Dr. Elissa Heil
Professor of English & Spanish
Assistant Dean
B.A., Dickinson College
Ph.D., New York University
Office: 151 Walton Fine Arts Center
Phone: (479) 979-1338
E-Mail: eheil@ozarks.edu
For Dr. Elissa Heil, teaching is a passion and a lifelong mission -- "Teaching is a journey, and I love to travel. Each semester we get to take a new road with fresh challenges and experiences. Teaching is one of the few careers where one can remain a student of life forever. Besides," she adds, "what better way to make a career out of my love of literature!" Dr. Heil's career at Ozarks began in 1992 when she joined the Humanities and Fine Arts Faculty. Her refreshing approach to teaching quickly earned the respect of her peers and she was awarded the Bagwell Oustanding Faculty Member award in 1995 and again in 2001.
Her decision to join the Ozarks faculty was influenced, in part, by the small size of the school and by the relationship she saw between the faculty and students. "Because we're so small, I enjoy having the opportunity to get to know many of our students. But equally important is that, clearly, the faculty shares a commitment to the mission of the institution: to provide a supportive and challenging liberal environment for our students. Teaching is the priority and passion of the faculty here, and I thrive in that kind of community." She stresses to her students how important it is to study a subject they love and to venture to try new areas of study.
Asked what she likes to do in her time away from work, Dr. Heil laughingly replies, "I'm never away from work! But I enjoy travel, family, dance, animals, fitness, the kitchen, friends and good wine." She says she finds inspiration for her busy life in the people around her, as well as in things as simple as a good novel or an intimate conversation. She admits she also finds inspiration in "a class where it all comes together!" She says, "[My students have taught me] that every day is fresh and new and potentially exciting. I hope they [will take from my classes] a lifelong interest in learning, a commitment to diversity, skills with which to prosper in our complex world, a greater awareness of community and individuality, and a love of and respect for humanity."
