May 7, 2004 :: No. 242
Exemplary Teacher Named Cal State
Fullerton Outstanding Professor
Richard Wiseman’s colleagues in the
Department of Human Communication Studies like to joke that even
if he taught a class entitled “Yellow Pages 101,” it
still would be one of the most popular courses on campus.
Wiseman, professor of human communication studies
and a resident of Yorba Linda, is this year’s recipient of
the Outstanding Professor Award at Cal State Fullerton—the
highest honor awarded to a faculty member.
Wiseman will be recognized at the university’s
May 28 Honors Convocation.
Thursday afternoon, while he was teaching a class
on intercultural communication, Wiseman was surprised when CSUF
President Milton A. Gordon, accompanied by various university administrators,
made a visit.
The group entered Wiseman’s classroom carrying
balloons and a crystal globe. The globe represents Wiseman’s
research in intercultural communication. As the 2003-04 Outstanding
Professor, he will receive a $4,000 cash award from the President’s
Associates and carry the mace to lead the faculty at this month’s
commencement ceremonies.
As is tradition for Cal State Fullerton’s Outstanding
Professor Award recipients, Wiseman will present a public lecture
next spring.
“Dr. Wiseman embodies the finest qualities of
our faculty at Cal State Fullerton and in the California State University
system,” said Gordon, while announcing the honor to Wiseman’s
class.
“Watching Rich teach a class is like watching
Wolfgang Puck in the kitchen or Tiger Woods on the golf course,”
said Robert H. Gass, professor of human communication studies. “‘Take
Wiseman!’ is a familiar refrain that you’ll hear among
students on campus.”
“Teaching is absolutely the best profession
I could dream of,” said Wiseman. “Much of my life revolves
around teaching, and I love it. I love the students, their energy
and willingness to learn. I don’t spoon-feed information to
them. They’re more than willing to accept responsibility for
their learning experience, and that makes my job such fun.”
Another faculty member, Hallie Yopp Slowik, professor
of elementary and bilingual education and recipient of the Outstanding
Professor Award for 2000-01, remembers her own student days at Cal
State Fullerton and the encouragement provided by Wiseman.
“After I received my master’s degree at
Cal State Fullerton and was working toward my doctorate at the University
of California, I needed computer assistance with some statistical
problems,” she recalled. “Rich Wiseman’s name
was mentioned by several faculty members. I contacted him, and he
was most willing to assist me with my analysis. To this day, I vividly
remember his willingness to meet me on a Thanksgiving morning in
the mid ’80s so I could complete one more analysis! I measure
my own support of students against the standard that he set years
ago.”
“After Rich came to campus in 1978, he immersed
himself in campus life,” said John Bedell, chair and professor
of sociology. “Rich is completely dedicated to the campus
and community. We have shared many students and they all, to a one,
see him as vigorous and genuinely interested in their personal and
professional success.”
“I believe that the most important factor in
students’ classroom learning is to involve them in its content,”
Wiseman said. “If students get involved with the material,
then the learning will be long-lasting and have a greater potential
to make a difference in how they apply that knowledge.
“As an instructor, I try to get students involved
through classroom discussions, providing additional readings, supporting
their participation and providing resources that may be helpful
to them.”
That attitude may have something to do with the outstanding
evaluations Wiseman receives from his students. In fact, in teaching
evaluations, his average mean score is 3.85 out of 4. Yet, his teaching
isn’t restricted to the classroom. Students are often lined
up outside his office door, seeking consultation and advice. In
fact, he has the largest number of undergraduate and graduate advisees
in the College of Communications.
In addition, Wiseman publishes, on average, at least
two scholarly and three conference papers each year. Over the past
24 years, he has published nine books and authored 58 journal articles
or book chapters, most of them focused on intercultural communication.
He has been recognized as the third most prolific scholar in the
area of intercultural communication (Myers, 2004), and he is frequently
cited as an expert source in journal articles.
He has served as editor of International and Intercultural Communication
Annual and as guest editor of Intercultural Communication Studies
(Winter 2004).
His record of service extends to professional associations,
the community and the university. Notable among his accomplishments:
he is a founding fellow of the International Academy for Intercultural
Research (1998); he was chosen for Cal State Fullerton's Teacher/Scholar
in Residence Program (2003); and he was recognized for Outstanding
Service to CSUF Students and Student Leadership (1997-98), Outstanding
Service to Cal State Fullerton (1997) and Outstanding Faculty Scholar
(1995). In addition, Wiseman has served as faculty marshal at commencement
for the College of Communications in 1994, ’97, ’98
and 2003.
He also has been awarded more than 25 grants to support
various research projects.
On campus, Wiseman chairs the University Curriculum
Committee and serves on the Institutional Review Board. Over the
course of his campus career, he has served on dozens of committees,
ranging from curriculum to research to academic standards.
He also volunteers for a number of community organizations,
including the Girl Scouts of America, the Boy Scouts of America,
American Youth Soccer Organization and Placentia Cultural Arts Commission.
Wiseman, who earned his doctorate in speech communication
at the University of Minnesota, was recommended to the university
president for this honor by a multidisciplinary committee of faculty
members chaired by Kurt E. Kitselman, chair and professor of human
communication studies.
Media Contacts: |
Richard Wiseman, professor of
human communication
studies, at 657-278-3902 or rwiseman@fullerton.edu
Valerie Orleans, Public Affairs at
657-278-4540 vorleans@fullerton.edu
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