100 Years of Great Professors

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Tags: summer-2012

What makes a great professor?

“The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” William Arthur Ward (20th century US writer)

Professor Mick McManus, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)

According to Professor Mick McManus, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), one of the most important attributes of a great university teacher is the ability to engage and influence students – to produce the highest quality graduates.
And the best teachers, according to Professor McManus (pictured), are those who can motivate.

“Learning is all about motivation: if you don’t get that right, nothing else happens,” he said. “It’s our role to make sure that we encourage students to learn deeply and remarkably.”

Professor McManus, a former Executive Dean of UQ’s Faculty of Science (previously the Faculty of Biological and Chemical Sciences), was himself inspired by a great teacher.

“I did pharmacology, mainly because we had this quirky lecturer,” he said.

“He used to come in and read out of about four or five books during the lecture.

“I always went away and read those books, and that gave me an interest in the subject.”

Excellent communication skills and strong content knowledge are essential, but it is an ability to deliver material in an engaging way that sets the great teachers apart.

“A good lecturer or professor can tell a good story,” Professor McManus said.

“Even in a class of 250, they really teach a student. That’s a wonderful attribute. If you can do all that, you’re walking on water.”

And a good teacher never stops learning. With an increase in the number of massive open online courses being delivered, Professor McManus said it was essential for teachers to embrace change.

“A great professor will be someone who is not frightened to use the new technologies, and to use them in the most effective ways,” he said.

UQ’s teachers are among the nation’s best. UQ also has a well-developed internal awards scheme to recognise teaching and learning excellence.

“Outstanding contributions to learning are seen and rewarded,” he said.

Professor McManus said a lot of effort is put into the development of academics at all levels, and they are encouraged to undertake a Graduate Certificate in Higher Education or a Certificate of University Teaching Practice.

Professor McManus believes the four hallmarks of a great teacher are the ability to challenge students, build relationships, create a community and make content relevant.
These characteristics were exhibited by UQ’s founding professors, and form the basis for many fond memories held by our alumni during their time spent across UQ’s four campuses.

UQ’s founding professors set the scene

The founding professors of The University of Queensland; Professor John Lundie Michie (Classics, 1910-1946), Professor Alexander Jmaes Gibson (Engineering, 1910-1918), Professor Henry James Priestley (Mathematics, 1910-1932) and Professor Bertram Dillon Steele (Chemistry, 1910-1930)

In 1911, the first four professors helped establish The University of Queensland and its founding philosophies. Shaping thinking, enticing curiosity and dedicated to the people of Queensland, the group led with a high regard for knowledge and innovation.

In Malcolm I Thomis’s book A Place of Light and Learning: The University of Queensland’s First Seventy-Five Years1, Professor of Classics John Lundie Michie is described as being strategic, controversial and energising. Professor Henry Priestley, a mathematician, was known for his insistence on providing an adequate library, describing the original conditions as “hopelessly inadequate”.

While Thomis’s book mentions that Professor of Chemistry Bertram Dillion Steele held his first lectures and labs in the former kitchen and scullery of Government House, his wife was known to hold afternoon tea for students at their home. It’s also revealed that Professor Alexander Gibson, an engineer, quickly convinced the Senate to expand his department and hired Assistant Lecturer Roger Hawken, who eventually succeeded him in 1919.

As Queensland’s first university, the government went from approving its establishment to appointing 20 Senate leaders, allocating classroom space, advertising for and hiring academics, and getting close to 100 students into classrooms in less than two years. Although there are few documented accounts of who the first students were, let alone what they went on to do, what has survived are anecdotes and photos of an intelligent, engaged and eager student body.

In that first year, £17,400 was allocated to equip departments, with the most going to engineering, which received £16,000, and the least to biology, which was only given £600. By the end of the year, 14 more lecturers were added with salaries of £350.

Together, the group of academics broke educational boundaries, making demands on both their students and leaders and dedicating themselves to teaching. In his first lecture, Professor Priestley found himself without chalk and was given buckets to use as sinks in his chemistry class. He went on to have lifelong relationships with students and their families and worked tirelessly to encourage students’ scholarly interests. Professor Steele was also known for his devotion to advancing student needs. Serving the University for 35 years, 16 of those with the Senate, he led the campaign for expanding and sustaining the Faculty of Arts.

