Associate professor of civil and environmental engineering
"I cannot excel at what I do without an environment that is conducive for that to happen," said Foley. "My colleagues in the department and the college are a fantastic group of people and friends. They make my job not feel like a job."
Striving to instill in his students that learning is a lifelong endeavor, one of Foley's teaching priorities is to illustrate the direct connection between scholarly research in structural design/engineering and the classroom, as well as use modern technology to deliver information or to extend the boundaries of information delivery.
"I look at my courses as opportunities for students to try and learn new subjects," he said. "I enjoy watching my students take those opportunities, learn from them and grow."
Associate professor of theology
Like Foley, Massingale also acknowledges his fellow faculty in helping him excel as a teacher. "I am blessed with colleagues who take faith and intelligence seriously," he said. "I love being a part of an institution that strives to make cura personalis 鈥� especially care for the students 鈥� not merely a motto, but a living ideal."
Massingale especially wants his students to leave his courses challenged, unsettled, stimulated, inspired and grateful for the opportunity to think deeply about the world.
"I delight when a student asks me a question that has never occurred to me before, requiring me to think on my feet," said Massingale. "I enjoy the give and take as students, and I wrestle over the implications of a text or the demands of discipleship."
Clinical associate professor of nursing
Shaw shares similar sentiments. "Every day students pose questions that I had never considered before, and I get excited about helping them find the answer," she said. "And I get to learn something new also. Teaching is like a fountain of youth for the brain."
One of her practical priorities is for her students to master the content and synthesize the nursing concepts they learn into a whole that they can apply in patient care. She credits others in her college for sharing that desire. "I am very grateful to my colleagues and friends in the College of Nursing," she said. "It is an overwhelming feeling to be recognized for doing something that you love to do."
