High Class Acts

Spring/Summer 2005

It was mildly ironic that Margaret Doane hadn’t been around much to do the very job for which she was about to be honored. When Cal State San Bernardino President Albert Karnig told her she’d been named the university’s Outstanding Professor for 2005, the truth was that Doane had been on sabbatical and was actually sitting in a meeting she’d been asked to attend — a ruse to bring her to campus.

The English professor had been noticed because, as a faculty member since 1976, she has developed 10 new courses at CSUSB, including “Regional American Literature,” “Shelley and Browning,” “Utopian Literature” and “The Victorian Novel.” She also created the successful English Honors program and EPIC, an advising center for undergraduate English majors. Just as significant, though, is her work with students. During her career Doane has mentored 398 independent study projects (about 16 per year) and directed more than 70 internships.

“What’s remarkable is that she does all of these things well,” said Karnig. “I do this every few years with Margaret,” he added. “She was the Golden Apple Teaching Award winner in 2002, and Outstanding Adviser in 2001, so it seems I’m always presenting her an award.”

This year’s Golden Apple Award winner, who was named last November, is Eugene Wong, a professor of psychology. Past award winners and administrators accompanied Karnig to break the big news to Wong at an unannounced visit to one of his classes.

“I spend most of my days with students,” Wong said, “and I love what I do. It’s very nice to be recognized.” The Golden Apple is an annual award given for excellence in teaching, advising and mentoring.

Karnig praised Wong as “a great teacher who has developed and taught 14 different courses at CSUSB. He has an extraordinary ability to explain complex concepts.” Wong has taught psychology, human development and education classes at the university since joining the College of Social and Behavioral Science’s faculty in 1994. He has served as coordinator of the Human Development program since 1997, a capacity in which he advises about 10 students every week. He has also advised international and graduate students and for years has chaired the university’s McNair Scholars Program Research Project. The McNair Scholars program aids minority students in pursuing graduate studies.

Doane and Wong were honored in March along with other faculty and staff from CSUSB, San Bernardino Valley College and the San Bernardino City Unified School District at the San Bernardino Mayor’s Golden Apple Awards event.

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