Goforth remembered , memorialized
Instructor who had adenocarcinoma dies, scholarship to be established in her honor
By Andy Phifer
Published: Thursday, April 8, 2004
Updated: Sunday, October 17, 2010 08:10
Assistant professor Becky Goforth died on March 28, and she will not be soon forgotten.
"The department has had a really great loss," Christie Adams, a student of Goforth's and Mauriceville sophomore, said. "Everyone misses her and really appreciated her as a teacher."
Goforth, 31, taught low-level math for teachers. She is survived by her husband, Curtis Ruder, and daughter, Katie. Goforth was diagnosed on jan. 24, 2003 with adenocarcinoma of the lung, a relatively slow-growing cancer that most non-smokers get. She was most known for specializing in instructing teachers how to teach the basics, saying that in seventh grade she didn't have teachers with a good enough grasp of the basics in seventh grade.
"According to her husband, up until the end she was talking about what she wanted to do with her class," Dr. Jasper Adams, chair of the mathematics department, said. "She wanted to teach teachers."
Goforth graduated with a B.A. in mathematics from Trinity University in San Antonio. She was working on her Ph.D. in cryptography from Florida State, which she hoped to finish in May.
"I've had maybe five students, in my 17 years, go on to get a pure masters in mathematics," Dr. Scott Chapman, professor of mathematics at Trinity and Goforth's former professor, said. "If I had to stop and rank them, she'd be number one or two. She was clearly one of the strongest students I've ever had, and she was definitely the top female.
"It's a terrible, terrible tragedy, but we're going to do our best to memorialize her. Our hearts go out to her husband and daughter."
Kathy McNeill, development officer at Trinity, is working with Goforth's husband, Curtis Ruder, to set up a scholarship award as a remembrance. Goforth won the department's award for outstanding junior during her time at Trinity, and Chapman said that award might be named after her.
"She won that easily," Chapman said. "It appears that the memorial that is planned will revolve around that award. People can donate money and that award will then have a cash reward."
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Heather Whitlock (Hays)
Goforth remembered , memorialized
Instructor who had adenocarcinoma dies, scholarship to be established in her honor
By Andy Phifer
Published: Thursday, April 8, 2004
Updated: Sunday, October 17, 2010 08:10
Assistant professor Becky Goforth died on March 28, and she will not be soon forgotten.
"The department has had a really great loss," Christie Adams, a student of Goforth's and Mauriceville sophomore, said. "Everyone misses her and really appreciated her as a teacher."
Goforth, 31, taught low-level math for teachers. She is survived by her husband, Curtis Ruder, and daughter, Katie. Goforth was diagnosed on jan. 24, 2003 with adenocarcinoma of the lung, a relatively slow-growing cancer that most non-smokers get. She was most known for specializing in instructing teachers how to teach the basics, saying that in seventh grade she didn't have teachers with a good enough grasp of the basics in seventh grade.
"According to her husband, up until the end she was talking about what she wanted to do with her class," Dr. Jasper Adams, chair of the mathematics department, said. "She wanted to teach teachers."
Goforth graduated with a B.A. in mathematics from Trinity University in San Antonio. She was working on her Ph.D. in cryptography from Florida State, which she hoped to finish in May.
"I've had maybe five students, in my 17 years, go on to get a pure masters in mathematics," Dr. Scott Chapman, professor of mathematics at Trinity and Goforth's former professor, said. "If I had to stop and rank them, she'd be number one or two. She was clearly one of the strongest students I've ever had, and she was definitely the top female.
"It's a terrible, terrible tragedy, but we're going to do our best to memorialize her. Our hearts go out to her husband and daughter."
Kathy McNeill, development officer at Trinity, is working with Goforth's husband, Curtis Ruder, to set up a scholarship award as a remembrance. Goforth won the department's award for outstanding junior during her time at Trinity, and Chapman said that award might be named after her.
"She won that easily," Chapman said. "It appears that the memorial that is planned will revolve around that award. People can donate money and that award will then have a cash reward."