Rhodes College is honoring Cornell College alumnus Marcus Pohlmann ’72 for outstanding teaching.
Pohlmann, a professor in the Department of Political Science at the Memphis, Tenn. college, received the Clarence Day Award for Outstanding Teaching, which was presented April 28 at the college’s awards convocation held on campus.
The award is given to a member of the faculty who has demonstrated excellence in teaching over the previous three years as determined by the assessments of students and colleagues, the effective use of imaginative and creative pedagogy, and a strong record of motivating students to embrace a life of continuing study.
Since joining Rhodes in 1986, Pohlmann has become a beloved professor who served as chair of the Department of Political Science for 16 years and who coached the college’s highly competitive intercollegiate mock trial team to four national championships.
Nomination letters came from more than 40 colleagues, students, and alumni expressing the powerful impact Pohlmann has had on students in his 31-year career at Rhodes.
One colleague noted, “His immense wisdom and years of experience in teaching matters of Constitutional law have impressed upon his students a hunger for knowledge, an appreciation for the subject matter, and a passion to continue learning the law outside the gates of the college in law schools and legal practices across the country.”
“Professor Pohlmann has changed the trajectory of my future studies,” wrote a student. “His class has given me more information and context to help me navigate current race relations in America. His class is invaluable.” Other students called him a mentor and a guide.
An alumnus who went into the legal profession stated, “He taught me to think critically about political, social, and legal issues, to question whether I believed laws were just, and to consider the true meaning and value of my place in the legal profession beyond on-paper academic success.”
Finally, regarding the deep impact Pohlmann has had on the lives of so many students, a Rhodes graduate wrote, “As a teacher, Mark helped transform me into the person that I am today. He helped and encouraged me to pursue my passions. He challenged me to think about other perspectives, and he exposed me to thinkers and writers that I had never encountered.”
Pohlmann holds degrees from Cornell College and Columbia University.