| Richard Wiseman’s colleagues
in the Department of Human Communication Studies
like to joke that even if he taught a class entitled
“Yellow Pages 101,” it still would
be one of the most popular courses on campus.Wiseman,
professor of human communication studies and a
resident of Yorba Linda, is this year’s
recipient of the Outstanding Professor Award at
Cal State Fullerton—the highest honor awarded
to a faculty member.Wiseman will be recognized
at the university’s May 28 Honors Convocation.Thursday
afternoon, while he was teaching a class on intercultural
communication, Wiseman was surprised when CSUF
President Milton A. Gordon, accompanied by various
university administrators, made a visit.
The group entered Wiseman’s classroom carrying
balloons and a crystal globe. The globe represents
Wiseman’s research in intercultural communication.
As the 2003-04 Outstanding Professor, he will
receive a $4,000 cash award from the President’s
Associates and carry the mace to lead the faculty
at this month’s commencement ceremonies.As
is tradition for Cal State Fullerton’s Outstanding
Professor Award recipients, Wiseman will present
a public lecture next spring. |
| “Dr. Wiseman embodies the
finest qualities of our faculty at Cal State Fullerton
and in the California State University system,”
said Gordon, while announcing the honor to Wiseman’s
class.“Watching Rich teach a class is like
watching Wolfgang Puck in the kitchen or Tiger
Woods on the golf course,” said Robert H.
Gass, professor of human communication studies.
“‘Take Wiseman!’ is a familiar
refrain that you’ll hear among students
on campus.”“Teaching is absolutely
the best profession I could dream of,” said
Wiseman. “Much of my life revolves around
teaching, and I love it. I love the students,
their energy and willingness to learn. I don’t
spoon-feed information to them. They’re
more than willing to accept responsibility for
their learning experience, and that makes my job
such fun.”Another faculty member, Hallie
Yopp Slowik, professor of elementary and bilingual
education and recipient of the Outstanding Professor
Award for 2000-01, remembers her own student days
at Cal State Fullerton and the encouragement provided
by Wiseman.“After I received my master’s
degree at Cal State Fullerton and was working
toward my doctorate at the University of California,
I needed computer assistance with some statistical
problems,” she recalled. “Rich Wiseman’s
name was mentioned by several faculty members.
I contacted him, and he was most willing to assist
me with my analysis. To this day, I vividly remember
his willingness to meet me on a Thanksgiving morning
in the mid ’80s so I could complete one
more analysis! I measure my own support of students
against the standard that he set years ago.”“After
Rich came to campus in 1978, he immersed himself
in campus life,” said John Bedell, chair
and professor of sociology. “Rich is completely
dedicated to the campus and community. We have
shared many students and they all, to a one, see
him as vigorous and genuinely interested in their
personal and professional success.”“I
believe that the most important factor in students’
classroom learning is to involve them in its content,”
Wiseman said. “If students get involved
with the material, then the learning will be long-lasting
and have a greater potential to make a difference
in how they apply that knowledge.“As an
instructor, I try to get students involved through
classroom discussions, providing additional readings,
supporting their participation and providing resources
that may be helpful to them.”That attitude
may have something to do with the outstanding
evaluations Wiseman receives from his students.
In fact, in teaching evaluations, his average
mean score is 3.85 out of 4. Yet, his teaching
isn’t restricted to the classroom. Students
are often lined up outside his office door, seeking
consultation and advice. In fact, he has the largest
number of undergraduate and graduate advisees
in the College of Communications.In addition,
Wiseman publishes, on average, at least two scholarly
and three conference papers each year. Over the
past 24 years, he has published nine books and
authored 58 journal articles or book chapters,
most of them focused on intercultural communication.
He has been recognized as the third most prolific
scholar in the area of intercultural communication
(Myers, 2004), and he is frequently cited as an
expert source in journal articles.
He has served as editor of International and Intercultural
Communication Annual and as guest editor of Intercultural
Communication Studies (Winter 2004).
His record of service extends to professional
associations, the community and the university.
Notable among his accomplishments: he is a founding
fellow of the International Academy for Intercultural
Research (1998); he was chosen for Cal State Fullerton's
Teacher/Scholar in Residence Program (2003); and
he was recognized for Outstanding Service to CSUF
Students and Student Leadership (1997-98), Outstanding
Service to Cal State Fullerton (1997) and Outstanding
Faculty Scholar (1995). In addition, Wiseman has
served as faculty marshal at commencement for
the College of Communications in 1994, ’97,
’98 and 2003.He also has been awarded more
than 25 grants to support various research projects.
On campus, Wiseman chairs the University Curriculum
Committee and serves on the Institutional Review
Board. Over the course of his campus career, he
has served on dozens of committees, ranging from
curriculum to research to academic standards.
He also volunteers for a number of community organizations,
including the Girl Scouts of America, the Boy
Scouts of America, American Youth Soccer Organization
and Placentia Cultural Arts Commission.
Wiseman, who earned his doctorate in speech communication
at the University of Minnesota, was recommended
to the university president for this honor by
a multidisciplinary committee of faculty members
chaired by Kurt E. Kitselman, chair and professor
of human communication studies.
|
