Newly divorced, he resigned in 1988 but stayed on for another year to help with the transition. A chance phone call from Boise State business dean Tom Stitzel landed Learned in a classroom in 1989. It was a good fit. I felt it was a worthwhile thing to do. His creativity and dedication won the admiration of students like Denise Dunlap Taylor, who now works as a data analyst at Blue Cross.
Most professors like to keep some distance.
I never saw Kevin do that. Taylor took three classes from Learned plus an independent study and an internship. Students frequently gave oral presentations and developed business plans for small businesses. That was neat because you get all this theory in the textbooks, but we had to experience it. Gary Mahn, a former business partner who is now director of the Idaho Department of Commerce, isn't surprised that students got hooked on Learned's teaching.