can offer -- honoring their outstanding research, scholarship, artistry or literary distinction. We will also pay tribute to faculty members university-wide and associate instructors at IUB with awards for distinguished teaching.
When I think about the challenges and the rewards of teaching, I am reminded of something that IU's own Jennifer Liu once said. Liu, a professor in the IUB Department of East Asian Languages and Culture, had been asked by workshop participants how a group of students had attained their astonishing level of proficiency in a language class. "They asked," she said, "what 'tricks' we had and what textbooks we used. My immediate response was: The great books will provide knowledge, but it is the great teachers who inspire students and motivate them to reach the realm of excellence."
I am delighted to salute this year's honorees. Without each and every one of IU's great teachers, we could not have put student learning and intellectual exploration at the center of the university's mission. It is they who are touching the lives of IU students today and they who will leave a lasting impression. For as Henry Adams pointed out in his autobiography, The Education of Henry Adams, "A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops."
What's on your mind? E-mail President Brand at pres@indiana.edu