Dr. Michael Bassman, Distinguished Honors Professor Emeritus

By: Erika Dietrick, Undergraduate Director of Marketing and Communications

Respected by students and faculty alike, distinguished honors professor Dr. Michael Bassman has had a profound impact on ECU and the Honors College. As a tribute to all he has given to what is now an outstanding Honors College, Dr. Bassman’s many achievements are showcased in the remainder of this blog post. It merely scratches the surface of his revered teaching style, ambitions, and awards, but we are honored to have had him as an integral part of our College’s founding.

Michael Bassman was named the first distinguished honors professor in February 2010 after most recently serving as associate vice chancellor and director of the Honors Program. He received the Bachelor of Arts in French and Latin from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, the Master of Arts degree from Brown University, and the Master of Arts and Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut. Dr. Bassman is an associate professor of Foreign Languages and Literatures. Dr. Bassman was awarded the 1998-1999 UNC Board of Governors Distinguished Professors Teaching Award.

Throughout 2013-2014, Dr. Bassman served as the primary reviewer for the revision of “The Holocaust: A North Carolina Teacher’s Resource.” Dr. Bassman served as an external reviewer for submissions in Humanities in “Explorations.” He was active in the National Council on Undergraduate Research and served as a judge for the ECU Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity week.

Dr. Bassman served as a mentor and advisor to many Honors College students, especially in relation to study abroad opportunities, graduate school, and course selection. He also assisted in mentoring and advising Honors College students in their application for external fellowships, scholarships, and other awards. Other advising responsibilities included coordination of “Fellowships, Scholarships, & Awards for the Honors College.” Dr. Bassman’s seminars on the Holocaust were popular among the students, which included writing intensive components and a trip to Duke University to view Holocaust artifacts and documents. Dr. Bassman is know as an expert in this area both nationally and regionally.

Dr. Bassman retired in June 2014 as the Distinguished Honors Professor Emeritus. As a way to recognize excellence in research and writing, endeavors both highly admired and pursued by Dr. Bassman, the Michael F. Bassman Honors College Thesis Award was established in 2010.

The Honors College is also proud to announce the recent establishment of the Michael F. Bassman Fund for Study Abroad. An international experience expands our horizons and challenges us to think in new ways, and we hope to grant this incredible opportunity to all of our current and future Honors College students. If you’re interested in making a donation to this fund, you may contact Associate Dean Kevin Baxter by calling (252) 737-4079 or by e-mailing him at baxterk@ecu.edu. We welcome any and all contributions!