APPLETON, WIS. — Lawrence University has received a $1 million gift from the S & R Pieper Family Foundation in Mequon, Wis., to establish an endowed professorship that will foster and promote the concept of altruistic leadership at the college.
In conjunction with the gift, Lawrence President Jill Beck announced the appointment of Alan Parks, professor of mathematics, as the first holder of the Pieper Family Servant-Leader Professorship, effective July 1, 2007. Parks will have major responsibilities for enhancing Lawrence’s involvement in courses that feature community-based learning.
In appointing Parks to the Pieper Professorship, Beck stated that “Professor Parks will bring energy, thoughtfulness, and wisdom to the important goal of helping our students develop as citizen-leaders. His experience as a respected member of Lawrence’s faculty combined with his deep commitment to the ideals of community engagement makes him uniquely qualified for this position. He will help our students connect their learning in the classroom, laboratory, and studio with a commitment to use that learning effectively and responsibly in the contemporary world.”
The Pieper gift also will provide funding for an extensive assessment plan, including the collection of baseline data, longitudinal assessment and comparison with peer institutions on measures of character, attitudes and behavior related to servant-leadership, altruism, and community service. Parks will coordinate the assessment in conjunction with Bill Skinner, Lawrence’s director of research administration.
The principles behind servant-leadership were articulated by Robert K. Greenleaf (1904-90), a former AT&T executive, teacher, consultant, and essayist. Greenleaf endorsed a practical philosophy that encourages collaboration in decision making, promotes trust and ethical use of power and empowerment, and emphasizes a holistic approach to work and human relations.
In awarding the gift, Richard Pieper, founder and executive director of the foundation, cited Lawrence’s student honor code, a system overseen entirely by students to ensure academic integrity, as a great building block in not only educating honorable individuals, but also for molding citizens capable of honorable conduct in broader society.
The goal of the new Pieper Family Servant-Leader Professorship will be to support and expand existing courses as well as aid in the development of new courses with an integrated academic and community approach to learning.
Parks has taught mathematics and computer science at Lawrence since 1985. He has written text material for three upper-level courses. A member of the American Mathematical Society, Parks’ research interests in applied mathematics include dynamical systems, differential equations, and error correcting codes. He also is interested in the theory of computation and the analysis of computer algorithms.
Parks was recognized in 1987 with Lawrence’s Outstanding Young Teacher award. He earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
