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Wednesday, October 15, 2008 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: ames Lubker, interim executive vice president and provost, (319) 273-2517
Vicki Grimes, University Marketing & Public Relations, (319) 273-6728
Note to editors/news directors: Photos of the honorees are available online at: http://www.uni.edu/pubrel/newsroom/photos/GrovesJohn.jpg
http://www.uni.edu/pubrel/newsroom/photos/JepsenLisa.jpg
http://www.uni.edu/pubrel/newsroom/photos/PowerDan.jpg UNI honors outstanding faculty for teaching, research, professional service CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Three University of Northern Iowa faculty members were honored this fall for outstanding teaching, research and professional service, receiving awards valued at $1,000 each.
Recipients and the award they received are: John R. Groves, associate professor of earth science, Donald L. McKay Faculty Research Award; Lisa K. Jepsen, associate professor of economics, Class of 1943 Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching; Daniel J. Power, professor of management, Ross A. Nielsen Professional Service Award.
The McKay Award is an annual cash prize recognizing a UNI faculty member for excellence in research and scholarship. The major selection criterion is exceptional original contributions to research and scholarship, including the creative and performing arts.
Groves spent 15 years in the petroleum industry before joining the UNI faculty in the fall of 2000. At UNI, Groves has expanded his background in carbonate petrography and depositional environments. He is an internationally recognized expert in the field of micropaleontology and paleontology, and has been an invited speaker at international professional society meetings in Ankara, Turkey; Natal, Brazil; Utrecht, Netherlands; and Nanjing, China.
"What sets John's research apart from other micropaleontological studies is that with meticulous examination and application of quantitative techniques, he has achieved success in determining origin and extinction rates for a group of poorly understood and little studied foraminifera," said James Walters, professor and head of the UNI Department of Earth Science. "Especially significant is the fact that he has been able to document evolutionary patterns in these foraminifera during a period of time in Earth's history when climate and global tectonics were highly variable."
The Class of 1943 Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching not only rewards effective performance in the classroom, but also generosity with personal time and a serious concern with academic excellence and individual student needs, interests and development.
Jepsen's nominators say she is a "dedicated teacher both in and outside the classroom. Whether in a class of 20 or 200, her students feel connected and involved. They know they are learning and appreciate all of her efforts on their behalf. Her student assessments are among the highest in the College of Business Administration and, importantly, her grading standards are, as well."
Outside the classroom, Jepsen devotes "an enormous amount of time to advising and working with pre-law students. Economics graduates have successfully completed a variety of prestigious law school programs and under her guidance, this year one of her advisees was accepted at Harvard Law School.
Jepsen's excellence in teaching was previously recognized by UNI when she was awarded the University Book and Supply Outstanding Teacher Award.
The Ross A. Nielsen Professional Service Award is given to a faculty member who displays an extraordinary record of meritorious service to both UNI and the individual's academic discipline.
Power came to UNI in 1989 as head of the Department of Management, serving in that role until returning to teaching in 1996. He quickly became immersed in faculty governance work, serving his own department, college and the university, as well organizations within his field.
In the last five years, Power has served as chair of the University Faculty Senate, co-chair of the Board of Regents/State of Iowa's UNI Presidential Search and Screening Committee and on the United Faculty/AAUP Central Committee and collective bargaining negotiation team, "making a substantial and positive impact on the university community." As one nominator put it, "Dan displays special insights into political ramifications of decisions and is extremely adroit at building consensus out of diverse points of view."
Power has served multiple terms as editor, program chair, board member and committee member, performing a myriad of "thankless tasks" and, in some of his work, putting UNI on the national map. In presenting Power's award, James Lubker, interim executive vice president and provost, said, "It is one thing to serve on a committee, knowing the job will come to its welcome end. It's quite another to make a permanent commitment to hosting a Web site, putting in the time and talent required to make it the premier portal for both practitioners and academics in Decision Support Systems.
"The time Dan takes to write weekly columns, host seminars and mentor researchers in the field is considerable, and the result is a resource used by students, researchers and professionals from all over the world. Dan's record illustrates the impact of a lifetime of commitment to the details and duties of service. A lot isn't glamorous, but, as a result, the entire community is enriched."
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