DATE: Jan. 12, 1998
Two Faculty Retire at PU/NCWESTVILLE - Two recently retired faculty members of Purdue University North Central have been honored for distinguished service by Purdue University. Marion V. Whitlow, who retired as associate professor of nursing in November (1997), was named Professor Emerita of Nursing, and Clyde L. Porter, who retired in September (1997) as professor of biology, was designated Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences. Whitlow began teaching PU/NC nursing students in as a part-time instructor in 1972, was named assistant professor in 1976 and was promoted to associate professor in 1982. Her special areas of expertise included pediatrics and medical-surgical nursing and cultural diversity in the nursing profession. Inside and outside the classroom, she was a tireless advocate of the need to build bridges among cultures. She served on various campus committees devoted to developing multicultural understanding. She is an officer of Michigan City's Minority Health Coalition and has promoted health issues as well as racial and cultural awareness in the community. In August 1963, she participated in the March on Washington, which was dedicated to promoting racial understanding. A native of Johnstown, Pa., she received her bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Pittsburgh and her master's degree from Indiana University. She came to Michigan City in 1969 with her husband, the late Emery Whitlow. Porter, whose field of expertise is botany and ecology, joined PU/NC as professor of biological sciences in 1968. He was appointed chair of the Biology/Chemistry Section in 1982, a position he held until taking disability leave in 1990. As Section chair, he was responsible for hiring several of the outstanding biology and chemistry faculty now teaching at PU/NC, and developed the original proposal which led to the Bachelor of Science in Biology degree available at PU/NC. He also instituted a faculty mentoring program. A South Carolina native, he received his bachelor's and master's degrees in biology from the University of South Carolina and his Ph.D. in botany from the University of Oklahoma. Prior to joining PU/NC, he taught at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Miami (Florida). Officially retired from PU/NC in September 1997, he lives in Cayce, S.C.
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