I've been part of the faculty at Drexel since 1979, as a professor of English. I earned a Masters and doctorate in English from The University of Michigan and a B.A from Queens College in New York City. For almost 20 years, I served as founding dean of the Pennoni Honors College and provost of the university.
L's Taken
6 "Thank you for applying but..."
- Graduate programs at Harvard, Yale, and Columbia Universities
- Jobs at Princeton, Columbia, and the U.S. Naval Academy
1 Things I swore I'd finish but never did:
- A book based on my doctoral dissertation
1Everyday L's of life:
- Learn every time you have lost and you will have won
1Regrets I have:
On the Bright Side
1 Things I've learned that will still matter in 10 years:
3Things I'm proud of that you won't see on my resume:
2Unconventional skills:
- Love to do electrical wiring
- Love to design and install recessed lighting
2Quirks that make me who I am:
- Sense of humor
- Independence of mind
2Obstacles I've overcome:
- Learning to be a student
- Completing written projects on time
4 Things I've done that pushed me out of my comfort zone:
- Camped across country
- Completed graduate school
- Transitioned successfully from faculty to administrator
- Having children
1 Failures that seemed like the end of the world back then but don't matter in hindsight:
- As a first-term freshman in college, I failed 5-credit engineering physics. I had aced physics in New York City's best math-and-science high school (Stuyvesant), earning a perfect score on the standardized NY State Physics Regents Exam. I never failed any course or assignment throughout all previous education. My high school then was all male, and college presented a world of interesting women. I socialized expertly and didn't study for the physics quarterly exams. After failing three of four exams, my professor told me that if I passed the final, I'd pass the course. Any rational person would have studied for that final diligently. I, on the other hand, waited to begin solving a term's worth of problems the night before the exam. Readers can anticipate the outcome. My GPA for my first term in college was 1.4. Since this failure occurred before computers tracked everything, my failure didn't prevent me from continuing to enroll in courses. After changing majors and deciding to pursue an academic career, I learned that my grades needed vast improvement. For three years, I earned no less than an A-, showing the admissions committee at a top 10 graduate program in English that I was worthy of admission.
1 Leaps of faith:
- Marrying someone I felt was just right at age 23. We will celebrate 50 years together soon.
3 Life events that have made me stronger:
- That physics failure.
- Disputes with colleagues early on
- Understanding when to take a stand