To the faculty member who opened her eyes to the fascinating world of archaeology, Susan Standiford can’t say thank you enough.
“The person who had a profound effect on me at the U of I was Professor David Grove in the anthropology department,” says the Class of '89 grad, now IKEA’s London-based chief technology officer.
“I was doing my work in math and computer science at the time, and someone told me about his Anthro 105 course that had a cool — and very unique at the time — program that would model out an archaeological dig as part of the curriculum.
“So, I took the class and and ended up falling in love with anthropology and archaeology. Dr. Grove was amazing and taught me a love for a subject that was new and interesting to me.
“In fact, a few years ago I traveled through Mexico to visit some of the sites that he had introduced to me, and they were amazing to visit in person. I was so inspired that I reached out to him and thanked him for his teaching and mentoring.
“What an impact a single professor can make in a student’s life.”
