May 20, 2008
LAS faculty, staff honored with Iowa State awards
Ten faculty and staff members in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
have been recognized by Iowa State University for their excellence in the classroom,
research and other service areas.
The recipients will be recognized in the fall during the LAS Faculty/Staff Convocation
on Wednesday, Sept. 3, and formally recognized during the University's Fall
Convocation, also scheduled for September.
The recipients and their awards include:
ISU Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research - recognizes
faculty members for outstanding achievement in research, scholarship, or creative
activity.
- John Verkade, University professor of chemistry. Verkade developed the novel chemical properties of his new phosphorus compounds, including their catalysis of important reactions. Several of these catalysts are now commercially manufactured. Some of his recent discoveries in phosphorus chemistry have become highly relevant to the production of value-added products from biomass and to recycling waste polyester fabrics.
ISU Award for Mid-Career Achievement in Research - recognizes
a faculty member who has demonstrated outstanding accomplishments in research
at the mid-career stage.
- Victor Lin, professor of chemistry. A world-renowed expert on the design of porous nanomaterials for selective catalysis and biotechnological/biomedical applications, Lin's research activities involve designing and developing novel strategies to control structure, morphology, biodegradability and functionalist of these nanomaterials. His work has achieved significant impacts in the areas of drug-delivery and catalyst development for bio-renewable applications and bio-fuel production.
Louis Thompson Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award
- recognizes faculty members for outstanding teaching performance over an extended
period of time.
- Debra Marquart, professor of English. A poet and performance artist, Marquart is also the winner of many national awards. Her most recent book is a memoir entitled The Horizontal World: Growing Up Wild in the Middle of Nowhere. Her creative writing students admire her work and especially the way she uses her experience as a writer to help them understand their own struggles with language. They speak of her as an exceptional teacher and beloved mentor, whom many expressly emulate when they too become teachers of writing.
Early Achievement in Teaching Award - recognizes faculty members who have demonstrated outstanding teaching performance unusually early in their professional careers.
- Sonja Giles, assistant professor of music. Giles excels as an instructor of both flute performance and music theory. She is a highly-talented faculty member who brings a sense of confident preparedness to everything she does, whether it be reaching, performing, pedagogical research of administrative assignments. Since coming to Iowa State, she has established and maintained a reputation among her colleagues and students as one of the Department of Music's most gifted instructors.
- Linda Shenk, assistant professor of English. Shenk's enthusiasm for teaching the works of Shakespeare and early modern British literature has earned her the affectionate nickname "Shenkspeare" among her students. One colleague observed Shenk's classroom style allows students to "see Shakespeare as a source of humor, brilliant thinking and fun - something they can adapt to various use as English majors, teachers or good citizens."
J.H. Ellis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Introductory Teaching - recognizes outstanding performance in teaching undergraduate introductory classes (defined as entry-level courses in the discipline).
- Craig Ogilvie, associate professor of physics and astronomy. Ogilvie's main teaching activities have been in "Introduction to Classical Physics" with an enrollment of between 300-500 students per semester. He has been highly innovative in his approach to this course, for example by introducing the use of clickers for rapid feedback to the lecturer and students, and introducing computer-based feedback in recitation sections. Ogilvie has won several awards for his teaching and teaching innovations and has given many lecturers on- and off-campus on his teaching methods and results.
International Service Award - recognizes faculty for outstanding
international service in terms of teaching, research, or administration, within
the United States or abroad.
- Richard Mansbach, professor of political science. Mansbach has established himself as one of the world's leading scholars in the field of international relations. He has developed an international reputation as a pioneer of an approach that emphasizes non-state actors and identity rather than states and material power. His theoretical framework is part of an on-going revolution in his subfield of political science. The author and/or editor of 15 books, he teaches a variety of courses on international politics. He has traveled extensively, lecturing on international relations and global phenomena.
Regents Award for Faculty Excellence - recognizes an outstanding
university citizen who has rendered significant service to Iowa State University
and/or to the State of Iowa.
- Dean Isaacson, professor of statistics. A respected scholar, a superb instructor, and a dedicated mentor to faculty and students, Isaacson served as chair of the Department of Statistics and director of Iowa State's Statistics Laboratory 16 years. During his years at Iowa State, he has been a driving force in recruiting and retaining graduate students from under-represented groups in the U.S. population. He is the recipient of numerous National Science Foundation grants and awards including the ISU Presidential Service Award in 2004 and the ISU Outstanding Teacher Award in 1980.
Regents Award for Staff Excellence - recognizes an outstanding university citizen who has rendered significant service to Iowa State University and/or to the State of Iowa.
- Dana Schumacher, academic adviser, Department of Political Science. Schumacher advises several hundred undergraduate political science majors and co-majors, helping them select better life choices and career opportunities. She advises the whole student and not just the piece that is associated with the major, embodying the qualities, integrity and characteristics of the engaged citizen.
P&S Excellence Award - recognizes and
honor P&S employees who have achieved excellence in their respective fields.
- Gloria Betcher, assistant director of graduate education and program coordinator for technical communication. Betcher works with both graduate and undergraduate students on degree planning. She teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in medieval literature, particularly early drama and Arthurian legend. She also teaches a honors seminar in literature and film and courses on computers in the study of English and business and technical communication.
