Contact:
Elizabeth Blevins, Director, Office of Communications
Office: (740) 351-3810; FAX: (740) 351-3179; Cell: (740) 464-4854
940 Second Street – Portsmouth, Ohio 45662
E-mail: eblevins@shawnee.edu 
Web site: www.shawnee.edu

                         
 

              Ohio Magazine created “Excellence in Education” for Ohio colleges and universities in 2003 to recognize outstanding educators. This year, three professors at Shawnee State University will be recognized in the December 2009 issue — Drs. Janna Gallaher, Kurt Shoemaker and Chris Kacir.
            “The number one reason that students say they choose SSU is the personalized attention they receive from faculty,” Dr. Rita Rice Morris, SSU President, said. “Our professors are experts in their fields and they find innovative ways to share their knowledge with students to motivate them in and out of the classroom. The three professors chosen exemplify the level of teaching excellence at Shawnee State University. They make us all proud.”
              Dr. Janna Gallaher, professor in computer engineering technology, has been a practicing electrical engineer for 40 years. She has used her industrial and commercial experience to help shape the focus for the computer engineering technology program at SSU.
              “Janna is innovative, developing a distance learning system integrating educational and computer technology with the Internet that enables high school students to study engineering technology at their home schools,” said Carl Hilgarth, professor and chair, Department of Engineering Technologies.
              Gallaher’s industrial background has also helped her to be instrumental in mentoring students in the program’s capstone projects course which is intended to prepare the students for real-world project development and management.
              Dr. Kurt Shoemaker, assistant professor of Geology, helps students perform field-based studies near campus. Advanced students complement laboratory studies with extended field trips. He believes that the classroom study is only half of the education.
              “Kurt is an exceptionally talented instructor,” said Dr. Jeffrey Bauer, professor of natural sciences and interim associate provost. “He provides his students with a relaxing learning environment that brings out their very best. He is one of the university’s driving forces in bringing scholarly presentations to campus.”
              Professionally, Shoemaker has conducted research on volcanic and tectonic developments in the northwestern United States. He is active in the Geological Society of America and chaired sessions in both sectional and national meetings.
              Dr. Christopher Kacir, associate professor of psychology, developed partnerships with SSU’s Master of Occupational Therapy program and Ohio University’s Department of Social Work which increased the opportunities available for local students to attend graduate school. He teaches several popular courses including counseling, abnormal psychology and evolutionary psychology.
              “Chris has improved the curriculum of SSU’s psychology majors resulting in a rigorous program with increased student research and internships,” said Dr. Timothy Scheurer, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “He is a committed scholar and has provided invaluable service to his department and as chair of the university’s Education Policies and Curriculum Committee.”
              Kacir was nominated by a colleague and received the annual College of Arts and Sciences Excellence in Teaching award at SSU in 2009.