Recognition & Awards

The value that Iowa State University places on effective instruction is evident in the numerous university and college awards that recognize and promote good teaching. This commitment is further underscored in the 2005-2010 Strategic Plan, which includes the goals of developing, recognizing, and rewarding excellent teaching and enhancing the visibility of outstanding faculty members and staff. Similarly, the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) is focused on supporting, promoting, and enhancing teaching effectiveness and student learning. CELT also seeks to sustain a university culture that recognizes and rewards both scholarly teaching and the scholarship of teaching and learning.

The following University awards demonstrate Iowa State’s efforts to promote, recognize, and sustain effective teaching and learning. A summary of the awards can be found at http://www.provost.iastate.edu/faculty/awards/awards.html.

Distinguished Professorship
The purpose of this award is to recognize faculty members for exemplary performance in at least two of the following areas: teaching and advising; research, scholarship, or artistic creativity; and extension, university service or professional practice.

University Professorship
This award recognizes faculty members who have had a significant impact on their department and the University in the course of their career at Iowa State in at least one of the three areas of teaching, research, and professional service.

Margaret Ellen White Graduate Faculty Award
The efforts of major professors who serve as mentors enriching the student-professor relationship by support and attention to detail that enables students to finish their work in a timely and scholarly manner is recognized with this honor.

Louis Thompson Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award
The purpose of this award is to recognize faculty members for outstanding teaching performance over an extended period of time.

James Huntington Ellis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Introductory Teaching
Outstanding performance in teaching undergraduate introductory classes (defined as entry-level courses in the discipline) is honored with this award.

Iowa State University Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching This award recognizes faculty members for outstanding teaching performance over an extended period of time.

Iowa State University Foundation Award for Early Achievement in Teaching
Faculty members who have demonstrated outstanding teaching performance unusually early in their professional careers receive this honor.

In addition to the university awards, each college provides awards for outstanding teaching. The awards are listed below, with links for additional information.

Liberal Arts and Sciences:
• Award for Outstanding Teaching
• Award for Early Achievement in Teaching
• Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Introductory Teaching
• Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching
• LAS Master Teachers award recognizes outstanding achievement around a specific educational topic. A group (typically 4 to 7) LAS faculty members are selected. The 2004-05 topic was “connected learning.”

Agriculture:
• Outstanding Achievement in Teaching
• Early Achievement in Teaching

Business:
• Graduate Teaching Award
• Undergraduate Teaching Award
• Innovations in Teaching Award

Design:
• Polster Teaching Award
• Faculty Award for Extraordinary Performance

Engineering
• Superior Engineering Teacher Award

Human Sciences
(Former) Education:
• Outstanding Early Teaching Commendation
• Superior Teaching Medallion
(Former) Family and Consumer Sciences:
• Helen LeBaron Hilton Teaching Award
• Career Teaching Award