Fifty Years of Interdisciplinary Teaching in Academe

“Dr. Robert J. Nash has been my mentor, dissertation advisor, and, most of all, a friend. In this book, we are offered an insider’s candid glimpse into a lifetime of teaching. Nash weaves his intellectual, personal, and emotional life as a scholar into a powerful reflection upon 50 years of teaching. However, this work is about so much more than what he has achieved as a scholar. It is about his unwavering commitment to those he is privileged to teach. Dr. Nash creates a full description (neither perfect nor pristine) of what he has distilled and learned from the thousands of students and colleagues he has accompanied in their journey of learning. I am one of those graduate students who has had that privilege, and I remain grateful to this day for his investment in me.” —Jacob L. Diaz, Regional Assistant Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs and Dean of Students at the University of South Florida
“I have known Robert J. Nash for almost 20 years as a revered colleague, co-author, and friend. Dr. Nash has given his authentic self for several decades to the University of Vermont, his profession, his students, his colleagues, and to his friends. Dr. Nash goes through life as a mentor to many, always learning along the way. People will come away from reading this book feeling inspired and hopeful that their careers can be filled with generosity, ethics, and an in-depth understanding of humankind. Indeed, university presidents may come and go, students will come and go, but professors like Dr. Nash remain the bedrock of higher education.” —Richard Greggory Johnson III, Social Equity Fulbright Scholar and Professor and Department Chair of School of Management at the University of San Francisco
“As his first college dean, I can say that Dr. Robert J. Nash has been on the frontier in his field of interdisciplinary study, and his legacy is being carried on by the thousands of students he has mentored. Very few professors have taught for half a century. Even fewer have written a book that offers concrete, pedagogical tips drawn from years of personal experience. Faculty at both the undergraduate and graduate levels will benefit greatly from this book. So, too, will administrators, parents, and students. His book is one of a kind!” —Dean C. Corrigan, Dean Emeritus of College of Education and Social Services at University of Vermont, Dean Emeritus of College of Education and Human Development at Texas A&M University, and former President of the American Association for Colleges of Teacher Education
“In every class I took with him, Robert J. Nash created a uniquely positive atmosphere of invitation, trust, and individual responsibility. He expressed his ideas clearly, honestly, openly, and intelligently—and extended a profound welcome to others to do likewise. This invitation spoke to the very soul of my scholarly aspirations. I always felt truly seen and appreciated by him to accept and cultivate the unrealized excellence within me. Robert excels as a compassionate teacher and an invigorating author.” —Joseph Darcy Heyer, former Director of Guidance and Federal TRIO Counselor and executive director/founder of a nonprofit educational organization
“I recall with vivid clarity the day I walked into Robert J. Nash’s office, ‘Gary, I believe that our stories are integral to our learning.’ With these words, his Scholarly Personal Narrative (SPN) writing approach shaped my sense of self in the context of graduate education. Paired with his applied, interdisciplinary philosophy of learning, I knew I was right where I needed to be (where else could a young police officer shape a graduate degree in education focused on resolving community conflict?). This book is an essential read for every student and every teacher.” —Gary J. Margolis, Chief of Police (retired) at the University of Vermont, law enforcement educator, and entrepreneur
“Robert J. Nash’s teaching, long honored by his colleagues, is multidisciplinary, scholarly, rigorous, respectful, and leaves its mark. He is the archetypal teacher-scholar. Nash’s reflections on a half a century of scholarly teaching reveals the hard work demanded by this teaching. He generously shares what he knows and practices and tells of his successes and disappointments. All readers of this book will find wisdom, inspiration, teaching tips, and renewal. Written with exceptional lucidity, this lovely book is a reminder that scholarly teaching, while hard work, enlarges meaningfulness and life.” —Charles Tesconi, Jr., Professor Emeritus at American University and Dean Emeritus of College of Education and Social Services at the University of Vermont
“To celebrate the astounding milestone of 50 years as a university professor, Robert J. Nash has gifted us with his memoir, chronicling what he has learned about teaching and reaching students. As a former student of Nash’s, I have benefitted from the pedagogical tools reflected in this work, and I have incorporated many of them in my own work with students. What makes Nash’s approach so compelling is his facility with multiple academic disciplines and his ability to weave them together in a way that draws in his students and elicits from them both their greatest academic achievements and their truest selves. The wisdom in these pages ensures that the rich alchemy of rigorous academic pursuit and meaningful introspection created and perfected by Nash will live on for at least the next 50 years.” —Michele C. Murray, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students at the College of the Holy Cross
“Robert J. Nash is an icon in the higher education community. His efforts to encourage authenticity and voice in what we do as educators, scholars, and/or administrators has led many of us to be more thoughtful about our work and to have a deeper understanding and appreciation for the myriad experiences of our students and colleagues—to have an ethic of care. I am honored to have served as Professor Nash’s dean and colleague for 10 years, from 2005 to 2015. I learned most of all that the life we live and how we live that life matters. And, by sharing our stories, we make meaning each and every day, and, by doing so, we influence what comes to be seen as knowledge. As I reflect on the work and influence of Professor Nash, I am reminded of the inspirational words of John Wesley, ‘Do all the good you can...to all the people you can. As long as ever you can.’ Professor Nash, for his 50 years in higher education, serves as a stalwart example of doing good as both an educator of thousands of students and a scholar whose ideas and work have given rise to many generations of scholars and leaders in higher education. His interdisciplinary impact on what is taught and how; questioning and challenging the traditional modes of conducting and reporting ideas; and encouraging uncomfortableness as a means by which new knowledge is generated has and will continue to resonate with emerging and established scholars to think more deeply and incorporate work from across different academic areas.” —Fayneese Miller, Dean Emerita of College of Education and Social Services at the University of Vermont and President and Professor of Psychology and Education at Hamline University