Every ten years since the 1920s, Montreat College’s office of alumni relations coordinates with our graduates to select a professor of the decade from a group of esteemed faculty members who have served full-time for at least the preceding decade. Based on those votes, this prestigious award is presented to one professor who has made a significant impact on their students and colleagues. For 2010-2020, the recipient of this honor is Dr. Dottie Shuman.
Dr. Shuman has been a long-time favorite at Montreat College since 1996. Her presence on campus has been felt both through the course of tradition and new discovery. She has led Discovery trips on several occasions and co-led graduate-level field courses to Alaska, Hawaii, and California. She has pursued grant funding to start several summer programs at Montreat College, including CLIMBE (Center for Learning and Investigation in Mountain Backcountry Ecosystems) and MYLES of Science, both of which are backcountry science programs. Dr. Shuman once worked as a ranger in both Denali National Park and the Tongass National Forest.
President Paul J. Maurer says of Dr. Shuman, “This is a very significant award, given in recognition not only of longevity, but also excellence in teaching. Students know a great teacher when they have one, and Dottie has served our students extremely well during her distinguished career. I am immensely grateful for the many ways Dottie has taught and cared for Montreat’s students over these many years. She is passionate, creative, and has clearly made a direct impact on many. We are much better for having her on our team.”
Dr. Shuman has a B.S. in recreation with nature interpretation from Cortland State University, an M.S. in environmental education from Penn State University, and a Ph.D. in environmental education from the University of Idaho. Dr. Shuman has been published on multiple occasions, speaks regularly on incorporating hands-on activities into environmental education and wilderness programs, and successfully secured grant funding for environmental science programs targeted at middle and high school students.
Dr. Shuman’s name will be added to a professor of the decade plaque located near Gaither Fellowship Hall alongside her distinguished predecessors: Margaret Wade, Elizabeth S. Hoyt, Rachel Henderlite, Mary Ruth Cooper, Mary Elizabeth Wilson, Zoulean Anderson, Howard A. Kester, Charles M. Massey, III, Don W. King, David L. Parks, Bonnie J. Lundblad, and Richard Bradley Daniel.