Alumnus John Shaw has established a scholarship for graduate student teachers in honor of English and Religious Studies professor Sue Crowley who passed away in 2021. The Sue Crowley Award for Inclusive Excellence is a scholarship that can be used in the US or abroad for taking summer courses outside of MU, traveling to an archive, attending a conference, or other professional development. 

Crowley was one of Shaw’s favorite professors during his time at Mizzou. Searching for an elective course in the spring semester of his senior year in 1973, Shaw discovered “Religious Themes in Modern Literature” taught by Crowley. Shaw enrolled and said he has been “forever grateful” for the experience, saying it was one of the most enlightening and stimulating courses he had ever taken. 

Throughout the semester, the class tackled a reading list of more than ten books, including Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, 3 by Flannery O’Connor, Pigeon Feathers by John Updike, The Town Beyond the Wall by Elie Wiesel, A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt. 

Crowley received her B.A. from St. Mary’s College (before the University of Notre Dame would admit women) and her M.A. in English from The Ohio State University. She went on to complete the coursework for a Ph.D. in Theology at the University of Iowa, where she was also invited to participate in the Writer’s Workshop. At Mizzou, Crowley taught in the School of Religion and the Department of English and served as Assistant Director of the Honors College. 

Shaw said Crowley's classroom reflected her warmth and openness. "Everyone felt her encouragement and the discussions were a product of what would now be called “an inclusive environment.”