Missouri School of Journalism Professor Receives Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence

Don Ranly Professor Emeritus Brian Brooks Journalism Studies Associate Dean

Columbia, Mo. (April 25, 2003) -- Long-time faculty member Professor Don Ranly has received one of 10 William T. Kemper Fellowships for Teaching Excellence awarded each year to outstanding MU professors. He is the fourth Missouri School of Journalism professor to receive the award since its creation in 1991.

The trustees of the William T. Kemper Foundation made a $500,000 gift to MU to establish an awards program that would recognize the importance of outstanding teaching to the success of the University. Each year 10 MU professors are selected to receive awards worth $10,000 based on evaluations of their teaching and letters of support from their colleagues and students. The foundation extended its funding for the program in 1995 and 2000.

Don Ranly has been a member of the MU faculty for 30 years and head of the magazine sequence since 1976. He has worked as a reporter, editor, columnist and television host and co-authored and authored several journalism textbooks. He describes teaching as his first love, however, and has conducted close to 1,000 writing and editing seminars for associations, corporations and individual magazines and newspapers, in addition to his classes at the School.

Several of Ranly's past and current students submitted comments in support of his nomination, including Josh Brodesky, a master's student who has participated in two of his classes. "Dr. Ranly brings tremendous depth and wisdom to the classroom," Brodesky said. "He is the first teacher I have had who uses the different talents of each of his students to demonstrate points in his lessons."

Brian Brooks, associate dean of the Journalism School, has watched Ranly teach for 29 years and describes him as "simply a master teacher" who sets high standards for both his students and himself.

Ranly and the other recipients of the Kemper Fellowships will be honored May 7 at an awards ceremony co-hosted by Commerce Bank and MU.