Dr. Randy Roberts

The Distinguished Educator Award, established in 1986, recognizes outstanding service, dedication and leadership to education.
Randy Roberts’ passion for teaching and learning history led him to graduate from Mansfield in three years, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts; History in 1972. While a student at Mansfield, he became a member of Phi Sigma Epsilon.
He went on to earn his Ph.D. from Louisiana State University in 1978. Roberts began his teaching career at the University of Houston, and then went on to teach at Sam Houston State University, University of Maryland and Louisiana State University.
Since 1988, Roberts has been teaching at Purdue University where he is recognized as a distinguished professor. He teaches American history courses, including modern American history and World War II, to about 500 students a semester. His smaller lectures and seminars, which include topics ranging from sports history to film icons, have left both undergraduates and graduates passionate about history long after they earned their degrees.
Roberts participates in the Dean's Freshman Scholar Program and the Honors Program, and also mentors graduate students. He was named one of Purdue's Charles B. Murphy Outstanding Teachers in 1991, which is the institutions highest honor for undergraduate teaching. He was recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists in 1993, was named Teacher of the Year in Liberal Arts in 1997, and was inducted into Purdue’s Great Book of Teachers in 2003.
Roberts was recognized as the 2006 Indiana Professor of the Year, administered by both the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Judges select recipients of this prestigious award based on extraordinary dedication to undergraduate teaching, with nominations containing testimonials from students, professors and administrators.
In addition to teaching and authoring or co-authoring more than 18 books, Roberts has also made over 50 television appearances as a history commentator for documentaries and films on the History Channel, ESPN Classic, HBO, PBS, the three major television networks, and he is often quoted on nationally syndicated radio shows. Roberts returned to Mansfield in 2007 as the first speaker in the North Hall Library Visiting Scholar Program.
He and his wife, Marjorie, reside in Lafayette, Indiana. They have twin daughters, Alison and Kelly.

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