Earl named favorite faculty member in spring 2009
Heath Earl, a College of Eastern Utah’s professor, was voted as the outstanding faculty member last April.
One of these awards is granted each year and given to faculty by the students, rather than peers. Earl feels that this is a meaningful idea and happy to know that his students enjoy his classes and his teaching.
This archived article was written by: Caitlin Wright
Heath Earl, a College of Eastern Utah’s professor, was voted as the outstanding faculty member last April.
One of these awards is granted each year and given to faculty by the students, rather than peers. Earl feels that this is a meaningful idea and happy to know that his students enjoy his classes and his teaching.
Earl has been teaching psychology at CEU for the past three years and taught for five years before that at Southern Utah University. He received his bachelor’s degree in psychology and zoology at Weber State University and attended college at Brigham Young University and received his PhD in clinical psychology. Earl is a clinical psychologist outside of school and has a practice on the side.
Earl was born in the Ogden area. He has seven brothers and is married with four kids. He has always been interested in people and how they think, feel and behave. When he was very young, he was very interested and sensitive to how people respond to trauma. He was in his post-doctoral internship when he decided that he had better think about a job and since he didn’t want to do clinical work all the time, he decided to look at an academic position.
When looking for a position, Earl looked all over the west for a job opening and when it opened up here at CEU, he thought it would be a good place. Because one of his brothers lives here, he already knew the area and it also brought his family closer to his wife’s family. It was a good opportunity so they came.
Outside of teaching, Earl is a full time dad. His family keeps him busy, but he also really enjoys being in the outdoors camping, fishing, hiking, fly-fishing and etcetera. Between family, teaching and his psychologist practice, Earl is kept pretty busy and doesn’t have a lot of time free time.
On vacationing, Earl and his family enjoy camping and going places such as Idaho and the lava hot springs. His family has gone to Disneyland many times and he has gone river running in Jackson Hole. They also like to visit Arizona. Earl really enjoys traveling, but again, time is an issue and sometimes there just isn’t enough of it.
The biggest change that Earl has ever implemented in his life was getting married. It was both a big change and a good change. He and his wife have been married 20 years.
When Earls, now eleven year old, son was very sick was the longest day of his life. He was sick over a number of weeks, but there was one day which was very critical. It is terrifying to have that happen to a child.
Even if money were no option, Earl would still choose to do everything that he is doing. He loves what he does and for him, this job is ideal. The only thing that he would change, are the hours; more time on the mountain.
Earl loves his classes and loves to interact with the students. He really gets to know them on both an academic level and a personal level. Teaching is kind of what revives Earl each week. Coming to work and teaching bright young students that are inquisitive and want to be in class is very refreshing.
Earl would like to stress that while school and education is very important, it is really to overwork yourself. You can still learn and have fun at the same time. Earl likes to use in his philosophy of teaching statement that if you aren’t having fun, you’re doing something wrong.
