Janet Warman, professor of English and education, was presented with the 2003-04 Daniels-Danieley Award for Excellence in Teaching at Elon’s annual Faculty-Staff Awards Luncheon on May 12. Clyde Ellis, associate professor of history, was the recipient of the Distinguished Scholar Award, while Rex Waters, assistant dean of students, received the Periclean Award for Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility.
Warman’s ability and creativity in the classroom bring the subject matter to life and put students at ease, says a colleague. “Her teaching evaluation numbers are always high, but what I hear from students convinces me of her talent. Particularly, I hear statements such as, ‘Dr. Warman made us look at this piece of literature or teaching technique in a totally new way.’ Or, ‘She has given me some really practical tools to use and I’m much more confident about my ability to handle a high school classroom.’”
Warman has also taught interdisciplinary courses, literature courses focused on women’s and gender studies, a variety of writing courses and led study abroad courses in London and Ireland. A colleague writes, “Her evaluations and high standards in these courses make her more than a worthy recipient of this highest testament to teaching.”
A tireless advocate for students planning teaching careers, Warman served as associate director of Elon’s N.C. Teaching Fellows program from 1996-1999 and as director from 1999-2002. She has also served on countless university committees, including the SACS Focus Committee on the Centrality of the Liberal Arts, Promotions and Tenure Committee and Academic Council.
Warman is an accomplished poet whose work has appeared in publications such as Cold Mountain Review, The Sandhills Review and Piedmont Literary Review.
Warman is the 32nd winner of the Daniels-Danieley Award, established by President Emeritus J. Earl Danieley and his wife, Verona Daniels Danieley, in honor of their parents.
Ellis is renowned for his scholarship in the area of Native American studies. He has published three books on the topic, including “To Change Them Forever: Indian Education at the Rainy Mountain Boarding School, 1893-1920,” which won the 1997 Gustavus Myers Award as the outstanding work on intolerance in North America.
His second book, “The Jesus Road: Kiowas, Christianity, and Indian Hymns,” was nominated for two national prizes and named to Choice magazine’s list of the most significant university press titles published in 2001-02. His latest book, “A Dancing People: Powwow Culture on the Southern Plains,” has been praised by one peer as “a landmark synthesis and defining moment in the modern era of Plains Indian studies.”
Ellis is a frequent contributor to scholarly journals, anthologies and magazines. He has published 20 essays and 48 book reviews, many in the top peer-reviewed university presses specializing in American Indian studies. Currently, he is working on two new books and is senior editor for a forthcoming anthology.
Ellis is the fifth recipient of the Distinguished Scholar Award, established in 2000 to recognize a faculty member whose research has earned peer commendation and respect while making a significant contribution to his or her field of study.
Waters actively seeks opportunities to combine his work at Elon with service in the local community. Last year, aided by a grant from Project Pericles, Waters organized a summer institute for students at Turrentine Middle School in Burlington. Under his leadership, a group of Elon students worked with 13 Turrentine students, stressing the importance of character, integrity and community service.
Active for many years in the Boy Scouts, Waters is assistant scoutmaster for a troop of more than 40 scouts. He was chosen by district scout leaders to train and lead a group of young men to a scout reservation in 2003.
For more than 10 years, Waters has served as a youth basketball and soccer coach in local recreation and church leagues, demonstrating the values of teamwork and commitment to children. He and his wife, Cynthia, are co-presidents of the Williams High School PTA. They are also active members of Front Street United Methodist Church in Burlington.
Waters fulfills several leadership roles on campus. He mentors students through his involvement in new student orientation, the Student Communications Media Board, Omicron Delta Kappa and Kappa Sigma fraternity.
The Periclean Award is presented each year to a member of Elon’s faculty or staff whose service to the broader community exemplifies the ideals of Project Pericles. Elon is one of 10 colleges and universities nationwide to join Project Pericles, an initiative sponsored by the Eugene Lang Foundation, which challenges institutions to provide a learning experience that will “instill in students an abiding and active sense of social responsibility and civic concern.”
-30-