Three professors are the first to receive a new faculty award recognizing excellence in teaching. Thomas Greenbowe, chemistry; Gail Nonnecke, horticulture; and Leo Timms, animal science, recently were named Morrill Professors.
The award recognizes faculty who excel in teaching in undergraduate, graduate or extension and outreach programs. The award also carries an obligation to share their expertise. The professors will do that as members in the Morrill Academy for Teaching and Learning.
The Morrill award joins two others -- Distinguished Professor and University Professor -- in the lineup of prestigious faculty awards announced in the spring.
Jack Dekkers, animal sciences; Catherine Kling, economics; and Patrick Schnable, agronomy, received Distinguished Professor titles, which are given to full professors whose contributions to their academic disciplines are recognized nationally or internationally.
Micheal Owen, agronomy, received the University Professor title, which honors change agents who have made exceptional contributions to the university.
Distinguished Professors
Dekkers
Jack Dekkers
Charles F. Curtiss Professorship in Agriculture and Life Sciences
Dekkers made significant contributions to livestock industries by developing innovative molecular genetic analysis and selection methods in swine breeding programs. He is renowned for his work on statistical genetic analysis of quantitative traits and genetic basis of feed efficiency and disease in pigs.
Dekkers is a professor of animal science. He is among eight scientists to receive the highest awards in animal breeding and genetics from both the American Dairy Science Association and the American Society of Animal Science.
Kling
Catherine Kling
Charles F. Curtiss Professorship in Agriculture and Life Sciences
Kling is well-known for research in the areas of environmental amenities, tradable pollution permits and water and carbon sequestration. Her work includes a landmark study on Clear Lake (Iowa) restoration and a study of the Mississippi watershed in connection with Gulf of Mexico pollution. She is considered among the top environmental economists in the world.
Kling is a professor of economics and currently serves as president of the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists.
Schnable
Patrick Schnable
Charles F. Curtiss Professorship in Agriculture and Life Sciences
A leader in maize genetics and genomics, Schnable has notched many major research accomplishments and served as co-leader of the National Science Foundation-funded maize genomic sequencing project. He is founding director of the Center for Plant Genomics and the Center for Plant Transformation and co-founder of Data2Bio, a successful start-up company.
Schnable is the Baker Professor of Agronomy and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
University Professor
Owen
Micheal Owen
Through his national stature in herbicide management and his prolific research and hands-on training in weed herbicide resistance, Owen has enhanced the reputation of Iowa State's weed sciences programs. On campus, he also has served as a change agent through leadership in Faculty Senate. He played a major role in development and approval of two faculty policies intended to improve and recognize faculty excellence.
Owen is a professor of agronomy and an Extension weed specialist.
Morrill Professors
Greenbowe
Thomas Greenbowe
Greenbowe's broad national and international impact in chemistry education stems from his research in teaching and learning and his innovative instructional use of computer visualizations to enhance student understanding and problem-solving. He also has amassed a strong record of outreach to students and educators (K-12 and post-secondary) through hands-on demonstrations and his "Guided Inquiry in the AP Chemistry Classroom" series.
Greenbowe is a professor of chemistry.
Nonnecke
Gail Nonnecke
A change agent in the classroom, Nonnecke has broadened "education" to include learning communities, study abroad and service learning -- all aspects of the student experience at Iowa State. She is recognized as a teacher and leader by organizations inside and outside of Iowa State. Her area of research is small fruit crops, and her classroom extends to the farms of fruit and vegetable growers throughout Iowa.
Nonnecke is a University Professor of horticulture.
Timms
Leo Timms
Timms is an innovative and stimulating educator in the classroom, on-farm with dairy producers or 4-H youth, and on campus with fellow researchers. His multidisciplinary programming in Extension with dairy producers and industry groups allows him to bring real-life examples to the classroom. He also regularly involves undergrads in his research programs and has an impressive service record.
Timms is a professor of animal science and Extension dairy specialist.
About the awards
The first Distinguished Professor award was given in 1956. Distinguished Professors receive a $6,500 increase to their base salaries.
The first University Professors were named in 1993. University Professors receive a $6,000 base salary increase.
Iowa State has its first three Morrill Professors this year. They receive a $6,000 base salary increase.
