| Three Black Hills State
University faculty were honored recently at a university
sponsored recognition reception. Faculty retiring this
spring are Howard Perry, professor of business, and Ella
Stotz, assistant professor of education. Lorella Donlin,
associate professor of business, who retired late in the
spring a year ago, was also recognized.
Perry was also recognized as the recipient of the
university's distinguished faculty award. His 43-year
education career includes 35 years at BHSU.
A survivor of new curriculums and advances in
technology, he believes “in teaching you have to be
flexible and willing to change. It's been a fun 43 years.
...”
Of all the classes he has taught over the years,
COBOL, beginning computer classes and business law were
the courses he most enjoyed. He has taught everything
from typing and shorthand to office practice and program
languages. There aren't many business-education courses
he hasn't taught at one time or another.
He envisions big changes in the future with
development of the electronic classrooms, distance
education, and the ability of students to get information
and expertise from anywhere in the world.
His involvement and commitment to students as well as
to the community were traits that colleagues unanimously
cited as admirable in their letters nominating him for
the distinguished faculty award.
Regarding meaningful teaching he said, “The
satisfaction comes in the long run, seeing your students
in positions of management and being productive
citizens. In class, you hoped they were understanding the
concepts being taught.”
Perry joined the BH business faculty in 1965 and
completed his Ph.D. in business education from the
University of Northern Colorado in 1977. He will retire
from teaching June 30.
Ella Stotz joined the BHSU education
faculty in 1992 as a supervisor of student teachers. She
teaches graduate and undergraduate classes and serves as
the liaison person for Black Hills State courses taught
at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology campus.
The most interesting aspects of her job are
“seeing the new teachers going out and seeing how
they've matured and how they use the new teaching
techniques,” she said in an interview earlier in her
career at BH. “I like what I'm doing as a change
agent with student teachers”
A proponent of life-long learning, Stotz started
college as a mature women in her thirties. She graduated
from Huron College in 1970 with a degree in German. She
began working as a language instructor and counselor. She
held positions as a work coordinator for South Dakota
V.I.E.W. (Vital Information for Education and Work) and
later for the state as a supervisor for equality in
vocational education.
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From 1980 to 1989 she worked as a consultant for the
state department of education in several states and for
the U.S. Army in Germany. She also served as a director
of the nonprofit agency: Rural Alternatives Institute.
In 1989 she was appointed assistant superintendent of
schools for the Douglas School District and served there
until joining the BHSU faculty.
If given the opportunity to make a significant change
in education, Stotz would restructure the schools so
students at all levels could see the relevance of
education to the world of work.
Stotz earned her master's degree in counseling from
South Dakota State University in 1972 and her doctorate
in adult and higher education from the University of
South Dakota in 1985.
Although not present at the ceremony, Donlin was
recognized for her serves to the university.
Lorella Donlin joined the business
faculty as an instructor in 1984. She is a Certified
Public Accountant (CPA) and taught classes in accounting.
She began her teaching career at Douglas High School
at Ellsworth Air Force Base in 1963. She later taught
high school classes at Valley, Neb., St. Joseph's School
in Pierre and at Riggs High School in Pierre before
joining the BH faculty.
Donlin retired in 1999 with the rank of associate
professor.
She received her bachelor's degree at Dickinson State
University and her master's degree from the University of
South Dakota.
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