Faculty Spotlight/Appreciation Week 2

Nancy Legge, Professor, Department of Communication, Media, and Persuasion

Nancy Legge deeply misses her past students and appreciates all their work. She says one of the biggest motivations for a professor is the relationship-building that happens between students and teachers. Students and the community alike are such a delightful mix and present a wonderful opportunity to learn. In her work, Legge feels that she can give students a sense of understanding and power of the influences surrounding us. She sees herself as being in a privileged position because she can teach what she loves and teach others to love it too. 

‘I teach about the world,” she says. “I find it incredibly satisfying to see students analyze their influences and see the light in their eyes when they start to understand it.”

Legge was the first of her family to graduate from a university, which gives her teaching its edge.   She takes delight in her students’ wonderment. Legge understands the struggle of being a first-generation student and can give great advice on navigating through higher education. She loves the students here as they provide great insights into her work as well as life. 

“I can relate to the students here and it’s such a beautiful community,” she says.

Marlene Kilpack, Assistant Clinical Professor of Nursing

Marlene Kilpack is driven to help students succeed. She understands that students have a great deal to handle between school and work and personal responsibilities. Kilpack simply wants to make a difference. 

“I feel like it’s my job to destress and make learning fun,” she says. Kilpack shares genuine joy and sympathy with students as she does her best to ease the stress load of college life. She also desires to make her courses fun and filled with information that keeps students on track with being the best clinical advocate they may be. 

Kilpack advises students that “everything that you do can change someone’s life.” She wants her students to understand that, within their field of medical studies, everything they do or learn makes a difference.

Kilpack is focused on providing the best knowledge and practices in the medical field. She feels that it is crucial, especially in the nursing field, to be prepared because nurses will need to be the best advocates for their patients. She also shares a heartfelt sentiment: “I believe that we are here on the planet to help each other.” One of her favorite things to witness is the moment when students understand the concept -- the aha moment. 

“Students’ eyes light up with excitement, and it says ‘I get it!’” she says. 

It brings her joy and satisfaction to see her students growing and understanding. Kilpack enjoys teaching, sharing with students the knowledge they need to succeed. 

“You could drone on and on about something, but I try to make it engaging for my students, keep them excited to learn,” she says.