Faculty role models

Engagement. It's one of those buzzwords that I'd prefer not to use if I could find an effective alternative. But I haven't yet. Help, somebody!

In the meantime...

Maybe one of the experiences that best gets students engaged in their learning is seeing role models who have succeeded at what those students are attempting. Here's an article from the March 25 Chronicle of Higher Education about the profound effect that role models might have for our students. This article is mostly about graduate students and their faculty role models. But it seems to me that pretty much everything that's true for grad students in this story goes for undergrads as well. What do you think?