Professor Profile: Massey enjoys teaching challenges

Katie Wareheim/ Reporter

“I enjoy the challenges of teaching,” said Lee Nickoson-Massey when asked why she decided to become a college professor. “I enjoy knowing that the personalities and students will be different in each class.” A member of the English department and director of the Writing Center, Nickoson-Massey just began her second year of teaching at Elon.

Many aspects of Elon attracted Nickoson-Massey to come teach on this campus. She enjoys the focus put on working closely with students. Outside of Elon, “engaged learning is not the norm,” Nickoson-Massey said. It is important for her to get to know her students. “I’m impressed with the students I meet at Elon,” she said. “I would encourage students to get to know their professors, because their professors want to get to know them.”

Nickoson-Massey is passionate about the subject she teaches English. She “[likes] the idea of reading and writing as conversations.” This interest in writing helps to make her position as director of Elon’s Writing Center such a good fit. The Writing Center is “an extension of what happens in writing class,” she said. “It offers students an opportunity to have a lengthy conversation or get attention on a piece of writing from someone who’s trained.”

Nickoson-Massey received her undergraduate degree from Eastern Illinois University. After finishing her undergraduate studies, Nickonson-Massey went on to earn her master’s degree from Southwest Missouri State University and her Ph.D. from Illinois State University. While in college, Nickoson-Massey was a member of Sigma Tau Delta. This is an honors fraternity for English majors. Like many college students, she worked during college. She worked in her college’s library.

Nickoson-Massey also did freelance work after her collegiate career.

Before coming to Elon last year, she spent five years teaching at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She then taught at Illinois State for four years. Her husband is also a member of Elon’s English department.

Laura Hals / Photographer

Lee Nickoson-Massey has been teaching at Elon for about a year now. Before coming to the school she taught for five years at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and for four years at Illinois state. An English specialist, Nickoson-Massey has also written many freelance pieces.