Robert McCollough: From military service to university teaching

Robert McCollough: Experiences from the past, pedagog for the future.

An onlooker into the courses taught by this professor would be surprised and little confused as to Robert McCollough's style. Robert strives to know each of his students individually, to the point that he can refer to them with nicknames and hash out class discussions in an almost informal manner. Students admire his candor and passion for knowledge, and are drawn to his courses. Somehow it is this magnetism that results in the ultimate success of his students, and with a class average of 4.0 it is no mystery that Robert McCollough is a student and university favorite.

A Lifetime Legacy

Robert McCollough was a first generation American, born into a Scottish family. His father was an air force pilot and part of an elite team known as the Flying Tigers. His father's work resulted in Robert moving to Japan with his father and mother when he was less than one-year-old. His family remained in Japan for 16 years, resulting in Robert becoming fluent in Japanese and English. In fact, as a boy he was expected to teach his Japanese peers English through tutoring sessions. So even at an early age, he was using his knowledge to teach and help those around him.

Robert attended University in Southern Japan where he studied marine biology. Immediately upon graduation, Robert decided to follow in his father's footsteps and joined the American air force to fight in Vietnam. Robert gained a high rank very quickly in the air force and soon began forming relationships with many high-ranking officers, one of whom became the president of Vietnam.

Tired after fighting the bitter war, Robert moved to England and studied Anglo Saxon literature at Oxford University, where he met and studied under the famous author John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, the author of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. It was this encounter that restored Robert's faith in humanity and refreshed his weary war-torn soul. It was at this new season of his life that he decided to rejoin the air force and remain on active duty, the result of which was a high-ranking office and unlimited world travel. In fact, Robert has spent time in Japan, Germany, Italy, Isreal, Egypt, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Spain, and Russia. During these visits he worked with many military officials and sought ways to bring peace and unity to the nations.

Once he retired from his long stay in the air force, he became a professor at University of Toledo, where he has remained for the past 18 years teaching classes in subjects ranging from Anglo Saxon language and history to Egyptian history. In fact, he has become so fascinated with Egyptian culture that he is considering moving to Egypt upon retiring from the university.

Worldview of Compassion

Whereas most professors are harsh on foreign students entering their classrooms, expecting them to perfect English and write and speak with a high level of proficiency, Robert takes a very different view of these developing minds. He feels that each student is hear as part of their lifetime journey, and as long as they work hard, he is willing to help them succeed. Having been forced to use only Japanese in school his entire life, he realizes how difficult it is to express one's self in another language.

The Future

Robert has lived a full life, but has no intention of letting retirement slow him down. He was worried that he would not have anything left to do upon retiring from the military, but he discovered his love for teaching. Upon retiring from the University of Toledo, he intends to further his research and study of Egypt and begin writing books on his findings. With his fat yellow cat in tow, his world travels will only keep growing and his knowledge expanding until someday he reaches the same heights as his previous mentor Tolkien.