2018 Faculty Mentors of the Year

Dr. Kelly Elliot

This past semester, I had the fortune of studying abroad in Oxford with Dr. Kelly Elliott, Associate Professor in the Department of History and Global Studies. It was an absolutely incredible experience. Any student who has taken a course with Dr. Elliott can attest to her brilliance as a professor. She demands excellence of her students, but she is always there alongside them to ensure that they learn and grow. She is also so excellent as a professor that I have somehow gone and taken all of my history minor courses with her (my apologies to the rest of the History faculty). She is also my committee chair for my undergraduate thesis. If it is not obvious already, I admire her greatly. But what I admire most about Dr. Elliott is her kindness and her commitment to her students. She encourages everyone she teaches, pushing us all to be better scholars and better human beings. She constantly models the best of ACU and Christianity, and she promotes justice and mercy and basic human decency towards all people throughout her courses. It is my distinct honor to present the award for Humanities Mentor of the Year to Dr. Kelly Elliott.

Dr. Katie Wick

Dr. Wick is relatively new to ACU, but she has quickly made an impact at the school. She is an excellent teacher. She takes time to carefully plan lessons, find tutors for her students, and incorporate fun and exciting activities into economics classes. In addition to her passion for teaching, she is also dedicated to research. Almost as soon as she came to ACU she began establishing an active research program, including mentoring undergraduate students. Last year her student mentee won top awards in the research festival poster session. Dr. Wick was selected for the mentor of the year in the social sciences this year because of her deep commitment to helping students develop their research skills, showing them how to conduct studies, and helping prepare them to present their findings. It is my honor to introduce Dr. Katie Wick as the mentor of the year for the social sciences.

Dr. James Prather

This professor was not just nominated because of their skill at research, but also because of his care for students. This professor was nominated more than any other professor. One student commented this about this professor: “When I think of professors exhibiting Christlike character, [this professor] is the first that comes to mind. His enthusiasm for the subject matter is contagious.” This professor goes above and beyond, just teaching difficult classes with kindness and skill, but also mentoring students and taking time to hear their stories. His students have had their papers accepted internationally, and all said they could not have done it without him. I personally have taken several classes with this professor and had a hard time choosing what not to say about him. It is my honor to introduce Dr. James Prather as the mentor of the year for the hard sciences.