Wabash College President Gregory D. Hess and Dean of the College Scott E. Feller announced the promotion and tenure of six faculty members:
Associate Professor of English Crystal Benedicks
Professor Benedicks and her students in the grant-writing class have been an amazing asset to the women at Half Way Home, Inc. At Wabash I’m told she teaches a course called Writing with Power and Grace, but she also has come in on her own time to Halfway Home to teach courses on journaling, a chance for our women to explore the power of writing on a personal level.
Sarah Houston Dicks, founder, Half Way Home, Inc., sober living program for women
Crystal is admired by students as a caring teacher deeply committed to student success. Faculty are impressed with the way she seamlessly integrates her work as a teacher, scholar, and colleague around the important work of writing.
Dean of the College Scott Feller
Associate Professor of Rhetoric Jeff Drury
Professor Drury is the reason I became a rhetoric major. When I was a confused and undecided freshman, he convinced me of the importance and application of rhetoric in everyday life. He rewards hard work, grades in depth, and gives valuable feedback to help me become a better speaker, debater, or presenter.
Brock Heffron ’20
Jeff is praised by students for setting high standards in the classroom and he sets high standards for himself in his scholarship and service. He teaches students extensively outside the traditional classroom, for example in his work with the Parliamentary Union, his collaborative research with students, and his effective Chapel talk.
Dean of the College Scott Feller
Associate Professor of Rhetoric Sara Drury
Director, Wabash Democracy and Public Discourse
Sara’s excellence is recognized across the Wabash campus and far beyond. She has established a national reputation as an innovator in developing effective methods for civic discourse, a project that is centered on Wabash students and has benefitted our campus and our community as well as groups around the country.
Dean of the College Scott Feller
Excited and happy to teach, she is one of the professors here who most helped me understand what it means to be a critical thinker. She taught me not only events and concepts, but also why something that happened 50 to 100 years ago has a lasting impact for today’s world. She gets to know how a student learns so she can better teach them in that particular way.
Jordan Smith ’17
Associate Professor of English Jill Lamberton
Professor Lamberton’s teaching and mentoring style consists of compassion, sincerity, and honesty. She helped instill in me an undeniable work ethic and the ability to genuinely speak my truth. / She holds you accountable, expects you to bring all that you have to the table, and sometimes she sees what you have more than you do. She taught me that learning is about community, and went out of her way to show me how the Wabash community works.
Arion Clanton ’15/Abram Morris ’15
Jill embodies the term student-centered and thus serves as a role model for our entire campus. A naturally gifted teacher, she continues to innovate in the classroom and in her scholarship. She has the complete trust of both her students and her colleagues.
Dean of the College Scott Feller
Associate Professor of Mathematics
and Computer Science Colin McKinney
He seems to understand the learning process from the student’s perspective, always willing to explain difficult concepts simply. Thanks to his passion for and knowledge of robotics, I am now looking forward to a career in that field. He’s not only our professor, but also a friend.
Tu Nguyen ’17
He models for students and colleagues a commitment to the ideals of liberal arts education that few can match. His intellectual curiosity shows in everything from robotics to his research into ancient mathematics.
Dean of the College Scott Feller
Associate Professor of Chemistry Laura Wysocki
In my time at Wabash she had a profound influence in many students’ lives. She helped my lab partner discover his vocation, was there for many of my friends through family and personal issues, and seldom missed a sporting event. She’s a selfless professor, giving much of her life to helping students find their way and reach their potential. Her approach is to educate young men in life, not just organic chemistry.
Weston Kitley ’13
She is admired by both students and faculty for the rigor and care that characterize her as a teacher and mentor. Beyond Hays Hall she is recognized as one of the most engaged members of our College community, supporting students in every aspect of their Wabash experience.
Dean of the College Scott Feller
