Personal Connections that Balance Challenge with Support

As of its most distinguishing features, Roanoke College focuses on enabling learning and growth through strong personal connections. So, it is not surprising that when alumni were asked what influenced them the most at Roanoke, they ranked relationships with professors at the top of their list.

Ask professors what they are most proud of at Roanoke, and many will talk about mentoring a student, possibly through challenging work done together for a Summer Scholar project, Undergraduate Research Assistants Program (URAP), a performance or other projects.

Roanoke's Teacher-Scholars

Equally important is the scholarly work undertaken by Roanoke is outstanding faculty, making them experts in their fields.

• 95 percent of tenure-track faculty members hold the highest degrees in their academic arena. 
• Many have published books, including Calculus by Dr. Roland Minton, a textbook used all over the world; Guns, Gun Control, and Elections: The Politics and Policy of Firearms by Dr. Harry Wilson, professor of political science, and The Madhouse Nudes by Dr. Robert Schultz, a novel about a painter who moves from New York City to a small Iowa town. 
• Roanoke College professors are researching topics in areas such as nanotechnology, genetics and bioinformatics, how personality traits affect music preferences and many more.