• Community Connections
• University Assists Katrina Victims
• Biology Professor Receives Wittenberg Medal of Honor
• History Professor Earns Fourth Fulbright Award
• Writing Center Serves as Site for First-Ever Conferences
• Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Presents Leventhal Lecture
• Wittenberg Fund Welcomes Alumnus Ken Benne
• Environmental Activist Named Wittenberg Fellow
• NEH Grant Allows for Archeological Work in Egypt
• Innovative Research
• Homecoming & Reunion Weekend 2005
• Lecture Series Honors Professor
• Lutheran Identity Study Commission Seeks Feedback
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• Director of Alumni Relations Announces Retirement
• Student's Research Wins Prize at Geography Meeting
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• Recent Grads Blog about Life after College
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Biology Professor Receives Wittenberg Medal of Honor

Surrounded by friends, faculty colleagues and former students, Elizabeth E. Powelson, professor emeritus of biology, became the 18th person in Wittenberg’s history to receive the university’s prestigious Medal of Honor.

Awarded by the Board of Directors, the medal is presented in recognition of service and dedication to Wittenberg as a liberal arts institution. Powelson received the award during the university’s 2005 Homecoming and Reunion Weekend, Oct. 28-30.

The first woman in Wittenberg’s history to teach in the sciences and one of only a handful of women scientists in the nation in 1957, Powelson inspired hundreds of students during her 44-year career at the university. An expert in genetics and microbiology and chair of the biology department, Powelson helped to develop one of the finest liberal arts college programs in the life sciences at Wittenberg.

In recognition of her distinguished teaching, advancement of the field and significant scholarly and professional achievement, Wittenberg named her the George L. Greenawalt Chair in Biology in 1972. Former students G. David K. Hopper ‘63, Ann Walchner Bellisari ‘62 and Marlene Van Cleve Shaw ‘64 have since established an endowed chair in her name to which students and friends of the beloved professor generously contributed.

“Dr. Powelson had a huge impact on the careers of hundreds of biology students, biology majors, pre-med and pre-dentistry majors, not only in the classroom, but also in the many enriching extra-curricular experiences she provided,” Bellisari said.

“She was an absolutely outstanding teacher, a wonderful role model for many of us who became college and university teachers ourselves, and she demonstrated genuine concern for the lives of her students.”

Recipient of numerous grants, Powelson was also instrumental in the design of the university’s first science building in the 1960s. A graduate of Oberlin College, Powelson received her M.A. from Wellesley College and her Ph.D. from Indiana University.