Published April 11, 2023
DC3 Professor of Mathematics, Kent Craghead, will retire at the end of the spring 2023 semester, after 21 years at the college. [Photo by Gavin Peters]
After 21 years at Dodge City Community College (DC3), Kent Craghead, Professor of Mathematics, is retiring at the end of the spring 2023 semester.
“During my time at DC3, I have had the opportunity to teach and become friends with many students,” Craghead said. “Seeing the success they have after they leave DC3 brings great pride to me and reminds me of why I have been in this profession for so many years. I will miss building relationships with students.”
Craghead, who graduated from Colby Community College with an Associate of Arts degree in 1986, also has a Bachelor of Science degree from Kansas State University and a Master of Science degree from Emporia State University.
“My first teaching position was at Bee County College in Beeville, Texas—now called Coastal Bend College—in the fall of 1991,” he said. “I did have a computer in my office, but I had to load WordPerfect onto the computer every time I wanted to use it, which was mainly for typing up tests. Then, I would save the test on a 5 ¼-inch floppy disk. We have come a long way from then!”
After his time at Bee, Craghead returned to Colby—this time as an employee—to teach math in the fall of 1993. And he would remain at Colby until 2002.
In 2001, he was contacted by his former math teacher at Jetmore High School, Craig Knobbe, who was then teaching at DC3.
“He thought I would fit in well here, so I applied for the position in the spring of 2001. However, the college offered the job to someone else,” he said. “So, I stayed at Colby. Then at the beginning of the spring semester of 2002, the Dean of Instruction called and said DC3 had an opening again for a math instructor and offered me the job.”
After accepting the position, Craghead, and his wife Erika, moved back to Jetmore, and he taught his first class at DC3 that summer. And in fall 2002, he began teaching fulltime.
“Things have changed greatly over my 32-year career as a professor of mathematics,” he said. “When I first started teaching, there was this thing called the Internet that was just invented. And there was email. It was a very cool thing to be able to send messages via the computer!”
In addition to serving as a mathematics professor for more than 20 years, Craghead also has spent several years on the college’s Assessment Committee, serving twice as the committee’s chairman. The first time was from 2007 to 2010, and the second was 2017 to 2022.
For Dylan Faullin, DC3 Professor of Mathematics, Craghead’s retirement is going to take some time to process, since the two have worked together since Faullin started in 2005.
“When I first started working here, Kent and I shared an office,” he said. “So, there will always be an association for me between him and my employment here.”
Describing Craghead as “a very consistent and reliable person,” Faullin said he will miss working with him day-to-day.
“Kent is a caring and supportive colleague,” Faullin said. “He is always willing to listen, and if you’ll excuse a math pun, find solutions to problems. I wish him well as he retires, and I want to thank him for all the years of service enriching the lives of his colleagues and students.”
Although he hasn’t figured out all of the details, Craghead said he is looking forward to the next chapter of his life, whatever that might be. And he also is excited about spending more time with his wife and three sons—Drew, Tyler and Jake.
“I do not know exactly what God has planned for me after I retire from DC3, but I am looking into starting a music ministry,” he said. “I will probably work somewhere as well, although I don’t know where that would be.”
The college will honor Craghead with a retirement reception from 1-3 p.m., on May 8, in the Student Union Board Room. The public is invited to attend.
By Lance ZieschDC3 Assistant Director of Marketing and Community Relations