Grandy Award Goes to Dr. Betsy Gordon

Dr. Betsy Gordon, a long-time professor of speech communication, is the 2013 William Norman Grandy Faculty Award recipient.

“Students say that Dr. Gordon is knowledgeable, fair, and compassionate. They especially appreciate her enthusiasm for teaching,” noted Maria (Stallings) Page ’89, MAED ’06, president of the Alumni Board, which gives the Grandy Award. “One student said, ‘She is an amazing teacher and has made public speaking an unforgettable experience for me. She is one of the most positive teachers I have ever known.’”

Betsy teaches courses in public speaking, persuasion, gender and communication, interpersonal communication, communication theory, and business and professional presentations. She joined the faculty in 1990 and was promoted to professor in 2008. From 2001 until 2009, she served as chair of the Division of Language, Literature, and Communication, now called the Division of Humanities.

For two years she lived among students at the McKendree West apartments, where she introduced a book club, a film series, and an annual Christmas Cookie Day for students. In 1999, she represented McKendree during Technos International Week in Japan. She is a member of Phi Kappa Phi and was the recipient of the United Methodist Exemplary Teacher Award in 1995 and the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award in 2004.