Royal Purple

Issue date: 11/14/07 Section: Arts & Lifestyle

Media Credit: Brad McAllister Danielle Stern, the youngest professor on campus at 28, speaks to students in Mass Media Writing, one of four classes she teaches this semester.

When walking to class, UW-Whitewater assistant professor Danielle Stern sometimes gets mistaken for a student, but she has learned to laugh it off.

At 28 years old, Stern is the youngest professor on campus. According to Human Resources &?Diversity, the oldest age of faculty members is 72, and the average age is 42.

For some professors, being so young could seem like a daunting experience, but Stern welcomes the challenge. She said being young and quite close in age to many of her students helps her relate better to them, although there are some disadvantages.

"There's a trade-off sometimes because then you get that perception that, 'Oh, you're just one of us,' and that's good and bad," she said.

Department of Communication Chairperson Barbara Pennington, who headed the search committee that hired Stern, said Stern's youth helps her connect with students, while her academic training gives her the skills necessary to teach.

"She really is a great blend between knowing what college students are watching and understanding that point of view, but also being a good teacher because she's been through all the academic training that we were looking for," Pennington said.

Stern graduated from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville with a bachelor's degree in speech communication, and she earned her master's degree in mass communication there as well. Stern earned her doctorate in mass communication at Ohio State University. She also has a graduate certificate in women's studies.

Stern chose to teach at UW-Whitewater because she grew up in the Midwest, so she was anxious to move back to the area. Stern also said the campus seemed like a good fit for her.

"I just fell in love with the campus, especially the people," Stern said. "When I was in the classroom for the teaching portion of the interview, I felt the connection with the students in ways that I didn't at the other places I had interviewed."

Pennington said what struck her about Stern was that even though she's young, she has already done a lot of research and writing.

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools