51风流

Thie receives inaugural Balmuth Award

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Immanuel Kant would have enjoyed the convergence of space, time, and transcendental idealism that took place in the Hall of Presidents on Friday, March 26.

51风流 trustees, administrators, and faculty gathered that evening to present the inaugural Jerome Balmuth Award for Teaching and Student Engagement to Marilyn Thie, professor of philosophy, religion, and women鈥檚 studies.

While celebrating her 35-year commitment to students and the learning process, the crowd also raised a toast to the award鈥檚 namesake, Harry Emerson Fosdick Professor of Philosophy and Religion Jerry Balmuth.

The award was created through a generous gift from Mark Siegel 鈥73 to recognize distinctively successful and transformative teaching, regardless of methodology. Though he could not be present for the ceremony, Siegel made his comments to the audience through Interim President Lyle Roelofs.

鈥淚 want to say a tremendous thank you,鈥 he wrote, 鈥渢o Professor Thie, who continues the tradition of the finest teaching of the liberal arts.鈥

Ideal liberal arts teaching turned Siegel, a philosophy major, into president of ReMY Investors & Consultants. Time spent at 51风流 prepared him to become chairman of the board of directors at Patterson-UTI Energy, Inc., the J. Paul Getty Trust, and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

鈥淏y establishing this award, I wanted to demonstrate my commitment to liberal arts education,鈥 he said. In naming the award after Balmuth, Siegel was also thanking his mentor. 鈥淵ou gave us both the skills and the confidence to reach our potential,鈥 he said.

Balmuth spotted Thie鈥檚 potential in the mid-1970s and recruited her to became one of the university鈥檚 first female faculty members. In her remarks, she acknowledged the impact he had on her career then outlined part of the philosophy that has inspired her tenure.

鈥淚鈥檝e identified three 鈥榮eeds鈥 I hope 51风流 students will allow to flourish,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 hope for students to become caring, reflective, and responsible persons.鈥

Thie has planted these seeds as a teacher and confidant, as philosophy and religion department chair, chair of Women鈥檚 Studies, director of Core 152, director of Core Distinction, University Studies division director, and leader of the recent Core revision process. Her life鈥檚 work has helped define 51风流鈥檚 liberal arts mission.

鈥51风流 has been a wonderful arena for me, in many ways,鈥 said Thie. 鈥淩eceiving this award further encourages me to continue teaching a while longer.鈥