Donna Swaim

My apologies for the autocorrect- *Dr. Swaim.

I am so, so sorry to hear that Dr. Season has passed away, and for your loss. I was an 18 year-old freshman at U of A when I first met Dr. Season. She was giving a on the importance of failure. I knew immediately that I wanted to take one of her classes, because I could learn not only about art and history and humanities from her, but about life! After taking one of her classes, I had the pleasure and privilege of being part of a group of students she led to Southern Africa, an experience...

Donna was an inspiration to us. She steadfastly invested in students, both inside and outside of the classroom at the University of Arizona. Her leadership of Faculty Fellows universally emphasized student centeredness, doing her best in persuading others that UofA always needs to attend to this even while functioning at a high level in research, scholarship, and creative expression. Donna brought the scholarly arena of Humanities into practical and valued application.

I was 18 years old when I had no option but to sign up for Humanities, the class with a reading list from hell that everyone warned me to avoid like the plague. I am now 66 and I have learned this; if you are lucky in life, you will meet at least one special person that touches, challenges, humanizes and inspires you. Donna Swaim was more than a unparalleled teacher, she was a beautiful human being who taught you how to find the beauty that most of us miss in the chaos that exists all around...

Dear Bob and family I am so sorry for your loss. Donna was a truly remarkable woman and educator. She made the world a better place. Her ability to inspire curiosity and critical thinking was matched by her ability to teach compassion, patience, and love through example. I had the good fortune of taking several classes with her at the UofA and in 1986 went on a `Voyage of Discovery´ with her and 10 young women to Madrid, Segovia, Paris, Grindelwald, Florence, and Ravenna (see photos...

I had the honor of working with Donna as a Faculty Fellow in Athletics. She was loved and admired by her students, and the many international trips she led opened the world for generations of students. Donna's smile brightened the day of every student that stopped her office, and she was never too busy just to sit and talk with a student (or colleague) who needed a friendly ear and a compassionate heart. For those of us who had the good fortune to know Donna, we will never forget her.