Honoring excellence

As an Antioch College undergraduate, Rudy Professor of English Patrick Brantlinger was inspired by a professor who incorporated the art of performance into teaching. \n"(The professor) walked into the classroom with a stack of our papers to return, took out his lighter, picked up the top paper on the stack, set it on fire and threw it in the wastepaper basket," Brantlinger said. At the end of class, everyone got a paper back. \n"His goal was accomplished -- he managed to have everyone's complete attention during the lecture while silently showing us that he will not accept inadequate work," Brantlinger said.\nIt's a lesson Brantlinger has kept with him throughout the years, and one he tried to incorporate in his teaching. His efforts have not gone unrecognized; Brantlinger was recently deemed the Distinguished Faculty Member for 2001 by the Alumni Association of the College of Arts and Sciences. The award goes to a faculty member who has shown great success and achievement in the fields of teaching, research and service.\n"Pat is a scholar of international eminence," Andrew Miller, associate professor of English, said. "His books have been translated into several languages, and his students are teaching across the world. He has given lectures in Europe, Australia and elsewhere, but he is still alert of what goes on here…he is dedicated to teaching at a public school, concerned about Indiana University's well-being, and most importantly, committed to the students here." \nBrantlinger has been on IU faculty since 1968. He began his tenure working as book review editor of the Victorian Studies journal. Since then, he has held many other positions including editor of the Victorian Studies journal, director of the Victorian Studies graduate program and chair of the English Department.\nIn addition to his service to IU, Brantlinger has served as president of the Midwest Victorian Studies Association, as an evaluator for the Actor's Theatre of Louisville and as an elected member of the Modern Language Association. Brantlinger has also published seven books.\n"Pat was one of the major reasons I wanted to come to Indiana 16 years ago," English department chair Stephen Watt said. "I had read many of his books and was familiar with his work. He was a person I greatly admired." \nBrantlinger credited his success to his colleagues and his wife, Ellen, an IU professor of education.\n"I have worked hard for what I have achieved," Brantlinger said. "The curiosity that drives one to continue learning and the excitement of learning itself is extremely rewarding…Indiana has been a great place to be a faculty member and to develop as a scholar and teacher"