By 1913, the University began its commitment to encourage students from rural and disadvantaged backgrounds by offering 25 teacher scholarships, which also offered mentorship opportunities. Following the first decade, significant strategies and people, including the University’s first Vice-Chancellor, John Douglas (“JD”) Story, known as “the great designer”, worked to position and expand UQ, offering degrees in law, agriculture, dentistry, medicine and veterinary science, all while maintaining the founding value that UQ was to be “the people’s university”.

Alumni reflections on UQ’s excellent teaching tradition

As American author and historian Henry Adams said: “A teacher affects eternity: he can never tell where his influence stops.”
Here, our alumni share which professors had impact, and why.

The intellectual challenge is crucial

Nobel Laureate Dr Peter Doherty

Nobel Laureate, Immunologist and Patron of the Peter Doherty Institute, Dr Peter Doherty who graduated with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science in 1962 and a Master of Veterinary Science in 1966 enthusiastically embraced the intellectual challenges presented at UQ.

“I went to university to open my horizons, to me that’s what university is supposed to be about, it’s supposed to challenge you it’s supposed to present you with some difficult choices and force you to make judgements, it’s supposed to stretch you,” Dr Doherty said.

In his second year, Dr Doherty took a Physiology course from Professor Otto Budtz-Olsen and describes him as charming, enthusiastic and clearly committed to what he was teaching.

“At university I found the teachers who influenced me the most were the ones who had the most fervour for what they were doing and challenged me to think,” he said.

Professor Budtz-Olsen was a music aficionado, an expert gardener, a father and a man who was extremely proud of his Danish heritage.

“In lectures he would discuss ideas and pose questions. It was good because then UQ offered very little in the way of tutorials,” he said.

Intertwined with research on blood clots and blood platelets was his energy for teaching. He often spent hours, sometimes days in the library preparing for lectures described as theatrical experiences.

This passion extended to his Saturday tutorials, where he taught through anecdotes on diverse topics like how to measure a giraffe’s blood pressure.

“Often people from around the university would come, from science, the vet school and medicine, they were just that interesting,” Dr Doherty said.

Dr Michelle Heron-Delaney (left) and Professor Virginia Slaughter pictured at Michelle's PhD graduation ceremony in 2005

Dr Michelle Heron-Delaney, Bachelor of Arts 1999, Bachelor of Arts (Honours) 2000 and PhD 2005, credits her successful career as a developmental psychologist to the intellectual challenges presented by one of her most memorable teachers, Psychology Professor Virginia Slaughter, a specialist in infant development.

Dr Heron-Delaney cites Professor Slaughter’s class on infant development as the turning point for her future career in research based psychology.

“In groups we had to bring in a baby from someone we knew, and complete a study with that baby. With the data collected from all the babies, the class was able to actually analyse and see infant research in practice,” Dr Heron-Delaney said.

“Professor Slaughter also facilitated good group discussion – she presented us with interesting studies and talked through our interpretations. Everyone loved that course.”

Dr Heron-Delaney said critical thinking, a curious mind and exploring different perspectives were just some of the values instilled by Professor Slaughter.

“The main thing with Virginia, both with her teaching methods in the classroom or as a research student, is that she teaches you to really critically think and think outside the box.

“She really taught us to stop and think about what data actually means and not sort of just go with what’s been published or what the authors think it means or what your first guess might be.  Actually really look at it a bit further and alternative explanations, which I think is probably one of the most valuable things as an academic. To be able to look at things from multiple perspectives and not just see what you want to see with the results.”

Dr Heron-Delaney said these learnings carried across from her psychology course to everyday life.

“From a research sense, she taught me so much about human development and life in general…it gave me a good perspective on human development throughout the life span, based on how important this first year (of our lives) is and what babies are actually learning from their parents and from their environment.

“What makes a great professor? To me it’s humour, ambition and motivation.

