Kathryn A. Henderson, Lieber memorial teaching associate award

Kathryn A. Henderson Doctoral Student in Sociology IU Bloomington

Interim President Gerald Bepko, Henderson and IU Bloomington Chancellor Sharon Brehm at the Founders Day ceremony

It turns out that it is possible to achieve this lofty goal—Kathryn Henderson has done it. Sociology majors are known to cringe and shudder when confronted with the fact that they must complete courses on statistics in order to get their degrees. But thanks to Henderson, many of them come away from the course on this subject with a newfound interest in and appreciation for the vital role that statistics play in the field of sociology. “I try to focus on breaking down the numbers and figuring out what they actually say about the social world,” said Henderson. “Therefore, I don’t concentrate on abstract mathematical principles. Instead, I demonstrate how statistical methods can be used to study sociological phenomena. Concentrating on the real-world application of statistics allows students who may be intimidated by equations or abstract theories to confront the subject matter with greater confidence.”

Success with teaching statistics courses is only part of Henderson’s impressive record. Her hard work has earned her the IUB Department of Sociology’s Edwin H. Sutherland Award for Excellence in and Commitment to Teaching as well as praise from all quarters.

Her peers both admire and benefit from her gifts, but ultimately, it’s the students that benefit the most from Henderson’s multifaceted talents. Brian Powell, the Allen D. and Polly S. Grimshaw Professor of sociology at IUB, observed that student evaluations “laud Kathryn for her approachability, engaging and entertaining teaching style, interest in her students, and in the words of one of her students, ‘willingness to go that extra mile.’” In his (and many others’) estimation, “Kathryn personifies the outstanding teacher.”

Statistically speaking, Kathryn Henderson is way ahead of the curve.