A professor in disciplines characterized by numbers and symbols, David Haines, professor of mathematics and computer science at Bates, uses words to strengthen Bates academically and socially. Whether discussing campus initiatives in Goals 2005 committee meetings, or mentoring students in Ecuador, Haines strives to ensure that the lines of communication between teachers and students are always open.

"Teaching isn't about transferring information," he says. "You really need to pay attention to encouraging casual interaction between students and faculty and setting up structures so that those things can happen."

On campus, Haines works with other Bates initiative leaders to strengthen interdepartmental communication by encouraging students to pursue more interdisciplinary work as part of Bates’ planning for 2005, the college’s sesquicentennial. By breaking down barriers between departments, Haines says that students can broaden themselves and establish channels of communication between themselves and others.

Haines paid his first visit to Ecuador on a 1995 Bates abroad program in Quito, and picked up Spanish soon afterward. Today, Haines is fluent in the language, and on his most recent trip to the country in 2000, he mentored an Ecuadorian student who will be attending Bates this fall. Haines raves about his experience teaching in Quito: "It’s been a real revelation for me to see how much I’ve enjoyed that different way of being. It’s a very distinct place."

After 32 years on the faculty, Haines continues to seek new teaching goals: "I’m learning the importance of teaching students to communicate — the importance of communication, the importance of feeling, the importance of human relations. The personal interactions between people can't be replaced by machines."

-- By Nick Bournakel '01