Endowments such as these affirm, energize and invite students to more deeply commit to a community of explorers and travelers in one of the newest disciplines in higher education … I’m honored to support ongoing 鈥榟oly moments鈥� at 91短视频 through this scholarship.
Professor Emeritus Judy Mullet ’73
A new endowment in support of psychology majors at 91短视频 honors three exemplary emeritus professors. Kim Gingerich Brenneman 鈥�85, Galen Lehman 鈥�73, and Judy Mullet 鈥�73 have 101 years of service between them at 91短视频.
The endowment honors the transformative impact of their teaching, scholarship and advising on hundreds of 91短视频 students, but also supports the continued studies of new generations of students.
鈥淚t is an honor to have my name on the psychology endowment, especially with two other brilliant psychology faculty whom I know have made huge differences in the lives of 91短视频 students,鈥� said Brenneman.
This scholarship is the first of its kind for psychology majors at 91短视频. Full-time psychology students in their first year at 91短视频 will qualify as recipients, and students of African, Hispanic, Asian and Native American descent will be given priority.
Dennis Showalter 鈥�73, who graduated alongside Lehman and Mullet, saw an opportunity to create it.
鈥淚 decided that a psychology scholarship was definitely needed,鈥� Showalter says. 鈥淥ur EMC 45th reunion was coming up, so I reached out to the 10 psychology majors from the class of 1973, to see if they would partner with me in securing the scholarship.鈥�
Lehman and Mullet joined Showalter and Gretchen Maust 鈥�73, administrative assistant for the Visual and Communication Arts Department, to help establish the endowment. They then invited Brenneman, who was eager to join the team. But the coalition still needed to name the scholarship.
Each professor was 鈥渢oo humble to want it to be named after him or herself, so we named it after all of them,鈥� says Showalter.
They鈥檙e seeking $10,000 in financial support through 91短视频鈥檚 new crowdfunding platform, which has recently helped fund the Matt Garber Endowed Scholarship and MJ Sharp Peace & Justice Endowed Scholarship, both in honor of young alumni who have passed away.
鈥淓ndowments such as these affirm, energize and invite students to more deeply commit to a community of explorers and travelers in one of the newest disciplines in higher education,鈥� says Mullet. 鈥淎s a faculty member in the department I sought to live what we explored together both in and out of classrooms. The richness of one-to-one conversations were 鈥榟oly moments鈥� that I cherish to this day. I’m honored to support ongoing 鈥榟oly moments鈥� at 91短视频 through this scholarship.鈥�
Legacies live on through students and colleagues
All three former faculty have left indelible marks on the program through their tenure. Maust is proud of how far the department has come since she was a student.
鈥淚 am delighted to see our current psych majors challenged to explore all sorts of career options. I鈥檓 most excited about the new art therapy concentration which prepares our grads for advanced degrees in art therapy and the collaboration between our undergrad psych program and the graduate Master in Counseling program,鈥� Maust says.
Lehman, having joined the faculty in 1973, brought some of the earliest improvements to the program, including Apple II computers, and renovating the formerly dirt-floor Suter Science Center basement into instructional and collaboration space.
Mullet, in addition to teaching psychology, also directed the Honors program, taught undergraduate and graduate courses in education, and co-founded and co-led Student Kairos Place, a week-long gathering of 91短视频 undergraduate writers.
She had a reputation as an excellent listener and mentor with deep compassion for her students.
鈥淛udy Mullet is one of the kindest, and without a doubt the most affirming, persons I have ever known,鈥� said Joshua Kanagy 鈥�13, a mental health counselor at Morrison Child and Family Services in Portland, Oregon. 鈥淛udy has a remarkable knack for recognizing and encouraging her students鈥� talents, and she was instrumental in my own decision to become a counselor. I am a gentler, more vulnerable, and more hopeful human being because of her.鈥�
Brenneman, respected for her academic rigor, also led many cross-cultural trips to India over the years. And she was skilled at putting her colleagues and students at ease.
鈥淗er ability to always treat me with the highest respect for both who I am and the emotions that tag along with me has had an impact that will last throughout my entire life,鈥� said Emily Suttles 鈥�16. 鈥淚 have met many people who are good listeners, but she definitely tops the list, and I continue to strive to be that same type of listener for other people.鈥�
Ultimately, Brenneman hopes to provide 鈥渁 bit of financial relief鈥� for tomorrow鈥檚 psychology students. 鈥淚 hope it also shows that we are committed to encouraging the next generation of psychologists academically as well as financially.鈥