2023-24 Elon faculty retirees recognized

Elon University hosted the Faculty/Staff Awards Luncheon on Tuesday, May 14, in Alumni Gym, which offered an opportunity to recognize faculty and staff for their years of service as well as those who are retiring this year and those who are being honored in areas such as teaching, research, mentorship and civic engagement.

President Connie Ledoux Book honored faculty and staff members who have hit special milestones for their years of service, with a number of current employees hitting the 35-year and 40-year mark this year. Collectively, those honored for these milestones have more than 2,000 years of service to the university, Book noted.

Four retirees — Nim Batchelor, Pranab Das, Mary Knight-McKenna and Gerald Whittington — had colleagues speak on their behalf and offered their own remarks about their time at Elon during the luncheon. The colleagues spoke on pre-recorded video and at the podium on a multitude of topics from influential teaching, intersectionality across disciplines, breaking barriers and laying the groundwork for future success in the classroom.

Elon faculty members retiring this year include:

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Nim Batchelor

Associate Professor of Philosophy

Nim Batchelor began working at Elon in 1990 and retired this May 2024. Batchelor previously served as an associate professor in philosophy and, from 1993 to 2007, served as director of the pre-law program.

Batchelor appreciated opportunities to advise pre-law students and chatting with colleagues. “Some of my favorite memories are all the casual conversations with John Sullivan, Ann Cahill and others in the Philosophy department and engaging with students and the challenge of advancing their learning,” Batchelor said.

After retiring from Elon, Batchelor looks forward to serving in leadership roles in the Alamance Makers Guild and the Piedmont Triad Woodturners Association and continuing to tinker and learn.

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Pranab Das

Professor of Physics

Pranab Das began working at Elon in 1993 and has served in assistant, associate and full professor roles for 11 years, including serving as department chair. Das retired in May 2023.

Das is grateful for the many opportunities Elon and colleagues offered for interdisciplinary work. “I had the good fortune to join a dynamic group of faculty to develop the first freshman core course, to develop advanced core seminars, to develop and lead study abroad and to team teach,” he said.

Das appreciated that deans and departments supported his work off-campus in research and philanthropy in such areas as science and spirituality, the philosophy of science and studies of natural and artificial intelligence.

Das is currently a member of a research team based in the Himalayas studying the application of Buddhist philosophy and spiritual practice to improve artificial intelligence. He is also a member of a global team supported by the National Science Foundation building a network of researchers exploring non-human intelligences (both animal and artificial).

“I hope to continue to support philanthropic and research organizations in these and related areas,” he said.

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Katie King

Associate Professor of Psychology

Katie King was attracted to Elon for their focus on teaching and their proximity to rural areas. She joined as faculty in 1993 and has served in a variety of roles, including assistant and associate professor, chair of the psychology department, associate director of Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning and a co-director of the Master of Education program, which later became the Elon Master of Education in Innovation.

Retiring at the end of May, King cherished the relationships she had with people across Elon. “I learned early on that everyone has an interesting backstory. I also have life-long friendships with students that I appreciate,” she said.

Once retired, King plans to explore the nearby natural environment and also see family members living on the West Coast. And, she added, “If I get bored, I am sure I will find work that needs doing.”

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Cassie Kircher

Professor of English

Cassie Kircher joined Elon in 1993 as an adjunct professor of English, earned a tenure-track position in 2004 and will retire at the conclusion of the spring 2024 semester. While serving as a faculty member at Elon, she chaired Academic Council, chaired the promotions and tenure committee and was a co-chair with Maurice Levesque for the Presidential Task Force on Second Language Learning.

Kircher was co-coordinator of the Carret Essay Contest and chaired numerous departmental committees. She served as mentor to numerous Elon College Fellows and honors students and was professor on-site in London, Florence, Alaska and Hawaii (with Maureen Vandermaas-Peeler). She created a creative writing collaboration between Elon and Alamance-Burlington School System.

Her favorite memory was the support she received once her book was released and she gave a reading at Elon. “I will miss the teaching, which I love; the students who always inspire me; and my colleagues who I admire,” Kircher said.

Once retired, Kircher plans to continue writing and says she can imagine her house becoming a writing retreat. Her husband, who recently retired from Elon’s English Department, devotes time each day to write. Kircher also plans to hike in Sardinia for two weeks with a group of women she met while working in the Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado before attending graduate school.

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Mary Knight-McKenna

Professor of Education and Director of Master of Education

Mary Knight-McKenna moved from Massachusetts to North Carolina in 2005 to teach literary courses and will retire toward the end of May 2024. Knight-McKenna has taught literacy, special education and early childhood courses as an assistant, then associate, and finally as a full professor. For the past six years, she has been the director of the Master of Education Program and is proud that the program has exceeded enrollment goals.

During her time at Elon, Knight-McKenna has enjoyed aiding in the development of teacher candidates and working with colleagues in the Department of Education and Wellness. She regularly taught community-based learning courses centered on early literacy learning in a Title I school. “It was exciting to see teacher candidates and elementary students learn and grow from this experience,” she said.

After retiring from Elon, Knight-McKenna looks forward to a fall trip to Europe and spending a lot of time with her 10 grandchildren.

