MANSFIELD, PA—Faculty and students from the English and World Languages Department at Mansfield University joined with members and friends of the Sanner family and members of the campus community to dedicate the Dr. Kristin Sanner Memorial on May 4. 
Sanner served as a member of the English faculty from 2004 until her passing in August 2013.
The memorial space is a garden and sitting area behind Retan Center built to honor the life and work of Sanner, who was deeply loved by her students and colleagues who remember her love of nature, her passion for teaching and her dedication to her students.
The memorial was proposed by Mansfield’s chapter of Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society, of which Sanner was the advisor until her passing. The chapter raised the funds to pay for the memorial.
The MU chapter was founded in the 1978 by Professor Emeritus Bernard Koloski and, after a hiatus, was revived by Sanner in 2006. Since then, 82 new members have been inducted, many of whom have gone on to graduate school, teaching and publishing.
At the dedication, Professor Andrea Harris, the current advisor of Sigma Tau Delta, gave the introduction and shared memories of Dr. Sanner. Professor Louise Sullivan-Blum read a poem to remember her friend. Students Rachel Roupp and Taylor Donahue, members of Sigma Tau Delta, also read poems to honor Dr. Sanner. 
Ryan Wood, manager of Campus Services, designed the landscape/sitting area with the guidance of Sanner’s colleagues. Facilities team members John Pollock poured the concrete pad and Chuck Kinter and Rusty Wood fabricated the tree hanging basket holders. The grounds crew was also heavily involved in the project.
“This project was a group effort with special meaning and lasting enjoyment,” Wood said.
To see more photos from the dedication, go to the English and World Languages Facebook page.