Bob Innes and philosopher John Dewey share a lot in common.
Innes, professor emeritus of human and organizational development, has long ascribed to the educational reformer’s ideology.
“I’ve always had a strong philosophical base in John Dewey,” Innes says, “a pragmatism, a link from theory to practice that you try to maintain when running a classroom or a program.”
Dewey’s influence has informed Peabody’s curriculum since the psychology and education programs were first established on the current campus. So, it was a good fit for the young Bob Innes when he was first hired as a professor in 1971. Dewey’s theories on creating meaningful and relevant curriculum for students formed the basis for Innes’ research into learning science and also form the central tenet on which Innes created the human and organizational development program at Peabody.
“There has always been a debate between the essentialists—those who tell students what they need to know,” Innes says, “and the pragmatists, who, instead of telling students what they need to know, give them problems to solve and then discuss.”
So, when the idea for a scholarship to honor Innes on the occasion of his retirement a couple of years ago surfaced, that’s exactly what a group of HOD alumni did. They discussed how best to fund a scholarship honoring their most relevant educator and decided they should set it up themselves. Aimée Favrot Bell, BS’86, one of the first HOD alumni, helped lead the effort.
“Being an HOD grad has ultimately made me a better professional, citizen, daughter, mom and wife. Now having a daughter with an HOD degree and another daughter currently enrolled in the program, and having met some of the Innes Scholarship recipients, I can clearly see the influence of Dr. Innes’ enriching legacy.
“I chose to assist with the Bob Innes Scholarship Fund,” she says, “because I believe in the HOD program, and I’m grateful for his incredible effort in creating such an outstanding and rewarding program.”
“Professors here are very personal and care not just about what I am achieving, but who I am becoming.”
—Vivian Kelsey
For Shaiza Rizavi, BS’91, Innes provided “transformative counsel” when she was trying to figure out who she wanted to be.
“I was considering an internship with the public defender service and his guidance and mentorship pushed me to pursue the challenge,” she says. “Despite the more than 20 years that have passed since I studied with him, his energy and passion continue to motivate me. His contribution to the Vanderbilt community cannot be overstated.”
“It’s thrilling to have former students put something like this together with my name on it,” Innes says. “It is the most important thing that I’ve done. As a teacher you hope that students benefit from your efforts, that you provided a vehicle for them to figure out what they wanted to do through the program. I’m so honored by this.”
So far, more than 85 donors, mostly former students, have given to the Innes Scholarship Fund. The current recipient is Vivian Kelsey, Class of 2017, an HOD major from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
“Words cannot express how thankful I am,” Kelsey says. “Professors here are very personal and care not just about what I am achieving, but who I am becoming.”
Words that describe exactly what Dewey in his theory—and certainly Bob Innes in his practice—hoped to achieve.
Learn more at vu.edu/peabody-give or call Amanda Trabue at (615) 936-4533, amanda.trabue@vanderbilt.edu.