Physics chair emulates mentor, embraces “students first” motto
January 22, 2001
He walks with the exuberance of youth and talks with the enthusiasm of one who loves
his work. What isnt obvious is the humility Dr. Jaime Taylor feels to be following
in the footsteps of his mentor, the late Dr. Bob Sears.
With a doctorate in engineering, Taylor, associate professor of physics, pretty much
had his pick of jobs after he completed a doctoral degree. At colleges less than an
hour away, he could make significantly more than at APSU.
January 22, 2001
January 22, 2001
He walks with the exuberance of youth and talks with the enthusiasm of one who loves
his work. What isnt obvious is the humility Dr. Jaime Taylor feels to be following
in the footsteps of his mentor, the late Dr. Bob Sears.
With a doctorate in engineering, Taylor, associate professor of physics, pretty much
had his pick of jobs after he completed a doctoral degree. At colleges less than an
hour away, he could make significantly more than at APSU.
January 22, 2001
He walks with the exuberance of youth and talks with the enthusiasm of one who loves
his work. What isn't obvious is the humility Dr. Jaime Taylor feels to be following
in the footsteps of his mentor, the late Dr. Bob Sears.
With a doctorate in engineering, Taylor, associate professor of physics, pretty much
had his pick of jobs after he completed a doctoral degree. At colleges less than an
hour away, he could make significantly more than at APSU.
But like Sears, who was chair of the department until April 14, 1999--the day of his
untimely death--money means less to Taylor than daily opportunities for one-on-one
interaction with students. “Students-first” is a Sears' characteristic Taylor emulates.
It seems fitting that Taylor is department chair. Almost a legacy. He is trying to
live up to what he feels would be Sears' expectations. In addition to work as department
chair and teacher, Taylor helped create a partnership between APSU and UT-Knoxville
that resulted in a dual-degree program in physics and engineering. APSU's physics
department is working on similar programs with TSU, TTU and the University of Memphis.
During his career, Sears received many professional honors such as being president-elect
of the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), recipient of the AAPT Distinguished
Service Award and of APSU's 1992 Distinguished Professor Award.
In 1999 Sears posthumously received the Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor
APSU can confer, joining a small cadre of recipients that include newly elected Vice
President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Colin Powell.
But Taylor says such honors were not his friend's primary source of happiness. “Dr.
Sears' real joy came from working with students,” says Taylor. “He always put his
students first, enthusiastically answered their questions and helped them with their
problems, whether they were school-related or personal.
“I cannot remember a time Dr. Sears was not smiling or laughing and doing ‘stuff'
(as he would say) to help out those around him. It was clear he enjoyed his work.”
In 1995 when Taylor was completing his doctorate, Sears asked if he was interested
in returning to APSU as a member of the faculty. Taylor jumped at the opportunity.
“My thoughts were there could be no higher calling than to be a faculty member at
Austin Peay,” Taylor says.
“If I can do half as much for the students that pass my way as Austin Peay faculty
members did for me, my life will have been worthwhile.”