Cornell College wishes four long-time faculty members a happy retirement as they step away from teaching and into enjoying life as emeritus professors. Combined, they’ve taught at Cornell for more than 150 years, each serving students for decades.
To say they’ll be missed is an understatement. We asked them a few questions as they look forward to more free time during their retirement. Here’s what they said:
Jim Freeman, Professor of Mathematics Emeritus, Webmaster EmeritusHow many years have you worked at Cornell?
1985–2026
What were your first impressions of Cornell?
The civility of the campus. We could disagree passionately, but never hold grudges.
What will you miss the most about teaching at Cornell?
The students.
How did your teaching style change over the years?
Like an aged wine, with more experience comes subtle improvements. My teaching philosophy has not changed. I still want to help students discover their limits and then push beyond those limits. While the content of a course is clearly important, the real goal of a course should be the ability to think independently with confidence, to recognize errors, and to learn from those errors. If a student understands a concept quickly, they usually do not take the time to understand the concept deeply. When learning a new topic, making a mistake usually yields a deeper understanding of the concept. I hope I have been able to share techniques so that when a student makes a mistake, they can recognize that an error has occurred and have the ability to understand a concept more deeply than if no error had occurred. Errors are to be treasured, not feared.
Is there a teaching moment or classroom experience you’ll always remember?
The day on the fourth floor of Law Hall when Algebear came to Cornell to work with students.
What project or publication are you most proud of and why?
Helping with the development of the technology infrastructure of the college and the original website for the Iowa General Assembly.
Do you have any advice that you’d like to share with new faculty?
Treasure your students and colleagues.
James Martin, Professor of Music, L.L. Hamline Professor of Liberal Arts EmeritusHow long have you worked at Cornell?
1981–2026
What are your plans for retirement?
I have many books to read; more piano playing, more world travel, more concerts, operas, and plays to attend.
What were your first impressions of Cornell?
Upon arriving at Cornell in 1981, I discovered faculty from virtually every department who appreciated one another as people and took real interest in one another’s work. And they loved their work, working very hard at being strong teachers and continuing to advance in their own learning, their own sense of being a persistent searcher in the world. I said to myself, “This is the place for me.” I have looked upon many faculty colleagues as role models. They have sustained me.
Is there a teaching moment or classroom experience you’ll always remember?
I have deliberately connected my own growth to my work with students, and they have generally been appreciative of this. There are so many students whose attributes are burned into my memory; so many differently talented people who made their mark upon me. I continue to cherish them. My heart glows inside when I hear from them about another of their adventures post-Cornell.
Which project or publication are you most proud of, and why?
It's really a lifelong one. It would be my wrestling with the many piano works I have studied and performed in public. I started studying piano at age 5, and I am still a student of it. The intellectual, spiritual, physical, sensual, etc. interaction with great music is something that challenges me like nothing else. Just the struggle is what I am most proud of.
What’s your favorite place on campus?
In my office, at my piano.
Christina Penn-Goetsch, Professor of Art History EmeritaHow many years have you worked at Cornell?
1996–2026
What are your plans for retirement?
Although my first goal will be to get some sleep after the end of the year, most of my retirement plans include focusing my energies on taking care of animals with Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center. I might even have time to make some art.
Which project or publication are you most proud of, and why?
Two projects have changed my life. The first involves working with students, Steven Coburn ’18, Jessica Meis ’19, Kai Feitler ’24, Zoe Lopez ’25, and Lena Cheatham ’24, as part of the CSRI (Cornell Summer Research Institute) program to document and, often, reattribute old master drawings in the college's Sonnenschein Collection. It's rare for undergraduates to be able to work with early modern works and actually handle them. They learned they have the ability to challenge professionals in the field.
My most rewarding experience was facilitating the return of a Mississippian sculpture from our collection to the Muscogee-Creek Nation. The identification of this funerary statue was made by Natalie Zenk ’25 as the focus of her senior art history/archaeology thesis.
What are your favorite places on campus?
Three places come to mind. The first is having the opportunity to live and teach my students in Rome, Italy. That's my very favorite part of Cornell’s extended campus.
Closer to home, I love my McWethy office window that looks out over the Hilltop and the Cornell College sign. It’s fun to watch parents take photographs of students as they enter the college and when they leave at graduation.
The third location is Allee Chapel, where my wife and I were legally married in 2009. Our first wedding was at an Iowa City church and attended by most of my art department colleagues in 1997. Support is a wonderful gift.
Leon Tabak, Professor of Computer Science EmeritusHow many years have you worked at Cornell?
1989–2026
What are your plans for retirement?
I will eat better, exercise more, and go to bed on time every night. I will add more fiction to my reading list. I will continue my efforts to be a better husband and father every day.
What were your first impressions of Cornell?
A winter storm delayed my arrival when I came to interview at Cornell College. Long after midnight, in an otherwise empty airport, I found Professors Tony deLaubenfels and Jim Freeman waiting for me and my wife Christine. That made a decisive and lasting impression. I chose to join our college’s faculty because of the people that I met here. I stayed because of the support and friendships that they offered to me.
How did your teaching style change over the years?
I have come to see myself as a wilderness guide. I cannot climb the mountain for you, but I can tell you which trails will get you to the top and what you should expect to see along the way. I will not catch the fish for you, but I can point you to the part of the lake where you might want to drop your line. Together, we will enjoy the view from the summit. When the sun breaks through and a breeze blows away the clouds of mosquitoes, we will share a delicious lunch on the shore.
Do you have any advice you’d like to share with new faculty?
Remember that each of your students has hidden talents, interests, and ambitions. Although their talents might not blossom until years after they leave your classroom, the encouragement that you give them today will help them find their way.