Grove City College granted two distinguished retired professors the title of Emeritus Professor, the first time in College history that the honor has been bestowed.
Dr. Durwood Ray, retired professor of Biology, and Dr. Gary Scott Smith ’72, retired department chair and professor of History, earned the status as a result of their service to Grove City College and continued work in their fields after retirement, College Board of Trustees Chair David R. Rathburn ’79 said Friday, May 17.
The Trustees approved the title this spring and authorized the College’s president to grant it to select retired faculty who have served Grove City College exceptionally well, have a distinguished record of published scholarship and who continue producing significant and valuable scholarship in retirement. Emeritus professors are recommended by the department in which they served, the dean overseeing that department and the provost.
Ray and Smith have a history of tremendous contributions over many years at Grove City College, Dr. David Ayers, interim provost and vice president for Academic Affairs noted.
Ray joined the faculty in 1994 and served as a professor until retiring in 2011. He continues to teach on an adjunct basis. He is the author or co-author of 17 refereed journal articles, almost 40 abstracts, a book chapter, and numerous conference presentations. He continues to do incredibly valuable work on tumor progressive cell lines, including three published papers and patent efforts.
Smith joined the faculty in 1978 and retired in 2017. He earned professor of the year awards from the College and the state and was author or editor of 11 books, including two on the faith of U.S. presidents, as well as many book chapters, opinion pieces and conference presentations. He remains an active scholar, having recently completed the book “A History of Christianity in Pittsburgh.”