Castle, Professor Dana F. Award Fund
With love, respect, and great admiration, Sarah Castle Rossi and Gregory T. Rossi established The Professor Dana F. Castle Award Fund, an academic award in honor of Dana F. Castle and in celebration of her 70th birthday. A 1973 graduate of The University of Akron School of Law, Dana F. Castle launched her legal career and tenure with The University of Akron School of Law in 1974 as clinical program director and lecturer at law. Over the course of the next 26 years, Professor Castle’s career and reputation as a professional, fair, and demanding teacher advanced steadily. Students, faculty, and administrators always held her in high regard. At her retirement in 2000, Professor Castle had served The University of Akron School of Law in a variety of leadership positions. Most notably, Professor Castle was assistant to the dean in charge of placement, alumni, and continuing legal education; assistant professor of law; associate professor of law; exchange professor of law at The Polytechnic Wolverhampton, England; and professor of law. She was also active on numerous University and Law School committees, as well as many civic and professional associations. Her record of membership in the Akron Bar Association and the Law School Alumni Association since 1974 and as a charter member of the Dean’s Club since 1981 has been uninterrupted.
Soft-spoken and thoughtful in word, Professor Castle packed quite a punch in the classroom. Her former students will say she was a tough teacher who had high expectations of all of her students. They will also say she was one of the best, if not the best, professor they had at The University of Akron School of Law. Her receipt of the BLSA Outstanding Professor Award in 1994 and the inclusion of a segment of her teaching techniques in a 1985 AALS Teaching Methods videotape provide professional validation of these opinions. Professor Castle’s research and scholarly publications focused on family law issues. Her personal interests include reading and traveling. She is the proud parent of two grown children and three grandchildren.
The purpose of The Professor Dana F. Castle Award Fund is to recognize and reward outstanding academic achievement of University of Akron School of Law students who have completed Contracts I, Professor Castle’s favorite subject to teach. In this regard, the top student from each Contracts I class will be considered, and the student with the highest grade will be selected to receive the award. In the case of a tie, the student having the highest overall GPA will be selected to receive the recognition and the award. The Professor Dana F. Castle Award Fund will be administered under the direction of the dean of the School of Law.