May
9, 2005Roulier awarded top teaching prize at Lyon College
May
9, 2005
award was announced at the college’s commencement exercises Saturday.
The Williamson Prize is given annually by Lyon College to the faculty member deemed to be the most outstanding in four categories: professional competence, scholarly ability, exemplary humane and Christian values, and contributions to the community.
“Lyon has afforded me the opportunity to work with some exceptional students and colleagues,” Dr. Roulier said. “I am very honored, especially considering the number of other deserving faculty, to receive the Williamson Prize.”
Dr. Roulier is the 26th Lyon professor to receive the Williamson Prize, which was established in 1979 by the Lyon Board of Trustees in memory of Lamar Williamson (1887-1974) of Monticello, Ark. A distinguished lawyer, businessman and civic and Presbyterian Church leader, Williamson attended Lyon College from 1901-1903 and remained a friend of the college throughout his life.
Dr. Roulier joined the Lyon College faculty in 2000. He teaches courses ranging from U.S. Government and Politics to Citizenship, Civility, and Civil Society; and his students give him glowing reviews. A student in his entry-level class characterized him as “one of the most enthusiastic teachers I have ever had . . .” Another comments that he is “. . . always available. He offers lots of help outside of the classroom . . .” Still another terms him a “wonderful instructor. He is energetic and enthusiastic about the lessons.”
He currently serves as faculty adviser for the Lyon Moot Court Team and leads a pre-law student organization. He has led Lyon’s campus-wide Service Day in which students, faculty, and staff annually contribute hundreds of hours of service to local, not-for-profit, volunteer groups, and friends. He inspired the creation of Lyon’s Office of Volunteer Education, a student-led clearinghouse that pairs service-oriented students with community opportunities.
He was chosen Lyon College Alpha Chi Professor the Year in 2002-2003 and the Lyon College Lambda-Iota Chapter of Kappa Sigma Professor of the Year in 2001-2002.
He holds a Ph.D. and an M.A., both from the University of Virginia, and a B.A. from the University of Denver. Before coming to Lyon, Dr. Roulier taught at Dowling College in New York, where he won the Pride Award for Distinguished Teaching. His areas of scholarship are political philosophy and constitutional law.
He has authored a book, “Kantian Virtue at the Intersection of Politics and Nature: the Vale of Soul-Making,” published in 2004 by the University of Rochester Press. He has published several articles in scholarly journals and presented papers and lectures at numerous professional conferences.
Dr. Roulier is a worship leader at Fellowship Bible Church of Batesville. A native of Loveland, Colorado, he is married to Julie Roulier, M.D., and they have two sons, Sean and Peter.
The Williamson Prize confers upon the recipient a silver cup and a stipend from a memorial fund, both of which were given by J. Gaston Williamson of Little Rock in honor of his father. The award is announced at commencement each May. The winner of the prize presents a public lecture at a convocation the following academic year.
Nominations for the Williamson Prize are solicited from faculty and students in March, and are reviewed in the spring by a selection committee composed of faculty, staff and students. The Lyon Board of Trustees approves the committee’s recommendation at its April meeting.