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Richard Landesberg

Associate Professor of Journalism

Richard Landesberg joined Elon in 2004 because the communications school was on the way up and he wanted to be part of building something important. He has served as assistant professor, associate professor and mentor. Landesberg retires toward the end of May 2024.

“I will miss the students,” Landesberg said. “So many have transitioned from students, to alumni, to friends and family. I took this job to teach a new generation about the best practices in Journalism.” He says that student success brings him the greatest joy possible.

Landesberg plans to pursue off-season travel in retirement.

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Wonhi Synn

Professor of Finance

Wonhi Synn joined Elon in 1988 after a fateful Thanksgiving with his wife’s family on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. “My initial plan was to stay for one or two years so that my young children could spend time with their extended family in the area, but I ended up staying a little longer – it’s been 35 wonderful years,” Synn said.

Synn served as chair for the Department of Business from 1994 to 1997 and was founding chair for the Department of Finance, serving in that role from 2009 to 2019. Synn was the Wesley R. Elingburg Professor from 2017 to 2022. Synn retires in May 2024.

Synn started a student-managed investment fund in 1992 with a portion of the university endowment and mentored business fellows to manage the fund over more than two decades. Synn also reflected fondly on serving as founding chair for the Department of Finance. “Those 10 years as the department grew from 160 to almost 700 majors were among the most challenging, but also the most rewarding and memorable of my time at Elon,” he said. “I truly enjoyed working with my colleagues and students.”

After retiring from Elon, Synn will follow a “meticulously crafted” schedule of travel, golfing and relaxing, followed by full-time grandparenting.

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Terry Tomasek

Associate Professor of Education

Terry Tomasek joined Elon in 2006 after being attracted to the idea of teaching small classes and having opportunities to engage with students. She has served as associate professor in the Department Education and Wellness and as director of the Elon Academy as well as a faculty in residence in the Colonnades Neighborhood. Tomasek will retire in June 2024.

“All of my favorite memories center around my engagement with students,” Tomasek said.  “Whether in the Colonnades T-room, various locations abroad, in and out of the classroom or with Elon Academy scholars, I will cherish times spent with students.” She has enjoyed collaboration with faculty and staff across campus and appreciates how the Elon Academy staff has shaped her life for the better.

After retiring from Elon, Tomasek returns to where her career began 43 years ago – in a middle school classroom teaching science.

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Bud Warner

Associate Professor of Human Service Studies

Bud Warner joined Elon in 2006 to be employed at the same place as his wife and will retire in May 2024. He has served as assistant professor, associate professor, faculty fellow for service-learning, faculty fellow for civic engagement and Periclean Scholars mentor.

“Some of my favorite memories from Elon are taking Periclean Scholars to visit Pine Ridge, South Dakota; working with research students; teaching COR 1100 The Global Experience; and working with my wonderful HSS colleagues,” Warner said.

After retiring from Elon, Warner looks forward to traveling, reading, golfing and just “seeing what happens!”

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Catherine Wasson

Associate Professor of Law

Catherine Wasson joined Elon in 2008 to help establish the legal research and writing curriculum and has enjoyed the opportunity to shape the development of the new law school. Wasson has served as an associate professor since 2008 and as director of Legal Method & Communication from 2008 to 2017. She retires in June 2024.

“I will miss my students: watching them grow, helping them make the transition from student to professional and working with them one-on-one to develop difficult skills,” Wasson said. “I will also miss being a part of the growth of a young law school with a unique mission.  It’s been a challenge, it’s been rewarding, and – for the most part – it’s been fun.”

After retiring from Elon, Wasson looks forward to traveling, rediscovering old hobbies and talents and finding the new and unexpected.

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Gerald Whittington

Senior Vice President Emeritus and Special Assistant to the President

Gerald Whittington concludes 32 years of service to Elon University this year, retiring as senior vice president emeritus and special assistant to the president.

During his extraordinary career, Whittington led Elon’s business, finance and technology operations with strategic vision and dedication. He was one of the chief architects of Elon’s transformation from a regional college to a national university and during his tenure, he helped lead the growth of the institution by establishing a firm financial foundation to build upon. His key leadership during four of Elon’s strategic plans saw the university double its enrollment and quadruple the size of its campus and facilities.

Whittington has been a trusted adviser to three Elon presidents beginning with President Fred Young and served with two provosts. In 2018, Whittington was named the nation’s top business officer by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), the organization’s highest honor, for his contributions to business and financial management in higher education. Along with his work in Elon’s administration, Whittington is an associate professor and has taught courses in Elon’s Master of Arts in Higher Education program as well as in the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business. In 2019, President Connie Ledoux Book announced “Gerald Whittington Day” in recognition of his service to Elon.

“What sets Gerald apart is his rare ability to harmonize financial discipline with creative possibilities,” Book said in May 14 remarks honoring Whittington. “It is an approach that exemplifies his passion for the liberal arts, his insatiable curiosity, his multifaceted talents and his incredible insights.”

Whittington said it has been an honor to serve at Elon and that it’s the people who have made the experience so meaningful and wonderful. “It’s the people who make the institution rise in every single facet of its being,” Whittington said May 14 during the Faculty/Staff Awards Luncheon. “It’s the people who dream, plan and then execute those dreams and plans to become a place where, as [former Elon administrator] Lela Faye Rich said, ‘what’s the best for students?’ is the only litmus test that matters.”