April 30, 1999 -- (Lexington, Ky.) – Six University of
Kentucky faculty members have been named the 1999 Great Teachers by the UK Alumni
Association, in cooperation with student organizations Omicron Delta Kappa and Mortar
Board. The annual awards, established in 1961, are given to UK faculty who have
demonstrated excellence in teaching, concern for students and involvement in the academic
community.
The 1999 recipients of the awards are:
• Rayma K. Beal, an associate professor in the dance division of the Department of
Kinesiology and Health Promotion, has been at UK since 1986. The only faculty member in
the dance division, she also coordinates the UK Dance Ensemble. This year marks the 60th
anniversary of the ensemble, and to celebrate, Beal choreographed a dance involving UK
alumni from each decade of the ensemble’s existence.
• Terri Ann Elswick, an associate professor of nursing at Ashland Community
College, has taught at ACC since 1991. She is the academic adviser to 40 pre-nursing
students and is the faculty adviser to 60 student enrolled in the freshman nursing class.
She teaches an NCLEX-EXEL state board licensing preparation course for students and has
served as faculty adviser to the Student Government Association.
• William W. Freehling, who holds the Otis A. Singletary Chair in Humanities, is a
professor of history. He developed and co-chairs the undergraduate minor in American
culture and is founder and chair of the Freshman Discovery Seminar Program at UK. He also
served on the President’s Initiative Committee. He has been at UK since fall 1994.
• Steven G. Isaacs, an associate professor and Extension farm management
specialist in the Department of Agricultural Economics, has been at UK since 1993. He has
participated in several college and departmental activities including serving as the
agribusiness club sponsor, the Bluegrass Agricultural Tour leader with congressional
legislative aides, FFA Field Day instructor and Kentucky Youth Seminar instructor.
• James J. Krupa, an assistant professor of biology in UK’s College of Arts
and Sciences, has been with UK since 1989. He organizes a weekend trip to Robinson Forest
every semester for his ecology class and other interested students to give them a
firsthand look at "real biology." He also is working with a group of students to
form a student biology club at UK.
• C. Douglas Poe, an associate professor of accounting and director of the master
of business administration program in the UK Gatton College of Business and Economics,
teaches all the MBA accounting sections and serves as adviser to MBA students. He also
teaches a certificate of medical management course for physicians, many of whom have
continued in the MBA program. Poe has been with UK since 1985.
The awards ceremony was held at the King Alumni House on the UK campus.