“What she (Professor Slaughter) did was make me realise that even if it’s difficult, and you’re not sure what you’re going to do at the end, just follow your dreams and it will get you there. And now I’m still able to collaborate with her (Professor Slaughter), and that’s the idea,” Dr Heron-Delaney said.

Building relationships – learning is a two-way street

Alumnus and ophthalmologist Dr Mark Loane AM values the relationships he developed with a number of excellent professors while at UQ, including Professor Ken Donald, Professor Bill Stephenson and Emeritus Professor Max Howell AO, a Sports History scholar and the first Chair for the School of Human Movement Studies (HMS).

“I can remember the day I thought of studying medicine and I never thought of anything else. I was fortunate to come to university and find professors that I admired, became friends with and who helped shape my path to achieve my goals,” Dr Loane said.

Since his graduation from UQ in 1977 with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, Dr Loane has had a distinguished career – treating more than 200,000 patients, and spending part of the last 14 years providing eye health services to rural, remote and indigenous communities in the Cape York region.

He acknowledges the influence of Professor Howell in particular as important to his own career.

“Academically, it was the example he set,” Dr Loane said.

“There is a reassurance and an inspiration that if your teachers became doctors, and love their work, then surely it’s worthwhile. It’s interesting how teachers inspire students; it’s so subtle and powerful.”

Professor Howell still believes the best HMS students are those who have a great empathy for others, and the success of those students requires professors who can relate to them.

“It’s a teaching profession and it’s our job to do everything possible to make the subject interesting and talk to the students. You have to be available at all times; the students come first,” he said.

Providing the context for learning is a hallmark of good teaching

Great teachers make learning meaningful by providing a context and lots of opportunities for students to get hands on experience.

In 1970, UQ appointed Professor Philip Bračanin as a lecturer in Musicology. Professor Bracˇanin had graduated in both music and mathematics as well as having a Masters and PhD in Musicology.

“I came to UQ as a specialist in the analysis of cutting-edge new art-form music. My research involved a critique of the use of mathematics, especially set theory, employed by scholars in leading American universities,” Professor Bracˇanin said.

As a teacher, and later Head of the School of Music, he always encouraged students to listen, perform and compose like professionals – in the real world – emphasising a combination of creative and analytical thinking.

World renowned guitarist and UQ alumna Karin Schaupp, who graduated in 1993 with a Bachelor of Music (First Class Honours) and a Master of Music in 1998, appreciated Professor Bracˇanin’s practical teaching style.

“Professor Bračanin taught me to listen to a wide variety of music critically and to analyse why one work appealed to me and another didn’t,” she said.

“He also gave me a realistic understanding of the challenges of a musical career.”

The lifecycle of a UQ professor

From left to right: Professor Tom Smith, Professor Frank Finn and Professor Allan Kleidon

By Professor Tom Smith

What I remember about my professors at UQ is that they had a passion for teaching as well as research. Professor Reg Gynther was the textbook model of what I expected a professor to be. He was well dressed, hard-working, scholarly and obviously loved what he did. Reg was fervently engaged with students; he wrote to me at the end of each semester congratulating me on my results and suggesting that I consider doing Honours. After three years and six of those letters, I took him up on his offer.

What I learnt from Reg is that it is okay to adamantly defend a viewpoint and doubt another’s and that healthy debate, if done in the right spirit, can be influential in advancing the field.

Professor Frank Finn, who I took a number of subjects with, is incredibly passionate about research. He lights up when he talks about research and all of his students would hang on his every word. Frank would challenge you to “get your hands dirty”, meaning we shouldn’t just talk about theories; we should go out to the market place and see how they work.

Professor Allan Kleidon probably had the most influence on my academic career. He was my teacher in Introductory Accounting, in Honours and later during my PhD at Stanford University. I remember going to his classes and having every assignment question wrong, but rather than being dismayed, I was inspired.

Professor Don Anderson was my Honours supervisor and helped me see research as a series of wonderful mysteries. I still feel that sense of mystery and fun when I do research and hope to pass it on to my students.

