The 2019-20 recipient of the Kreider Prize for Teaching Excellence is Dr. E. Fletcher McClellan, Professor of Political Science. The Professional Development Committee chose McClellan from nominations submitted by alumni, current students, and staff. In addition to receiving a monetary award, McClellan will be recognized Convocation in August and invited to deliver the Kreider Prize Lecture this fall.
“The Professional Development Committee is pleased to announce Dr. McClellan as this year’s recipient of the Kreider Prize for excellence in teaching and advising. Dr. McClellan exemplifies the outstanding faculty-student interaction for which Elizabethtown College is known. Student, alumni, and staff nomination letters all stressed McClellan’s passion for his subject matter and commitment to Elizabethtown College students,” Chair of the Professional Development Committee Shannon Haley-Mize said.
Student reviewers commended McClellan’s gift for delivering relevant lectures. One writer wrote, “His ability to connect and modernize even the oldest of political history enables students to appreciate and implement material in every situation and prepares us for a life of civic engagement.” Another common theme in the nomination letters is McClellan’s support for students’ professional development. The Committee noted McClellan’s 2018 receipt of the Craig L. Brians Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research and Mentorship, a national award from the Political Science Education Section of the American Political Science Association.
About the Kreider Prize:
Through the generosity of Thomas Conner ’72, professor of history at Hillsdale College, the annual award is made possible and awarded to a current Elizabethtown College faculty member for excellence in teaching and mentoring. The award is named in honor of J. Kenneth Kreider, professor of history emeritus, and Carroll L. Kreider, professor of business emerita, “for their inspirational service to countless students at Elizabethtown College.” The Kreiders were not only inspirational in the classroom but also were powerful mentors and role models.