The Griffon News

English professor Michael Cadden was presented with the Missouri Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching by Governor Matt Blunt in Jefferson City at a luncheon on April 9.

This particular award singles out effective teaching and advising, service to the university, commitment to high standards of excellence and success in playing a role in the success of students.

Dr. Cadden has exemplified all of these traits and more.

“Typically, this award is given to those who have received the Board of Governors’ Distinguished Faculty Award, The Jesse Lee Myers Excellence in Teaching Award and the Dr. James Victor Mehl Outstanding Faculty Scholarship Award,” Cadden said.

Jennie McDonald, executive administrative associate of academic and student affairs, said candidates are chosen from those who have received these awards within the past three years (2005, 2006 and 2007).

Those in charge of the selection process are the Provost (Joseph Bragin), the academic deans and the president of faculty senate.

Only one faculty member from each public and private college or university in Missouri will receive this award  each year.

Last year, it was Journalism professor Ann Thorne who won this award.

She was chosen from the group of Western faculty members who received the awards Cadden has received.
Along with keeping busy chairing the English, Foreign Languages and Journalism department, Cadden teaches children’s and young adult literature, as well as other literature courses and freshman composition.
He received the Dr. James Victor Mehl Outstanding Faculty Scholarship Award due to the successful year in which his research was published, and his growing reputation as a scholar in the field of children’s literature.

The Governors’ Distinguished Professor Award, in which he also received, acknowledged faculty with excellent records in teaching, scholarship/creative activity and professional service.

Cadden has recently written a book on Ursula K. Le Guin, an author first published in the 1960’s who has written novels, poetry, children’s books, essays and short stories - all of the fantasy and science fiction genre. One of her most current publications is a book called “The Lathe of Heaven,” a psychological thriller revolving around a character whose dreams alter reality. It won the Locus Poll Award for best novel in 1972, and was eventually made into two television films. 

Aside from writing about this particular author, Cadden is now editing a collection of essays on children’s literature for the University of Nebraska Press.

He also regularly reviews children’s literature in professional journals.