Colby-Sawyer College will celebrate its 2014 Commencement on Saturday, May 10, graduating 219 students and recognizing them and other individuals for academic excellence, outstanding contributions to society, and service to the college and community. The ceremony will be held at 10:30 AM on the college’s front lawn.
Colby-Sawyer will recognize several members of the college and greater community for outstanding contributions to the life of Colby-Sawyer and its students. Among those recognized will be Harvey Pine of Andover.
Assistant Professor of Environmental Sciences Harvey J. Pine, Ph.D, will receive the Jack Jensen Award for Excellence in Teaching, the college’s highest faculty award, and deliver the Commencement Address. Professor Pine joined the college in 2008 and teaches courses in climate change and geology. Animated, enthusiastic, and committed to student learning, he is known for his wealth of knowledge, high expectations, and the passion that he shows in his teaching. Professor Pine earned a BS at Muhlenberg College and an MS and Ph.D at Auburn University.
Anurup Upadhyay, Colby-Sawyer ’15, interviewed Professor Harvey Pine for the Beacon.
Q: How have you received this wonderful news? How do you feel? How does your family feel?
A: I was called to the Dean’s Office for what I thought was a meeting concerning assessment. I thought I was in some sort of trouble, but they let me off the hook quickly and announced that I received the honor of the Jack Jensen Award. It is the highest honor I have ever received, and being honored for something you work so hard at is truly moving. At the same time, it is kind of hard to accept that you are getting an award for doing your job. My family is proud, and to be honest, they deserve this award equally as much as I do.
Q: What has been your best experience in the classroom at Colby-Sawyer?
A: Hard to say. Some of my best labs or lectures (in my opinion) fall flat, and even what I consider fun can be abhorred by students. The reward is really from tapping into students’ curiosity and using this to push them to accomplish things they didn’t know they could achieve. I’ve encountered both, making teaching a bumpy ride with many rewards and many flops. My hope is that with experience there will be smoother sailing, with some waves for fun.
Q: What motivates you to teach?
A: Actually, I am a student in many ways; teaching is like being Head Student. It gives me an opportunity to always learn; I couldn’t imagine a better benefit.
Q: What are your plans from here on?
A: Keep improving, start involving myself, and students, in more research.