Abilene Christian College - Prickly Pear Yearbook (Abilene, TX)

ance enjoys teaching, ACU's sense of communit When confronted with a question about why he prefers ACU to other institutions where he has taught, Dr. Robert Hance, professor of chemistry, did not hesitate to answer. "There are three main factors -the students, the fellow faculty and the CChristianD purpose of the school," Hance replied. Dr. Hance, known to most as "Cotton," has been with ACU since 1970. He has stayed because he had a preference for, and a commitment to, ACU's Christian perspective that he said overshadows and permeates the academic purpose. "There's a sense of communityf, Hance observed. ACU students donit have uthat selfish, looking out for No. I" attitude, he explained. "They're nice people." ACU chemistry faculty members are also superior to those at other institutions, he said. "They,re as neat a group of men as you can work with. Very considerate, helpful and understanding. There's a sense of mutual help rather than competitionf' Dr. Hance was dedicated to education and en- joyed teaching. And he said the university lifestyle afforded him opportunities that industry could not. "I like new startsf' he said of the opportunity to begin each semester anew, with new students. "If a semester isnit going well, you know it will soon be over." He also said he appreciated the freedom of mak- ing his own research decisions. "In industry," Hance said, "there is a pressure that preselects what pro- blem is to be researched - there is no freedom of choice." In talking about his research endeavors, he was modest about taking all the credit for his ac- complishments. He pointed to a picture in his office of a man in a white lab coat standing in front of some electronic equipment. "That,s Isidore Amdurf' he said, giving Amdur credit for the assistance he gave Hance during his research as a graduate student. He ran his finger down a long list of publications. "These are some of the things I've had published. And the important thing to note is how many other names are on heref, he explained, indicating that research is not a one-man job. He pointed to the names on the covers of some of his publications. "You can't tell the PHD's from the undergraduates. That's what's so great," he said. "If you work on something, your name goes on it. That's the policy heref, Hance was sold on the helpful, understanding at- titude of ACU faculty and his attitude reflected those same characteristics. Trying to explain in layman's terms his research project for 1982 involving the catalytic activity of the element rhenium, he struggled for simple terms with which to explain it more clearly. "It falls within the area of surface chemistry," he said. "And it deals with various electron spec- troscopic techniques." Unsatisfied at his attempt to explain, he ran into another room and returned with a 16-page research proposal detailing the project. After a brief explana- tion of the proposal, he asked Eric Hardegree, a graduate student of chemistry, to explain the techni- que and show the equipment used in the research. Hardegree said, "He's very willing to answer questions." As a teacher, Hardegree said Hance was thorough as well as interesting. "His tests are difficult, but informative," he said. "You learn from themf, "Dr, Hance has a good sense of humor and the helpful attitude that he finds so unique in his col- leagues," he said. W Lucy Hererra Opposite page: Dr. Robert L. Hance 174 Faculty Feature