After 49 years of teaching at Emporia State, professor of communication Dr. Steve Catt will fully retire in May 2026.
Catt earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Arizona with a major in finance. He then completed a Master of Arts in communication at the University of Arizona and a Master of Business Administration at Arizona State University. It was Ohio University where Catt earned his Ph.D. in communication. While attending Ohio, he discovered that ESU wanted to hire a professor to create new courses in the area of organizational communication.
“I was excited about the opportunity to create courses for a new program, so I applied to ESU for the position and was hired,” he said.
Catt noted that his first year of teaching at ESU, 1977, was when the University was officially changed to Emporia State University from Emporia Kansas State College. During his time at ESU, Catt chaired the Department of Communication and Theater at ESU for 25 years and served as the interim chair of the Department of English.
“These positions enabled me to work with a lot of different students, faculty and
staff across many different disciplines over the years, which I found very rewarding,” Catt said.
One of Catt’s many accomplishments throughout his lifetime is publishing four textbooks with his co-author Don Miller in the School of Business focused on the areas of management and human relations.
“We spent many enjoyable years together writing the books and different articles,” he said. But, the accomplishments do not stop there. “Twice, I was awarded the ESU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Annual Award for Excellence in Instruction. In addition, I twice received the Kansas Speech Communication Association Outstanding College Speech Teacher Award.”
Catt was also inducted into the Kansas Speech Communication Association Hall of Fame.
Of all the courses Catt has taught, and although he said he enjoys teaching all of them, he has especially enjoyed teaching his interviewing course.
“The way I teach the course affords me with more than an average number of opportunities to interact with the students,” he said.
Catt pointed to his former teachers’ impact on his teaching style.
“Earlier in life as a student, I was motivated by teachers who presented material that was very practical and applied in nature that I could use outside the classroom,” he said. “I continue to be motivated to share concepts and strategies with my students that I am confident will benefit and enrich them throughout their lives. Over my academic career, I have had an opportunity to study under some phenomenal professors. I have tried to incorporate what I learned from those individuals in my teaching style.”
He says that connection with others, among other things, really makes him who he is.
“I like connecting with people and developing long-lasting relationships with them,” said Dr. Catt. “I enjoy learning new things, and it is always nice to hear from my past students and find out about their latest accomplishments. I believe every day is a gift, and that view guides me in trying to determine what things are really important in life and how to make the most of each day. When I work, I work hard, but when I have time off, I schedule as many enjoyable things to do as I possibly can in that time,” he said.
Catt also believes good teachers also learn from their students.
“There has never been a year that students in my courses haven’t said something that made me think and helped me to learn something new.”
When he finishes teaching at ESU, he says those experiences are what he will miss the most.
Some students at ESU who have taken courses from Catt anonymously shared their thoughts on how they felt about having Catt as a professor.
“My favorite thing is how mindful he is. In class sometimes he’ll start talking about how everyday is a gift and how life is a gift. Hearing that makes me more mindful of myself and makes me hopeful,” one student said.
Two students shared specifically about how they enjoy his teaching style.
“My favorite thing about Dr. Catt is how applicable the lessons he teaches are to real life! He makes personal connections from his lessons to his students’ lives and makes it a lot easier and super helpful when learning material.”
“Dr. Catt is very good at what he does and is super easy to learn from. He makes his classes fun while still teaching information that is easy to understand.”
Two other students spoke more on the impact of Catt’s character.
“He’s very helpful, and goes the extra mile. Not just in class, but even in the cafeteria he’ll wave or say hello. He’s just very nice.”
“I have the pleasure of having a class with Dr. Catt everyday of the week. He approaches his classes with positivity and a willingness to help each student, which I greatly appreciate. He always finds ways to incorporate daily life in whatever we are learning. He is one of the kindest professors I have met at ESU.”
The final lesson Catt would like students at ESU to remember is that “it is important to watch for and be prepared to seize upon unexpected opportunities in life to learn and build on your strengths.”
He continues, “I’m excited for the many people I know now who are in very rewarding careers that they never expected to be in as a result of them not being afraid to seize upon a surprise opportunity that became available to them.”
