Faculty, staff news
Dr. Patricia Bennett retired as a professor and director of the School of Nursing.
The nursing program began at AU in 1972 with a two-year program. In 1974, Bennett joined the department. In 1982 she became the chair of the then Nursing Department as the university developed a four-year nursing degree. Not only did the program change, so did the location—from Decker Hall to Byers Hall and finally to Hartung Hall. Bennett remembers the space constraints of their early Decker facilities—students conducted labs in the department’s reception area. In Hartung Hall, the program has its own simulated hospital unit and computer lab.
Bennett was honored by the Anderson, Ind., YWCA on May 11 with the Mattie B. Fry Award, recognizing excellence in the field of education.
Elsie Cottingham will be leaving AU exactly 40 years from her first day of work on campus. On Aug. 31, 1960, Cottingham came to AU for a job interview and was immediately put to work typing catalog cards. Her last day will also be Aug. 31.
She earned her undergraduate de-gree in business education and later earned her master’s degree in library science from Ball State University and was promoted to professor of library science at AU.
While at AU, Cottingham was involved in the ambitious projects of integrating the School of Theology library with the undergraduate library and reclassifying the library’s holdings from the Dewey decimal to the Library of Congress system.
“I’ve been very blessed to be able to stay here and do what I’ve enjoyed doing,” says Cottingham. “I’ve loved books all my life and working with them has been an added pleasure.”
Tim Johnson has been named associate dean of students.
Johnson, a 1991 graduate of AU, has been a staff member in the Department of Student Life for seven years. Before accepting his new position, he was the resident director of South Campus and Tara East apartments and the coordinator for on-campus housing. His new responsibilities will include serving as the primary judicial affairs officer and providing leadership for the Christian Leadership, Understanding and Exploration (CLUE) program.
Johnson earned his master’s degree in student personnel administration in May from Ball State University.
Dr. Onkar Phalora retired after 32 years of teaching biology. He was hired as an assistant professor in 1968 and was promoted to professor by 1973.
Before coming to AU, he earned doctorates in veterinary medicine from Punjab University in India and in genetics from Montana State University. He completed post-doctorate work at the University of Kansas. His specialty was genetics/physiology.
At the age of 93, Dr. Hillery Rice retired as the director of scholarship development.
Rice graduated from AU in 1942. He was believed to have been the oldest college fund-raiser in the nation. The university honored Rice in January. During the evening, Indiana State Sen. Tim Lanane presented Rice with the Sagamore of the Wabash award, the state’s highest honor bestowed upon a citizen.
Dr. Lawrence Shaffer retired from the Physics Department. He had been a professor and chair of the department since September 1970.
Shaffer is also an accomplished research scientist, having spent his summers and sabbaticals working for Brookhaven National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, serving as a guest scientist in a laboratory in Julich, Germany, and conducting research for NASA. Shaffer admits there were times when he considered leaving his teaching position to be a full-time research scientist. “But then I’d remember all of the new students and new ideas,” says Shaffer. “I didn’t want to give that up.” So he stayed at AU for 30 years.
Shaffer and his wife hope to become involved in short-term missionary work, but “next year is already too busy,” says Shaffer. He has attended several conferences on science and faith, including one in Oxford, England. This fall, he’ll teach a class on science and faith at the Emmanuel School of Religion in Johnson City, Tenn. He will lead a similar weekly course for a Johnson City church.
Dr. Richard Young, professor of physical education and tennis coach, retired after 38 years at AU.
Young came to the university from Wichita, Kan., where he taught high school math and coached tennis and football. When Young was asked to come to AU, he remembers, “I was very active in the [Church of God], and I felt like this was where the Lord wanted me.”
In 1962, the university had four full-time professors in the Physical Education Department, which has since grown to 10 full-time professors. Before becoming the tennis coach, he coached the football team for several years and started a wrestling program in the 1960s. He also served as intramural director, athletic director and department chair.
“In the 30 years I’ve been here, there have been very few days I didn’t want to come to work,” says Young. “I enjoyed coming to work because I had great people to work with.” And, he adds, “The students are great.”
