Come Join The Celebration! - Wayne State College

Campus Notes
Seven Wayne State College Faculty Retire
Wayne State College retiring professors were honored at commencement, from left: Vic Reynolds, Dr. Janet Gilligan, Dr. Kent Blaser, Frank
Teach, Dr. Christopher Bonds, Dr. Richard Keenan and Dr. James Curtiss.
Dr. Kent Blaser, Professor of History
Kent Blaser, Ph.D., came to Wayne State in 1979. His teaching
and research interests include historiography and the philosophy of
history; Nebraska and the Great Plains; and the history of Wayne
State College. Dr. Blaser was head of the college’s Division of Social
Sciences from 1984 to 1989; director of Wayne State’s Honors
Program, 1993-1994; president of Mid-America American Studies
Association, 1995-1996; and editor of Midwest Review from 1983
to 1994, among many academic accomplishments. He earned his
bachelor’s in U.S. history from Kansas State University and his Ph.D.
from University of North Carolina, (Chapel Hill) in American History.
He previously taught at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
and the University of Nebraska-Omaha.
Dr. Christopher Bonds, Professor of Music
Chris Bonds, Ph.D., taught at Wayne State for 28 years. Dr. Bonds
was chair of the music department from 2004 to 2007. He said he
considers his greatest accomplishments at Wayne State to be the
students he has taught who have gone on to have successful careers in
music. Dr. Bonds was hired as string instructor/orchestra conductor in
the Fine Arts Division. He previously taught at Ball State University,
Carroll College, Elmira College and Whitman College. He earned his
bachelor of music and master of music at Arizona State University
and his Ph.D. from University of Iowa.
Dr. James Curtiss, Professor of Education
James Curtiss, Ph.D., was a professor of education at Wayne State for
14 years. Dr. Curtiss was a music teacher for 24 years in Nebraska
public schools. He earned his bachelor of music education degree
from Indiana University in 1966; his master of arts degree in music
education from the University of Northern Colorado in 1972; and
his doctorate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1998. Dr.
Curtiss also served as a music teacher and chair of the Fine Arts
Department from 1978 to 1990 for Sidney Public School in Sidney,
Neb.; music teacher and chair of the curriculum committee from 1968
to 1978 for Chappell Public School in Chappell, Neb.; and music
teacher from 1966 to 1968 for Bladen Public School, in Bladen, Neb.
Dr. Janet Gilligan, Professor of English
Janet Gilligan, Ph.D., came to Wayne State in 1988. Among her
many accomplishments, she has mentored more than 100 English
education student teachers. Dr. Gilligan initiated the Language Arts
Festival, an annual Wayne State College event that hosts for students
in grades seven through 12, which is now in its fifth year. She also
won the The Balsley-Whitmore Teaching Excellence Award in 2009,
funded by an endowment established by Howard Balsley and Irol
Whitmore Balsley, is given annually to a faculty member in English
who embodies the teaching mission of WSC. Dr. Gilligan earned
her bachelor of science in education from Saint Mary of the Woods
College, master’s in English from Northern Illinois University, and
Ph.D. in English from Northern Illinois (concentration in Middle
English Literature). She previously taught at Hamilton College,
Northern Illinois University, and Universite de Nantes, France.
Dr. Richard Keenan, Associate Professor
of Communication
Richard Keenan, Ph.D., has taught for 15 years at Wayne State.
Dr. Keenan has developed new and expanded classes in public
relations and presented research findings at national and international
gatherings of the Popular Culture Association each year during the
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