7-03-2024 4:47am

"THE PROFESSOR" WINS

Richard Vatz Presented with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who's Who

Richard Vatz became an emeritus professor at Towson University in 2023

In light of his accomplishments, he has been featured in various media outlets and has been honored with many University Merit Awards.

Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Richard Vatz with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Richard Vatz celebrates many years' experience in his professional network and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Nicknamed "The Professor" at a young age, Dr. Vatz was naturally inclined to pursue a career in education. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from the University of Pittsburgh in 1969, he began his career as an instructor at Pennsylvania State University and completed a Master of Arts in rhetoric and communication from the University of Pittsburgh. In the ensuing years, Dr. Vatz received a Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Communication from his graduate alma mater and joined North Carolina State University as an instructor for 1973-1974 and was hired as a full-time instructor at Towson University in 1974.

Throughout his career, Dr. Vatz expanded his professional knowledge through roles of increasing responsibility with Towson University, where he worked with some of the finest professors between 1973 and 2023. Now an emeritus professor, he leverages his expertise as a writer and public speaker, giving presentations at such institutions as Hillsdale College and University of Richmond. Additionally, Dr. Vatz is an informal teaching and writing counselor who assists several campus organizations.

Driven to foment changes in the field, Dr. Vatz aligned himself with the Eastern Communication Association (ECA) and the Speech Communication Association, later named the National Communication Association. Likewise, he contributed to his community by sponsoring the Richard E. Vatz Best Debater Award Endowment at Towson University, The Richard E. Vatz Agenda-Spin Award at the ECA and donating to the Jackie Robinson Foundation, the Southern Poverty Law Center and various colleges at Towson University.

Due to his considerable knowledge, Dr. Vatz has authored numerous publications, including "The Only Authentic Book of Persuasion: The Agenda-Spin Method" and co-edited additional works such as "Thomas S. Vatz: The Man and His Ideas." Similarly, he appeared on William F. Buckley's "Firing Lane" and The Larry King Show. In light of his accomplishments, he has been featured in various media outlets and has been honored with many University Merit Awards. Over the years, Dr. Vatz also received the Thomas Szas Civil Liberties Award, Towson University's first Teacher of the Year Award and Faculty Volunteer Service Award from Towson University, and a Governor's Citation for Achievements in Higher Education and Service from Robert Leroy Ehrlich, the former Governor of Maryland, who served from 2002 until 2006.

While his career has been filled with highlights, Dr. Vatz takes the most pride in winning more teaching awards from Towson University than any other professor in its history, winning the first "Towson's Elite" Night, and being the longest-serving member of the University Senate from 1979 until 2020. Though hard work and dedication have brought him far in his career, he credits his success to his political openness in class – he presses against all students' points of view, especially if they agree with him, the wonderfully curious Towson students he has taught, his sense of humor and his wonderful mentors and Towson's great administrations. In the coming years, Dr. Vatz intends to continue publishing his work and making television and radio appearances.