Farewell to Dr. Elaine Baker, Professor of Psychology

Marshall University will bid adieu to one of its finest in June 2008. Dr. Elaine Baker, Professor of Psychology; MU-ADVANCE Administrative Partner; and Director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL), will say good-bye to academia and hello to retirement. Having dedicated 36 years to Marshall University, Dr. Baker will begin a new phase in her life.

Beginning her academic career at Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio, Dr. Baker says that hers was an “accidental life.” As a junior, the Dean of Students came to her and insisted that she pick a major. She was enrolled in a psychology course and decided that that was what she would do. After completing her B.A., Dr. Baker went on to Miami University where she would earn a M.A. in General Psychology and a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology, specializing in Animal Behavior. Following one year as an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Wilmington College, Dr. Baker was offered and accepted a position in Marshall’s Psychology Department, where she has dedicated herself to her students and to the improvement of the university at large.

Viewing retirement as a plethora of opportunities and possibilities, Dr. Baker has not yet decided which path she will choose. She will continue to care for her elderly mother, and plans to volunteer for Branches Domestic Violence Center and perhaps the Public Library. Teaching English abroad or joining the Peace Corps in Bulgaria are just a few of the many possible adventures in Dr. Baker’s future.

Although she “accidentally” became a psychologist, Dr. Baker says that if she had her life to live over, she would do it exactly the same.

MU-ADVANCE would like to thank Dr. Baker for bringing her knowledge and skills to the Program. It was through her vision and efforts as the Director of the CATL that the MU-ADVANCE Program learned to address the concerns of new female hires as they assimilate to Marshall.

On behalf of the entire university, MU-ADVANCE wishes Dr. Baker a retirement full of adventure and happiness. Thank you for nearly four decades of dedication.