On Wednesday May 1, before turning to our agenda for the last department meeting of the academic year, we celebrated the contributions of Roger Friedmann who retires this May after 37 years of service to Kansas State.
We look forward to hearing about Roger’s next adventures!
For now, we thank Roger for his significant and lasting contributions to our students, the department, the college, the university, and the profession.
Thank you, Roger!
— Karin Westman, Department Head
Arts and Sciences
Department of English
Roger A. Friedmann
Roger A. Friedmann retires in May 2024 after 37 years of service to Kansas State.
Roger earned his B.A. in Social Sciences in 1978 from Kansas State University, and his M.A. in English in 1987, also from Kansas State, with an emphasis in Creative Writing and Literature.
Roger’s extensive service to Kansas State began with his appointment as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (1982-1985) while completing his M.A. degree. During his appointment as a GTA, he taught not only Expository Writing but also introductory courses in literature and assisted in teaching courses in creative writing.
Roger joined the Department of English as a term instructor in 1987. In 1989, he was appointed to the position of Regularized Instructor, and in 2022 he was promoted to the position of Senior Instructor from which he now retires.
Roger has taught a range of writing courses, including advanced expository writing, honors composition, and, most frequently, ENGL 415 “Written Communication for Engineers.” He also regularly contributed to introductory courses in literature, including American literature, and he developed an advanced literature course, ENGL 575 “Holocaust Literature.” In 2007, in response to a request for the M.S. in Food Science, Roger developed a graduate-level course “Writing for Food Science” to be offered fully online. Its success led to the creation in 2011 of ENGL 758 “Scientific Communication,” which he has subsequently taught several times each year, following his appointment in 2012 to the role of Graduate Faculty Associate.
Roger has held positions on the department’s Professional/Technical Writing Committee and its Technical Writing Awards Committee, and he has served as a mentor for instructors new to the field of technical writing. He has advised students in Engineering on internships in writing and research with industry partners, and he provided assistance with editing manuscripts for graduate students and faculty and for the journal Studies in Twentieth Century Literature.
Students and colleagues alike value Roger’s superlative instruction in writing and literature. Roger’s commitment and care for student writing has helped guide thousands of students to personal and professional success. His high standards and diligence are matched only by his willingness to meet individually with students to provide assistance.
With gratitude, we recognize Roger’s significant contributions to the teaching of writing, to mentoring, and to the mission of Kansas State University.
K-State English 