Dr. Stan Perrine
2003 Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient

Dr. Stanley O. Perrine II grew up in Parkersburg, West Virginia. A mathematician, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, and his Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Dr. Perrine took his first full-time teaching position with Charleston Southern, joining the math department in 1997 and becoming department chair in 2001.

When asked why he chose CSU, Dr. Perrine says that he appreciates the university's Christian emphasis and commitment to teaching more than to research. He also loves the location, Charleston.

Dr. Perrine started as a computer science major but discovered that he preferred math. When he decided he wanted to teach, he says, "It made sense to teach the subject that I most enjoyed."

In his freshman math courses, Dr. Perrine believes that what works is doing lots of problems. But that doesn't mean these classes have to be dull; he livens them up with jokes and anecdotes from his life to help students feel at ease. His personal approach is also part of his teaching philosophy: "People don't care what you know until they know that you care. I think my students believe—since it's true—that I genuinely care about them as individuals." He says, "Math happens to be the way God has given me to get in contact with people, but life is way beyond any formula that students will learn from me." He sees his role as a professor as walking the line between friend and disciplinarian, caring but able to "dish out the truth when it needs to be heard."

When asked who has influenced his teaching, Dr. Perrine cites his Ph.D. advisor at the University of Tennessee, Dr. William Wade. He describes Dr. Wade as "a relentless academic and researcher" who can nevertheless relate to students. These qualities make him the best lecturer Dr. Perrine's ever seen. Another positive influence on Dr. Perrine's teaching is his colleague, Dr. Todd Ashby. Of Dr. Ashby, he says, "He brings out the very best in students; he inspires them to want to learn more, and that inspires me to be a better teacher."

Students know Dr. Perrine as an excellent teacher. Those who attend Cathedral of Praise also know that he sings with a praise and worship band. He enjoys sports, having played club-level volleyball when he was in college. Nowadays, he watches sports more than he plays, getting his exercise by keeping up with his three children, ages 4, 3, and 1. What may surprise his students is this admission from a mathematics professor: "I have a lot of trouble adding in my head."