What they all gave me was the idea that you have to believe in what you are doing, you have to stand for your research and be prepared to passionately defend it.

As a Professor of Finance, I hope to stimulate my students. My aim is to get across the big ideas. Students at UQ are very curious and very hard working, so if I can lay out the big picture, they can fill in the details. It’s important to set a framework for students to be able to work things out themselves.

I owe much of my career to my professors. While I am regarded as a great teacher, I am realistic and always think of the Charlie Brown cartoon where all the kids hear when the adults talk to them is “blah blah blah” and have to go figure out between themselves what’s going on.

What may be surprising to some students is that they have an impact on us too. Students that are curious and stubborn are the ones that we know will have bold ideas and carry them out, even when others tell them to take a safer road. I tell my students that if things seem hard, it’s because they are learning, and that’s what going to a great university like UQ is about.

It is very humbling to be back at UQ as the Frank Finn Professor of Finance, since Frank was one of the big influences on my career, and is one of UQ’s great professors. Something that has helped is the advice of my Executive Dean, Business, Economics and Law, Professor Iain Watson, who told me that if we as teachers could show even half the passion that Frank shows for research and inspire half the number of young scholars, UQ would be very happy.

Tom Smith is The University of Queensland’s Frank Finn Professor of Finance. He graduated from UQ in 1980 with a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) and again in 1982, when he completed his Masters.

If you know a great professor we should acknowledge, please email advancementnews@uq.edu.au

Associate Professor Lloyd Davis

Associate Professor Lloyd Davis

Brilliant at many things; good at everything is how the late Associate Professor Lloyd Davis (pictured left) is remembered.

His intelligence, good sense and willingness to try have stuck with his colleagues, peers, family and those whose lives he touched during the course of his career.

Associate Professor Davis died in 2005, aged 46. His widow, Julia Duffy, said her husband’s extraordinary energy and drive was not just evident in his professional life: he also demonstrated this commitment at home, providing a wonderful role model for his then young children

“Lloyd was a natural mentor,” Ms Duffy said.

“He had the skills and temperament not just to succeed in his own right, but even more importantly to coach others and to nurture their careers.”

Associate Professor Davis first came to UQ in 1989, when he was still completing a PhD in English at the City University of New York.

For him, it was a rapid rise from senior tutor to Head (elect) of the School of English, Media Studies and Art History in 2005, shortly before he passed away.

He had always shown great promise, receiving a scholarship to study in New York after completing his undergraduate degree with first-class honours at the University of Sydney.

As Associate Professor Davis’s career developed, he showed remarkable versatility, not just publishing traditional literary criticism, but also writing what are still considered as major set texts, such as Tools for Cultural Studies with Tony Thwaites and Warwick Mules in 1994, and An Introduction to Academic Writing with Sue McKay in 1996.

In 1999, he won the national Australian Universities’ Humanities Teacher of the Year Award and started service as Arts Faculty Director of Studies, a position he held from 1999-2000.

He published several books and many articles on his specialist area of Early Modern Literary Studies – most notably Guise and Disguise:Rhetoric and Characterisation in the English Renaissance, and an anthology of contemporary Renaissance documents titled Sexuality and Gender in the English Renaissance.

One of his later works, Shakespeare Matters, helped cement his status as a significant international scholar in the field.
In 2006, UQ established the Lloyd Davis Memorial Visiting Professor in Shakespeare Studies.

The 2012 recipient, Professor Tom Bishop from the University of Auckland, said he was honoured to take up the position.

“I knew Lloyd, but not well,” Professor Bishop said.

“I found him a warm and energetic presence, kind and gracious, with a lively wit, a ready mind and an eloquent pen.

“I look forward to exploring some of my current thinking about Shakespeare together with staff and students of the University at all levels, and with the general public.”
For more information on how you can give to the Lloyd Davis Memorial Visiting Professorship in Shakespeare Studies Appeal, please email giving@uq.edu.au

For more information on how you can give to the Lloyd Davis Memorial Visiting Professorship in Shakespeare Studies Appeal, please email giving@uq.edu.au

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