Exemplary Teacher Award winner Marnie McInnes
PHOTO COURTESY OF DEPAUW UNIVERSITY
DePauw University professor Marion (Marnie) McInnes and her colleague Alicia Suarez were recently named the 2014-2015 recipients of the highly esteemed Exemplary Teacher Award. Established in 1942 from a gift by DePauw graduates George and Virginia Crane, this award recognizes those who “exemplify excellence in teaching; civility and concern for students and colleagues; commitment to value-centered education; and service to students, the institution and the community.”
McInnes has been an institution at DePauw since 1981, following her graduation from Yale graduate school. She has held many titles during her time here in what she describes as a “zig-zag career.” These titles have ranged from professor to Dean of Academic Affairs to Director of Convocations.
Primarily an English professor, McInnes has also taught courses out of her discipline such as photography and women’s studies. She explains that DePauw has given her the opportunity to “have a free hand to develop courses” due to the university’s flexible teaching policy.
One of her favorite courses to have taught was an upper level one that focused on the writings of poet Walt Whitman.
“I had a group of energetic and talkative juniors and seniors…and thought about [Whitman’s writing] in a lot of different ways,” she said.
She also developed an Honors Scholar seminar on Haiti. “I know nothing about Haiti, but I decided that I really needed to learn.”
McInnes was a member of the committee that presented the first year seminar model in 2000. “It was really thrilling work because it was brand new and we saw that, for the Honors Scholars, having a seminar gave them a peer group, an introduction to academic life and a voice.”
Seeing her students develop a voice and love of new ideas is the most rewarding aspect of teaching for McInnes. She says it’s thrilling to form relationships with students and then watch them accomplish so much.
One of her students, Allison Hills, believes McInnes, “engages all the students in her classes. [She] makes them more interested."
McInnes also works with students outside of the classroom. She’s been known to help students apply for Fulbright scholarships, develop their personal statements and work on personal research projects.
In response to receiving the Exemplary Teacher Award, McInnes said it was, “a great honor and big surprise… if you look at the list of people who have won that award, they are fantastic teachers. I’ve learned from them—I’ve learned to teach from my younger and my older colleagues… and I think I’m still learning.”