Bill Eakin, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Philosophy and German
Ph.D., University of Arkansas
M.A., University of California, Davis
B.A., Hendrix College
Office: 219 Walton Fine Arts Center
Phone: (479) 979-1457
E-Mail: beakin@ozarks.edu
After serving as an adjunct faculty member for 10 years, Dr. Bill Eakin joined the Ozarks faculty in 2000 in a full time capacity. He has taught a variety of courses in the Humanities and Fine Arts Division and one has only to spend a few moments with him to see how much he enjoys his work as a university professor. "Here at Ozarks there is a real sense of community. [There is] close personal contact between students and teachers, and between teachers of various disciplines. I have turned down positions elsewhere precisely because there was no communication between divisions. Such a breakdown may be the natural result of the way we have come to understand knowledge in the 20th century; but I think it finally detrimental to the advancement of both knowledge and wisdom."
When asked what influenced him to pursue a teaching career, Dr. Eakin replies, "I decided to become a professor because, as a student, I have had some personal, remarkable 'AHA!' intellectual experiences that have, in fact, become among my most important experiences as a human. If I can facilitate an awakening to the amazing world of letters, culture, knowledge and real human thought, then I feel as if what I am doing is worthwhile." He continues with some advice to students. "I teach philosophy, religion, art, humanities and German. In all these areas, including my own specialized areas of academic work, I hope the student will begin to see and experience the broader world beyond his or her own previously imposed limits. I know I am always stretching mine." To that end, Dr. Eakin is actively involved in the Ozarks Abroad programs, helping students in visits to places like France, Greece, Italy, Germany and Egypt."
Dr. Eakin recently completed work on "Redgunk Tales, Apocalypse and Kudzu from Redgunk, Mississippi." This collection of short-stories set in Redgunk, Mississippi (a town with a population of 400-some-odd people, a dog with black, smelly lips, and a mummy!) has received accolades for its ability to touch the heart. The imaginative story-telling has one reviewer comparing Dr. Eakin to "Thomas Wolfe on acid, or James Joyce on moonshine...." Dr. Eakin's short stories have appeared in some fifty publications, including Amazing Stories, Realms of Fantasy, Science Fiction Age, and Fantasy & Science Fiction. Dr. Eakin's website contains more information about his numerous literary works.
Is there anything Dr. Eakin would change about his life? Probably not. He says, "If I could be 18 again, I would do nothing differently -- because whatever experiences we have accrued, our life is the raw material from which we will and must weave something like Self: hopefully, Self that is always renewing, creative, adventurous, challenged."
