62,000 miles of impact: What running has taught lifelong educator Dr. Jim Richie

A lifelong runner, Dr. Jim Richie recently celebrated his 62,000th career mile over 50 years of running. For the associate professor of electrical engineering in Marquette's Opus College of Engineering, the milestone can be measured in many ways: 2.5 times around the Earth, over a quarter of the way to the moon or about 90 pairs of running shoes. The distance is impressive, but it's Richie's lasting presence at Marquette that makes all the difference.

For the past 38 years, Richie has taught 170 courses to over 1,200 engineering students, by his estimation. But, running and teaching have never been numbers games for Richie. He revels in what each step has to offer.

"I don't get bored in the classroom," he says. "Every semester I can keep an eye on students and see how they're responding to my teaching. I fish around for better ways to explain things and what wording is going to work with them this time."

Richie says he feels the responsibility is on him to meet the students halfway and keep adapting his approach. He also keeps his daily runs in his back pocket when he wants to give the students a break and share something about himself. He will pause at the whiteboard between topics and comment on how cold his morning run was or if he tripped over his feet that day.

"Some of them are going to read this and say, 'oh yeah, he was always mentioning his runs in class.'"

Intentional moments like this are more than just small diversions or classroom quirks, but part of Marquette's broader culture for faculty to share their whole selves with students so that students may do the same in their work.

This care and Richie's dedication to his craft are what have earned him multiple Opus College Outstanding Teacher awards and the trust and admiration of hundreds of alumni now leading communities and industries.

His running career has also taught him a great deal about resilience that he shares with students. In 2021, Richie started experiencing chest pain on his runs. It was this obstacle toward his daily habit that sent him to the doctor's office, where they discovered blocked arteries and the need for double bypass surgery. His surgery and recovery temporarily sidelined him from teaching and running, but he made his way back to his passions as soon as the doctor would let him.

"I don't know if I would still be here if I didn't run," Richie says.

As the years have gone on, Richie's legs have weakened and his approach to running has changed. "I actually chant to myself with each step, any words or numbers," Richie says. "It keeps me focused so I don't get hurt. I used to work things out in my head when running, but now it is my meditation."

In the classroom, Richie appreciates seeing the journey of students who struggle through the concepts at first. He says their persistence and hard work is what is most valuable to measure in their education.

"Running has taught me to keep going. It does not matter how slow you go, you just keep going," he says. "That's what students need to know: You just keep going and eventually you get there."