The Edgar M. Carlson Award is presented each year at Commencement to a member of the faculty who has demonstrated exceptional skill and effectiveness as a teacher. With regard to these criteria, this year’s recipient has, shall we say, “hit the ball out of the park.”
This year’s winner is described in the nomination letters by students, colleagues, and administrators as one who is caring, innovative, supportive, collaborative, possessing a “cheery” sprit, effective, thoughtful, insightful, enthusiastic, challenging, a tireless worker, a scholar, dedicated, witty, humble, and principled.
In this professor’s letter of application to the college, the following statement was included: “A church-related liberal arts college is the setting in which I would most like to teach, and I feel confident that my goals and values are in harmony with Gustavus’.” For those of us who have been privileged to work with this outstanding pedagogue, truer words have not been spoken.
The winner of the 2000 Edgar M. Carlson Award for Distinguished Teaching, Dr. Eric Eliason, an associate professor of English, arrived on the Gustavus campus in 1988. Included among his academic specialties are medieval and Renaissance literatures, specifically the writings of Chaucer and Shakespeare. Moreover, he is well versed in the languages of Latin, German, French, and Old English, and possesses a love for teaching students how to write well.
Allow me to share some student perceptions of Dr. Eliason.
From one, “I was struck by his professional expertise, support, and brain power!” From another, “He is full of extra caring, extra responsiveness, extra advising, extra support, and extra challenges.” And from another, a brief story. “I remember one time we had read an article and then discussed it in groups. The other group analyzed it in a way that was off-base. We did not understand how they came up with this analysis, because the article did not give any evidence for this. Dr. Eliason just shook his head, and with a smile on his face said, I’m amazed at these interpretations. I would never have thought of that!’ ”
During his twelve years at Gustavus, Dr. Eliason has earned high respect among his faculty colleagues. One of them proclaimed that “[Eric is deserving of the Carlson Award] because he is arguably the most broadly liberal arts-based member of our faculty; because [Professor] Ron Christenson said that teaching with Eric was one of his greatest teaching experiences; and because Eric loves learning, the college, students, and life.”
Another colleague offered this praise: “I can think of no higher tribute from students than the one accorded to Eric when eight seniors who had been in his First Term Seminar asked him to teach a writing class so they could all be together again in his class.”
From an administrative colleague: “When the tornado hit in March of 1998, Professor Eliason was on the East Coast with students, building houses. His return to help others [even though his own house had been destroyed] represents the best in a scholar, teacher, mentor, and servant. His personal response to the tornado lifted the spirits of his colleagues.”
Consistently, Dr. Eliason’s students speak of his insight, his effectiveness, and his ability to bring new ideas to class for exploration. In addition, they universally mention that the door to his office is always open, both figuratively and physically. Clearly, Professor Eliason is a thoughtful and probing teacher, one who stimulates his students to imagine, to think, and to wonder.
Due to his absolute commitment to his students’ best educational interests, and because of his inquisitive spirit and his steadfast love for Gustavus, Dr. Eric Eliason symbolizes the essence of greatness in teaching. Congratulations, and as the Swedes would say, “Bravo Bravissimo!”
Presented by Doug Nimmo
Associate Professor of Music
1999 Recipient of the Edgar M. Carlson Award
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