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University Daily Kansan, October 24, 1984
Six finalists remain in HOPE competition
Richard Branham
Richard Branham, professor of design, always has considered him self a rebel. A young boy leading in the Daumer painting is in his hero
've always thought of myself as the angry young man," said Branham, a HOPE award finalist. "When I was a freshman at KU, I refused to capitalize any letters in my English classes."
He laughed and shook his head slowly. "I was always charging ahead like the boy in the painting."
Branham charged out of the University of Kansas into the Illinois Institute of Technology. He worked for a Chicago international consulting firm and a few years later, started his own consulting firm.
Even when he was working for the consulting firm, Branham thought of himself as a teacher.
"I found myself educating clients in design, so in that sense, I've always been a teacher," Branham said.
Gerhard Zuther
Branham decided to teach professionally when he realized he wanted a change from his fast-paced life.
style, he said. The cooperation between departments at KU lured Branham back to Lawrence.
"I had lectured at 30 to 40 universities," he said. "I like what goes on with the different developments in the very important and very valuable."
Branham, who teaches computer design courses, said he never had thought about the HOPE award while he was working at IBM, but that he would like to receive it.
"Is the one I'd most like,"
Branham said. "But when you do a good job, that's the personal satisfaction."
Branham said students listened to him because he knew about the newest concepts in design.
"I think in my field, I represent the future in what's on going." Branham said. "So, students pay a lot more attention to me."
He has always taught classes even though he spent his first six years at KU as the chairman of the design department.
"I taught so much because I like to," he said. "I always want to spend more time with students."
Gerhard Zuther, professor of English, planned to stay in the United States for only a year when he arrived from Germany in 1946. He wanted to learn to speak English.
But his scholarship at DePawu University in Greencastle, Ind, was renewed several times, and Zuther staved.
"I gave 154 speeches that year," he said.
"I was the typical American success story," Zuther said with only a trace of his German accent. "I was a dishwasher and a wafer. They also met me at an airport. I was a relief of the churches in Germany or the German recovery
In 1987, after he received his master's degree from Indiana University in Bloomington, Zuther said he had two job offers to teach English — at the University of Kansas and the University of Miami in Ohio.
"I called KU and accepted the job. An hour later, Ohio called and offered me more money," Zuther said, smiling. "But I felt I had to honor my contract and it was for the best. I am very happy here."
Don W. Green
Zuther has honored that contract for 26 years, serving as department chairman for 21 years.
Zuther returned to Germany for a year in 1964 when he was given a post-doctorate award. He said he was able to see his brother who had been in a Russian prison camp when Zuther left for the United States.
Zuther said a sense of humor helped students learn.
Developing the mind and not just memorizing facts is also part of learning.
"Points that are underscored by a joke or a funny anecdote stick better in a student's mind." Zuther said. "My methods must appeal to students. I always try to find out what they understand and don't understand. Then I adjust or fine tune my speed."
"It's important to develop your equipment — your mind," Zuther said with his hand tapping his forehead, "and not load information on a computer. By example and exercise, we must bring students to the conviction that they can tackle learning."
Don W. Green enjoys the personal freedom that goes with being a university professor involved with research.
"I spend a lot of time at this job."
Green said, "But there still a significant amount of freedom to things like your research projects."
Green now is involved in a project to increase the efficiency of retrieving oil from underground.
Although Green is involved in research, teaching always has been a top priority for him. He said the HOPE award was an excellent idea because it recognized good teachers.
"There's a lot of emphasis on research," Green said.
Researchers tend to get most of the awards, he said. "There just aren't all that many awards for teaching as the primary reason The HOPE teachers that have a concern for students and the people they work with."
Green said he was most proud of being named to the Conger-Gabel distinguished professorship two years ago.
"In a major way, this award was based on teaching," Green said. "And I enjoy teaching as it a great way to learn about something."
Teaching is especially rewarding to Green when he sees students grasp learning.
"Seeing people responding, sensing that they are learning is satisfying," Green said. "One thing I've noticed is when students graduate from high school for KU. They're glad that they came. That's very rewarding feeling."
Green received a degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Tulsa and a degree in chemical engineering from Oklahoma University. He spent three years in the oil industry before coming to KU.
"I liked the university atmosphere when I was doing graduate work." Green said.
Green liked the fact that KU had a department of petroleum and chemical engineering.
"I especially like the department at KU because it combines both of my degrees," Green said.
