First woman department chair

In 1990, Dr. Elizabeth Cummins was named chair of Missouri S&T’s English department. She joined S&T as an instructor in 1967 after teaching five years at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

She taught classes on literature, science fiction and technical writing. Beyond her teaching and scholarly accomplishments, including three Faculty Excellence Awards, Cummins was one of the driving forces in the university’s establishment of a writing center and she co-directed, with Dr. Catherine Riordan, an award-winning “Women at Work” series.

Cummins was the first recipient of the university’s Woman of the Year Award in 1997 and in 2017, the Dr. Elizabeth Cummins Women’s Advocate Award was established. It goes to an S&T employee, regardless of gender or job title, who demonstrates commitment to women on campus through mentorship and advocacy.

Share This Story

Spark a Memory?

Share your story! Fill out the form below to share your fondest memory or anecdote of S&T. If you'd prefer not typing, you can also share by phone at 833-646-3715 (833-Miner150).

Gregory McClain: education’s key to success

Gregory McClain: education’s key to success

Gregory McClain, who graduated in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in engineering management and...

The house that Michael Lancey built

The house that Michael Lancey built

The original Yankee Stadium, completed in 1923,  came to be known as “The House That Ruth Built,” in recognition of…

Mary (Hilton) and Mike McEvilly

Mary (Hilton) and Mike McEvilly

Mary (Hilton) and Mike McEvilly met in August 1978 at a Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity party. As students, the two…

S&T’s first building: the Rolla Building

S&T’s first building: the Rolla Building

Missouri S&T’s first building still stands and is home to our mathematics and statistics department. Built for Rolla’s high school,…

Stonehenge, ‘tis a magic place…’

Stonehenge, ‘tis a magic place…’

When the band Spinal Tap sang of Stonehenge as a “magic place … where the moon doth rise with a…

Sudha Sneha Devarakonda and Karthik Kumar

Sudha Sneha Devarakonda and Karthik Kumar

After Sudha Sneha Devarakonda and Karthik Kumar met through a mutual friend, they kept running into each other on the…