Arnavaz Fatemi / Roundup
As each semester passes, students at Pierce College come and go. However, the professors who impact the lives of those students are remembered forever.
Gail Hobbs, a geography professor who died this year of cancer, will be memorialized by having the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) room named after her, making a “Gail Hobbs Memorial Scholarship” and honoring her with the 2009 Professor of the Year Award.
“It’s the greatest thing that could happen to honor her teaching career at Pierce,” said William Russell, instructor of anthropological and geographical sciences.
Russell also said that along with naming the GIS room after Hobbs, a plaque will go up in her memory.
Along with getting the professor of the year award, according to Pierce President Robert Garber, the Pierce Emeritus Professors (PEP) give a check to the winning professor. Garber predicts the check will go to the scholarship fund which will not be awarded until next year.
“I’m so sad that she isn’t there to enjoy it,” said Anthropology Professor Diane Levine.
She went on to say, “It’s great that her sons will be there to see this part of her legacy. She was very student oriented and active in her program.”
Levine isn’t the only professor who thinks Hobbs was great with her students.
“She was always an advocate from students but made sure students earned the grade,” said Russell
The choice of who gets the award is a senate recognition, according to Garber. Even though he does agree that Hobbs is deserving of the award.
“She was an exemplary teacher and was very dedicated to her field,” Garber stated.
“Gail [Hobbs] deserves it for her work and not for dying in the middle of the school year,” he said.
Gail Hobbs (right) died Feb. 8, after a battle with cancer. Hobbs was a member of the National Council for Geographic Education for over 20 years and served as President in 1999. This semester she recieves the honor of “Teacher of the Year.” (National Council for Geography Education)
