Dorothy Stout Honored for Teaching

Dorothy LaLonde Stout, a faculty member at Cypress College since 1974, has been selected as Orange County’s community college teacher of the year for 1997, the Orange County Department of Education announced this week.

A professor of geosciences, Stout literally makes the world her classroom, taking students and geologist colleagues on field trips around the globe. A trip this summer included Tibet and Nepal.

Stout also takes her college students to elementary schools in Orange County to give science demonstrations.

“I feel very privileged to be selected for this honor, because the nomination came from students,” Stout said. “They have been an integral part of my learning curve.”

She will be presented with a check for $15,000 at a ceremony Oct. 30. The award is from the James Hines Foundation, which is administered by the county education department and provides for an annual selection of exemplary teachers in Orange County.

The foundation was endowed and launched in 1992 by Orange County residents William and Sue Gross and named in honor of the late James Hines, a longtime Saddleback College professor.

Stout is the author of more than 80 scientific articles in national publications. She was the first woman elected to serve as president of the National Assn. of Geoscience Teachers.

A resident of Whittier, Stout said she greatly enjoys teaching. “The rewards of teaching are to be savored, for they come from many directions,” she said.

In addition to her 22 years of community college teaching at Cypress College, Stout has occasionally taught classes at four-year universities.

She said teaching at the community college level creates a greater challenge.

“The range of students is immense, the job is enormous and the rewards are incomparable,” she said.