Richard Pumphrey, professor of art at Lynchburg College, has received the 2008 Shirley E. Rosser Excellence in Teaching Award and the 2008-09 Thomas C. Allen Award for Excellence in Academic Advising. This is the first time in the history of the College that the same professor has been the recipient of these two awards in the same year.
The Rosser Award is named for a 1940 graduate who served the College as a physics professor for 45 years and honors LC professors who exhibit extraordinary dedication to student learning. The award is determined from nominations by students, who also participate in the selection process.
The Allen award recognizes advisors who maintain and exceed standards of outstanding advising and is named in honor of a beloved English professor who died in 2006.
Mr. Pumphrey has been a member of the Lynchburg College faculty since 1981. He creates various types of sculpture, including portrait busts, woodcarvings, and religious pieces in a variety of media. Portrait busts are cast in bronze, and his carvings of monumental feathers are fashioned from single planks of native Virginia wood.His past commissions include works in stained glass, clay, wood, and steel. His sculptures have won awards in nationally juried exhibitions.
The author of Elements of Art a design text for college students, Pumphrey leads critique sessions for academic and community art groups and serves as a guest speaker on a variety of topics associated with art.
A 1974 graduate of Lynchburg College with a B. A. in art, Mr. Pumphrey earned his Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture from the University of Georgia in 1977.