Allen Fisher
Professor of Sociology
Education
B.A., Spring Arbor College
M.A., Ph.D., Purdue University
What is your favorite class to teach and why?
Every spring I teach a course in gerontology, or aging. Although most of the students are many years away from reaching "old age," they have usually been very close to family members, especially grandparents, who have faced the challenges of growing older and then dying. As the students and I wrestle with these kinds of issues throughout the semester, I frequently develop a special sense of kinship with them, and I find that they are often remarkably sensitive and mature in their thoughts about mortality.
What is your most memorable moment in dealing with a Coe student?
At the end of the Aging course a few years ago, a very bright and kind young woman told me that because of taking that course, she had come to see the world in a new way, i.e., to understand that life is terribly fragile, and that each day should be savored with gratitude.
What do you do outside of class?
I am quite active in the Cedar Rapids community: as a member of my church (First Presbyterian of Cedar Rapids) and its Local Mission Committee; as a founding member of the Anna Purna Ghosh Foundation, which helps cancer patients who have exhausted all other means of payment to afford the prescription drugs they need for their treatments; and as a member of the board of the Inter-Religious Council of Linn County, which includes persons from 21 very different religious traditions (Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, etc.).
What is your favorite thing about Coe?
The people here - faculty, staff and students - really care about each other and show that they do. When my wife was struggling with cancer a few years ago, the many tangible expressions of kindness that we received were amazing, and helped my family and me to get through a very difficult time.
