Students want to go to class?

Psychology Professor Phillip Summers steps down from the lecture podium at the front of Morrison Hall's lecture hall and walks over to a student.\n"How's Ryan doing?" he asks the student, beginning a conversation with him that transcends typical small talk. After wishing the student luck on his remaining midterms, Summers walks over to a female student and inquires about her weekend.\nIn a class of 251, Summers knows every student's name and interests. \n"Over the past six years, I have had 99 percent accuracy," he said. "I missed one female student's first name by one letter two years ago."\nIt is this approachability that led the IU student body to vote Summers "Best Professor." The retired Vincennes University president remained humble about the award.\n"I know of many, many professors who are far more deserving than me," he said. "IU and the psychology and brain sciences department are fortunate to have very talented and dedicated faculty and staff who work diligently to provide IU students with the highest quality undergraduate and graduate education."\nHowever, his students disagreed, each stating in a brief written survey that he was the best professor IU has to offer.\nFreshman Katherine Fay said Summers is the best professor because "he helps to understand difficult subjects by making the class fun and interesting."\nHe always tells jokes, shows movie clips and demonstrates complex ideas, she said. \n"He makes psychology so much fun, you can't wait to get to class."\nFreshman Lauren Dardanes echoed Fay's statements, saying, "He gives students the benefit of the doubt and wants us to do good in his class."\nMost students who were surveyed said that the extra-credit opportunities and Summers' sincere concern about his students' well-being make him IU's best professor.\n"He makes you feel wanted," student Bryan Jones said. "To him, you're not just another face in the crowd."\nSummers said that he wants his students to be challenged and to learn and enjoy their experiences in his class.\n"My goal is that all students who take my class can say I knew them and even in a large lecture setting, they felt I had a personal interest in their learning and academic success," he said.\nReceiving his bachelor's degree in education from IU in 1960 and his master's degree in guidance and counseling from IU in 1963, Summers said he is proud to be able to give back to his alma mater.\n"I have the wonderful opportunity each semester to teach and get to know 250 interesting, trusting, motivated and success-oriented IU students, which in itself is a great reward," he said.