Lynda K. Hall

Sherwood Dodge Shankland Award for Encouragement of Teachers (1999)

1998-1999 Commencement Ceremony Excerpt

I am most pleased to announce that the winner of the Sherwood Dodge Shankland Award for 1999 is Associate professor of psychology, Dr. Lynda Hall.

Dr. Hall received her bachelor’s degree from Wittenberg University and her M.A. and the Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame.

She came to Ohio Wesleyan, first as a part-time assistant professor and associate director of the Memory Research Project in 1985. She became a full-time assistant professor in 1989 and was promoted to associate professor in 1995.

Lynda regularly teaches courses in Quantitative Methods, Research Methods, and Cognitive Psychology, as well as the Intro course in Psychology. She has published many articles and presented dozens of papers at professional meetings, mainly in the areas of maintenance of knowledge, developmental issues in EMR children, and the influence of age-related changes in processing speed on performance on academic tasks.

Many of her publications and presentations result from work she has done as a collaborator on one NSF grant, and as principal investigator on a second NSF grant.

At Ohio Wesleyan, Lynda has served for five years on the Committee on Admission and Financial Aid, chairing that Committee for two years. She has also served on the Honors Board, the Academic Conduct Review Board, and on several University-wide search committees.

Dr. Hall is, according to her students, and again in their own words: “stimulating,” “inspiring,” “approachable,” “helpful,” “supportive,” “knowledgeable,” “demanding,” “likable,” “kind,” and “brilliant.” As one student put it: “I came into this class terrified about statistics, but Dr. Hall soon put my fears to rest. Her calm manner and clear explanations made me feel comfortable and competent.” Another student commented: “She does a laudable job of teaching what is often complex and technical material.” Another student was even more specific on that point: “ Dr. Hall presents what could be a confusing conglomeration of numbers and symbols in a clear and concise manner.”

Other students talked about her enthusiastic and supportive manner. Said one: “When a professor shows excitement and enthusiasm for a subject they love, it is hard not to get swept up in that excitement; Dr. Hall truly exhibited this, and created an environment I looked forward to being a part of.” Said another: “Dr. Hall is a wonderful person and professor; I wish I could have had her for all of my classes; she’s a role model, caring and concerned but strict.” And, finally, one student concluded: “Dr. Hall has had a profound impact on my growth as a student; she’s a scholar, an excellent professor, and a student’s friend.”

What more can one say?  Lynda…congratulations!