Faculty and staff recipients of the university’s most distinguished awards will be honored Wednesday, Oct. 2, in the Memorial Union Sun Room. The awards ceremony begins at 3:30 p.m., followed by a reception. Those from engineering being recognized are:
Fouad Fanous – Regents Faculty Excellence Awards
Professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering
For the past 19 years, Fanous and his colleagues have conducted landmark research into the strength of existing nuclear power plants across the country. To this day, this work is highly acclaimed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. He is known as a staunch advocate for quality in the classroom and for getting the most from his students.
Alan Russell – Louis Thompson Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award
Professor of materials science and engineering
Numbers don’t always tell the whole story, but in the case of Russell’s teaching quality, they do provide some insight. Over the last six years, Russell’s teaching evaluations by students have averaged 4.8 on a 5-point scale. That’s for all of his classes — small and large; introductory and advanced. At no time in his 37-year career here has he received an evaluation lower than 4.2.
Richard Stone – Award for Early Achievement in Teaching
Assistant professor of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering
In his five years at Iowa State, Stone has set a high bar. As a colleague wrote: “He is one of the most energetic and enthusiastic teachers you will ever observe. He has developed many interesting approaches to teaching, such as using Mr. Potato Head to demonstrate industrial engineering concepts.” Stone does not limit his teaching impact to Iowa State, as he works with middle and high school students as well as Native American students at Six Nations Reservation in Ontario, Canada, to encourage more young people to pursue engineering careers.
Andrea Klocke – Award for Academic Advising Impact
Academic advisor, department of materials science and engineering
Klocke has made an impact on student learning in materials science and engineering since she joined the department in 2007. She developed the advising process structure for all students, developed a student advising database for department-wide use, established a study abroad program, and has been instrumental in finding research opportunities for undergraduates. In addition, she advises 165 students and has established and coordinated the department’s learning community the last four years, receiving the university’s Exemplary Peer Mentor Award each year.
Manimaran Govindarasu – Award for Mid-Career Achievement in Research
Professor of electrical and computer engineering
Govindarasu is widely regarded as a pioneer and a leader in the emerging interdisciplinary research area of cyber security of power systems and the power grid, important to our nation’s security and economic well-being. His research has guided future research directions, helped government agencies formulate effective policies, and assisted industry in meeting evolving needs and compliance requirements.
See more at: http://www.inside.iastate.edu/article/2013/09/26/awards