Dr. Bennett Wins 2024 Humanities Award
Returning with Roosevelt
Dr. Stewart Bennett, Chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, won the 2024 Humanities Teacher Award for Blue Mountain Christian University. As the winner of this award, Bennett gave a presentation entitled “Theodore Roosevelt: Overcoming Life’s Challenges.” He touched on Roosevelt’s early life, career, ambitions, family and political achievements. He ended the speech with a rousing reading of Roosevelt’s famous quote, “The Man in the Arena.”
Dr. Bennett’s biography states that he “has been with the College since 2009. He earned his Ph.D. in History and Political Science from the University of Maine.” This is the third time that Bennett has won the Humanities Teacher Award, having also won for the 2010-2011 and the 2017-2018 scholastic years.
His interest in Roosevelt has continued through his many years of teaching. He notes that, “Over the years I have found Theodore Roosevelt to be very interesting and inspiring. He seemed to manage his time well and accomplished many great and important things while also taking the time to examine and enjoy the natural beauty around him.” Bennett also notes the ways that Roosevelt was important for conservation in the United States, mentioning that his love of nature “also helped him become a conservationist and work toward protecting our country's natural beauty and resources by setting aside numerous acres of land.”
As a winner of the Humanities Teacher Award, Bennett is focused on the importance of teaching the subjects classified as humanities, saying, “Teaching the humanities gives one an appreciation of a holistic approach to knowledge and understanding. I especially enjoy History and Political Science. We, as a civilization, must try to learn from other areas outside of our comfort zone to broaden our intellectual horizons and to better understand others around us.”
Dr. Bennett’s service to BMCU and his dedication to godly teaching practices are evident in his multiple wins of BMCU’s Humanities Teacher award. He focuses on engaging students in a way that helps them understand his subjects in new ways, noting, “We must continue to try various ways to learn and teach, and I hope I have been helpful to students as they try to learn History and Political Science with me.” Bennett describes the way that his faith impacts his teaching, saying, “I appreciate winning the award. God has blessed me over the years, and I am trying to do my best to teach in a way that is pleasing to Him.”