By Alex Van Meir
This week, William Peace University appreciates two wonderful professors that will be leaving at the end of the fall semester. The first is Catherine Banks, who works as an associate professor in the Chemistry department.
Banks has influenced many biology and chemistry students over her career at Peace. She even takes the time to teach a few non-major students topics in an easy format. Banks will be retiring at the end of this fall semester and many of the students and faculty here at Peace will miss her dearly.
The person that appreciates all of Catherine Banks’s hard work within the Chemistry department here at Peace is senior Sydney Melchert. Melchert has grown close with Banks over the past semester through their time spent together during her office hours along with taking her classes for her Biology major requirements.
“She is always helpful and encouraging to all of her students,” Melchert said.
“She is always looking out for me and my fellow biology majors by looking out for our well-being. She will even go out of her way to ask if we have eaten lunch or gotten enough sleep. With me tutoring for her this semester, she makes sure that I am well prepared to all of the people that come to my tutoring sessions.”
One event which Melchert is very thankful for with Banks is the time spent together during her office hours.
“The time I spend in her office hours are truly some of the best moments,” Melchert said.
“One minute we are talking about the research that she is helping me do and then the next moment we are talking about some of my classmates or friends. It is wonderful that we can have some of the candid conversations we have together. I am so thankful for all of the ten minute meetings I have with her that have turned into hour long conversations. In these meetings I learn not only about Chemistry but really about life.”
Melchert’s message to Banks is one of thanks: “Thank you for always believing in my abilities,” Melchert said.
“From student leading to really just believing in me means the world to me. You have always been there to give me the extra push I needed. You gave me the confidence to apply to dental school even though I was worried about doing so. Without your push I may not have applied or believed that I could get in. Thank you for always being kind. I miss you next semester when you retire!”
The second person William Peace University Appreciates is Lynn Owens. Owens worked as the department chair for the Communication Department for a few years at Peace and she is currently working as an associate professor for the Communication Department. Owens is notorious for always being available for students whenever they have questions about class or any other life experience Owens may bestow to her students.
The person that appreciates all of Lynn Owens’s hard work in the Communication Department here at Peace is senior Amelia Townsend. Townsend has gotten to know Owens over her time at Peace by taking some of Communication classes.
“She is very knowledgeable in her field as she has countless amount of research in the Communication field,” Townsend said.
“I aspire to have an impressive resume such as Dr. Owens. I admire her success as a teacher here at Peace because she is so laid-back and funny. Plus she teaches in a way that anyone can understand even if they have no expertise in the Communication field. She is truly is an attractive person inside and out as she radiates an amazing personality.”
One event which Townsend is very thankful for with Owens is Owens returning to Peace to teach Com Research this semester.
“Dr. Owens actually just accepted a job over at her alumna mater at the University of Chapel Hill so I was not sure if she would be returning to teach any classes at Peace this semester,” Townsend said.
“But Owens said that she just knew too many people in this research class and she could not pass up the opportunity to teach us all one last time. I truly loved all of my previous classes with her so when I saw that she would in fact be teaching my research class you can say that I was ecstatic. I truly am looking forward to having one last opportunity to learn from her.”