Dr. Tor Wynn, assistant professor of sociology and criminology, earned this year’s Faculty of Distinction Award from the Kansas Independent College Association (KICA). He was among 17 college faculty members to receive the award and was recognized at a workshop and award reception in November.
Dr. Wynn earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology from Oakland University and his master’s and Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Iowa. He has taught full-time in the College of Business, Arts, Sciences and Education since 2012, but began teaching part-time in the University’s adult program in 2006.
The KICA Faculty of Distinction program celebrates excellence and achievement among faculty at the 18 accredited private colleges and universities in Kansas. The award honors faculty who have emphasized the importance of classroom teaching, personal attention to each and every student, and a commitment to character, values and learning through every facet of their graduates’ lives. The 2015 KICA Faculty of Distinction honorees serve as models for educators everywhere.
“It’s inspiring to know these faculty and see how they live the mission of our independent colleges,” said Matt Lindsey, president of KICA. “A common thread we saw among them is their gift for balancing a commitment to hold each student accountable for real, meaningful learning and a strong sense of empathy for the value of each student as an individual. Or as one nominee was described: they help every student ‘to find their voice,’ which is central to forming college graduates with the ability to succeed wherever they go.”
Faculty of Distinction honorees are nominated by each KICA member institution. The Kansas Independent College Association, founded in 1976, is a non-profit organization that works to provide support and services to the independent colleges of the state.