Carpenter, Sanders named as distinguished faculty
“All of what we do outside of the classrooms informs of what we do inside the classroom,” David Carpenter, English professor, said after receiving the Distinguished Faculty Award with piano professor George Sanders.
The Faculty Senate named the two winners during its April 16 meeting after receiving nominations from alumni, faculty, staff, administrators and students.
Nominees had to be tenured or tenure track in at least their fourth full-time year at Eastern. The award was given based on teaching activity, research and creative activity and service.
Carpenter began his work at Eastern in 1986 as an assistant English professor and later became an associate professor in 1988 and a professor in 1993.
Currently, he serves on the Faculty Senate and the Council for University Planning and Budget. He is the contract officer for the University Professionals of Illinois, the faculty union, as well as a legislative delegate and a member of the UPI grievance committee.
On teaching, Carpenter said he enjoys “helping students find their way into practice. Their accomplishments make you feel accomplished.”
Sanders, who is retiring at the end of this semester after 38 years of teaching, started teaching piano at Eastern in 1964 as an instructor. He became an assistant professor in 1969, an associate professor in 1980 and a professor in 1985.
Growing up, Sanders said his family never had a television until he was about to graduate from high school, so he spent a lot of time playing the piano with his first teacher, his father.
Although retiring, Sanders said, “I can’t give up the piano.
“I can express myself with music,” he said. “It’s very therapeutic.”
While at Eastern, Sanders has been chair of the departmental personnel committee and the curriculum committee. He has served on the graduate committee and the judicial committee. He has also brought many guest musicians to Eastern while serving as the classical music chair for the celebration festival of the arts, the artist series board and the student concert board among many others.
