I've grown enormously. B orn and raised in New Zealand, and a professor at the University of Auckland for 13 years, Ian Stewart made an incredible leap of faith in 1990. For a man who admits to a natural reticence, the casual affability of an American college campus was challenging, as was teaching classes of 25 students after a career spent lecturing to groups of 200. The success of his transition was clearly affirmed, however, when SPU students selected him as the 1997 Professor of the Year. No one is more surprised by the honor than Stewart.
Accounting is a tough major.
Every quarter I feel I'm turning some of them into adversaries because of the demands I make, so this is a wonderful encouragement. Of the many professors nominated by students for the 1997 award, five names were selected for debate before the Student Senate. Nathan Hartman was one of the students to lobby vigorously for Stewart. As chair of the Faculty Development Committee in the School of Business and Economics, Stewart demonstrates that same care for his colleagues, researching ways to assist fellow professors. He explains that although the two share a family name and a common profession, they are very different people.