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The Online Magazine for Alumni and Friends of Siena Heights University
English Faculty Member Karin Barbee Recipient of Rice Award for Outstanding Teaching
By Julie Bonk—Student Writer
Despite winning the 2017 Eileen Rice Award for Out-
standing Teaching, Siena Heights University Associate Professor of English Karin Barbee remains humble about her accomplishments.
Barbee said she was “shocked” when she learned she had received the award.
“It was surprising,” Barbee said. “I spent a lot of time on the speech for the Fall Convocation because I knew I had to take advantage of this because I’m never going
to get it again.”
Barbee mainly teaches composition and creative writing and occasionally literature. She spent seven years teaching at Bowling Green State University before coming to Siena Heights.
When it comes to her teaching philosophy, Barbee said she likes to focus on the students and their personal improvement.
It has been a whirlwind few months for me as I settle in to my new role as Director of Alumni Relations at Siena Heights University. I have been with the University for over six years, spending my first five in Advancement and the last year and a half in campus events. I have been counting my blessings since being selected to this role and know I have big shoes to fill.
I consider myself to be a lifelong learner and recently (2015) walked across the commencement stage with my husband of 25 years as we graduated together from Siena with our master’s degrees in Organizational Leadership. Jim has been coaching football here at SHU since it was added in 2011. We have three children, two of whom are current students here at Siena, so we have a lot of #SaintsPride.
Each day I feel fortunate to speak with alums who reach out to my new office. Sometimes it is just to change their address in the database. Sometimes it is to inquire about a former classmate they hope to contact. Sometimes it is to find out more about the upcoming alumni trip to Italy in 2019. Whatever the call is for, I am happy to pick up and listen. Listening to your stories is probably the best part of my job. I love to hear what Siena
means to you. I know it means a lot to me as well.
By nature, I guess we have to be. As the office that handles many marketing and publications projects for the University, we are asked to come up with all sorts of “fun stuff.” Posters, postcards, brochures, fliers, videos, photos—even logos and a bus wrap from time to time—are part of our day-to-day duties. And, of course, the magazine you are reading.
So when our new dean, Matt Draud, asked me about improving a rather drab entrance-way to the back entrance of the Science Building, my answer was “Sure, let’s see what we can come up with.”
Now, usually with such spaces that have large, concrete block walls, our solution is a graphic printed on either a large poster board or durable PVC (plastic). So when I asked one of my team members, Angie Sieler, to head the project, that was my suggestion.