Mike Kautsch
"The highlight of my career was when the first students I had taught finished school, got jobs and told me they appreciated my efforts to educate them. Kautschi once said, 'I became a teacher as a because and decided to remain at the University rather than go back to work as a journalist."
Mike Kautsch, assistant professor of journalism, arrived at KU in 1979 as a visiting lecturer. He was then a journalist at the Atlanta Journal in Georgia. While a visiting lecturer, he met the president of professional-in-residence. He decided to stay at KU partly because of his students' appreciation.
"The award reminds us of the reason for us all to be together, which is for students to learn and teachers to teach," he said. "It's easy to lose sight of that - students work part time, and teachers have scholarly research.
The HOPE award is an important reminder to everyone of why the University staff is here. Kautsch said.
"A teacher should be accessible, someone who they can talk with and help find answers." He paused for a moment, his hands clasped. "I try to do that."
"Students should be committed to making learning fun," Kautsch said. "Students have to enjoy information and new ideas. The teachers have an obligation to help students learn and discover."
But students must help in the learning process, he said.
Linda McClain
Kautsch said he liked seeing students become interested in new subjects.
"Teaching helps the teacher as a student. A student's reaction is often surprising. Maybe they have a better idea than you did," he said.
Students' optimism and idealism infects teachers, Kautsch said.
"I enjoy seeing an awakening of a whole class that suddenly finds something interesting," he said. "They'll care enough that they'll become passionate. There's nothing more fun."
A plaque on her wall reads "Teacher, student, mother, home-maker, runner, healthtut."
Linda McClain, instructor in occupational therapy, said the plaque was one of the biggest compliments she ever had received.
Although this is her third year at the University of Kansas, McClain, a past president of the Kansas Occupational Therapy Association, has been an occupational therapist, off and on, for 10 years.
"It was a superwoman award the seniors gave me last year with a Superman T-shirt," McClain said.
"It's one of the nice chances for students to recognize teachers," she said.
McClain, a HOPE award candidate, said being nominated for the award was a humbling experience.
"I was doing clinical teaching in the KU occupational therapy program," she said. "So I was teaching them and they although they were out of field work."
McClain said she tried to get students actively involved in learning.
"I really try to make contact," she said, her hands emphasizing her words. "I try to get active participants. The only way I know to gauge if they're understanding is feedback."
McClain, currently the Kansas representative to a national occupational therapy association, said she wanted her students to be good at solving problems and asking questions.
"We are essentially professional problem-solvers," she said. "They use information to solve problems on their feet. I also want students to learn how to ask for helpers. You can't get the right answer if you don't ask the right question."
McClain said she tried to teach like her role model, Gordon Alley, a former KU professor.
"He was especially devoted to teaching what he knew, but also motivating students not to be satisfied with even that," she said. "He made you think whether you wanted or not. I want to be that kind of teacher."
Frank Pinet
"I had to lie down in a cave to get this one," Pinet said, pointing to a picture of the Pacific Ocean rolling over a rocky shoreline.
Photographs of the Oregon coast cover one wall of Frank Pinet's office.
Pinet, an avid photographer, took the pictures while visiting his beach house at Cannon Beach, Ore.
Teaching is also on Pinet's list of favorite things to do. Pinet, distinguished professor of business, said the HOPE award was important so students would think about the quality of teaching at KU.
"My wife and I love to take long walks at the beach," he said, gazing at the pictures.
"For a long time, though not at the present, good teachers were put in a secondary place." Pinet said. "In the '60s, emphasis was put on research."
Pinet, a KU graduate, said he didn't know he would be a teacher. After he received a doctorate from Harvard University in Cambridge, he served as chaplain by Chancellor Deneal Malto in 1963 to teach returning war veterans.
"He said, 'Who knows? You might like it,' " Pinet said. "I did."
He and his wife, Winnie, packed up their five children and spent a year in Europe when he was selected to teach there. As a result, Pinet said, he and his family used Portuguese, and he can read and write French and German.
Pinet said that because he gave seminars to businessmen and women he could make students aware of the business world.
"I have one foot planted on the hill and one foot planted in the real world," Pineau said. "I can talk about things happen right now."
Pinet said he didn't believe in lecturing at students, rather, he preferred involving them.
Pinet said he saw students growing more articulate, inquisitive and involved as his challenge. He said he should be excited to be excited about what they do.
"The world is their oyster." Pime said. "There are so many ways they can make contributions, I don't care what they do, just that they do."
Profiles by Chrissy Cleary/Photos by Chris Magerl
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