David Otto
Past academic positions other than Centenary:
- July, 1998- May 2004
Adjunct Professor in Christian Education
Methodist Theological School of Ohio, Delaware, Ohio - August 1997
Visiting Associate Professor of Christian Education
Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University, Forth Worth, Texas - June 1994- 2005
Visiting Assistant Professor/Adjunct Professor of Christian Education
Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
Interesting personal fact: I have an identical twin brother who lives in Texas.
What most people don’t know about me: I am an introvert who works hard to be an extrovert.
How long have you been at Centenary College?
Four years as a student; 19.5 years as faculty.
What makes a good professor?
The ability to demonstrate the learning process in action and how it can change a person.
What makes the Centenary experience?
One-on-one work with students
What do you enjoy about Centenary?
My colleagues, both faculty and staff, and the students.
What do you like most about teaching?
I am paid for what I love to do: encouraging students to think critically about the world and their assumptions.
What is your favorite class to teach and why?
Introduction to Religious Studies. The course introduces students to the academic study of the phenomenon of religion. Some students hate it while others students claim the course convinced them to become a Religious Studies major or minor. I also love taking students to India to learn about Tibetan Buddhism and other religious traditions.
What sets Centenary apart from other colleges?
The attention students receive and the fact that such an institution actually exists in Northwest Louisiana.
What do you see as your role here at the college?
To assist in the transformation of lives for the sake of transforming the world.
What makes a successful professor? Student?
A successful professor is a person who never loses the desire to learn and the ability to say "I do not know". A successful student realizes they lack knowledge and possesses the desire to learn how to learn.
What is the hardest transition for high school students to college and how do you help alleviate it?
Reading and writing critically. I encourage students to analyze what they read and I critique (some students would say "rip apart") their written work.