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ESU Alumni Herald
Faculty File
Professors commence retirement as grand marshals Three professors served as grand marshals for ESU commencement exercises in May. Dr. Neil W. Hogan and Dr. Mertice M. Shane were grand marshals for separate undergraduate ceremonies, and Dr. Patricia McGee Crotty presided at the graduate spring commencement. All three professors recently retired. By John Shortino
n Patricia McGee Crotty first came to ESU for what she
called a “practice interview,” as she finished her dissertation in 1984. “I wanted to see what an interview would be like, so I knew what to expect after I finished my doctoral work,” she said. Instead, the political science department offered her a job, where she began her 25-year teaching career. In her tenure at the university, Crotty saw the field of political science grow and change. “When I first started, there were different opinions of how to approach the subject. You had some people who looked at it as history, or as case studies. Now, we can have a wider opportunity to conduct field work. We draw the scientific method from the hard sciences, or the case study method from sociology.” What haven’t changed, says Crotty, are the students: “That’s been my favorite part about teaching here. They’re very respectful.” Crotty plans to spend her retirement writing. One of her projects is a study of human rights for women, her third book on the subject. Another project is a “humorous look at running a university,” drawing from her experiences as department chair. She is impressed by the school’s growth in the last 25 years. “The campus has grown both in numbers and the quality of faculty, as well as the diversity of the course offerings. And those are good ways to grow.”
Dr. Patricia McGee Crotty