Nominated by teaching colleagues, current students, and alumni, Schrunk Ericksen is noted for a teaching style that emphasizes high expectations of each and every student and a willingness to help her students be successful, in and out of the classroom. As colleague Jim Togeas, professor of chemistry, states: “Janet’s courses are not the place for loafers. She is a demanding teacher and a tough grader.” But students seek her out for the thoughtful, caring individual attention they receive, and her lively, enthusiastic classroom presence.
A faculty member since 1998, Schrunk Ericksen teaches a variety of courses including Norse Sagas, British Literature, Analysis of Poetry, and Medieval Literature. She has served as discipline coordinator, as assistant chair of the Humanities Division, and as a mentor to tenure-track Humanities Division faculty. Her fields of scholarly study include Medieval language and literature including Old English, Old Norse, German, French, Icelandic, and Latin.
Schrunk Ericksen earned a master of arts and doctorate in English from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She earned a bachelor of arts in art history and English from the University of Hull, Northumberland, United Kingdom, and the University of Kansas.
(From the 2006 news story)
