Ten Geology Faculty Members Recognized for Excellence in Teaching and Mentoring

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The Department of Geology is pleased to announce that ten of its faculty members were recognized during the 2004-2005 academic year for excellence in teaching or mentoring by their peers and students, and or our alumni. 

Dr. Carrie Schweitzer received the Distinguished Teacher of the Year award at Kent State Stark. 
Dr. David Hacker received the Distinguished Teacher of the Year award at Kent State Trumbull. 

On the Kent campus, Drs. Donna Witter and  Joseph Ortiz were both named Outstanding Teachers by KSU Disability Services and Ability Unlimited, while Dr. Richard Heimlich received the Faculty Recognition award from the KSU Mortar Board Chapter and was recognized by the Kent State University Alumni Association on behalf of the National Alumni Board of Directors for excellence in teaching.

Dr. Alison Smith (Kent Campus) and Heather Cunningham (Tuscarawas Campus) received Graduate's Applause Certificates of Achievement as teachers who had made a difference in the life of a KSU graduate.  Dr. Rod Feldmann was recognized by the Kent State University Alumni Association on behalf of the National Alumni Board of Directors for excellence in student mentoring and advising. Dr. Shakoor received  the Graduate Student Senate Mentorship Excellence Award.


Within the department, Dr. Daniel Holm was awarded the Glenn W. Frank Teaching Award. 

As a whole, the faculty in the Geology Department take great pride in teaching students at all levels about both the subject of science and the scientific method.  Average scores on student evaluations of Geology faculty are consistently better than the norm across the College of Arts & Sciences.  "Topics in Geology such as tsunamis, earthquakes, mountain belts, mass extinctions, and changes in climate, to name only a few, are inherently interesting subjects and of great importance to us as residents of this planet, says Dr. Donald Palmer, Chairman of the Department of Geology.  The Geology faculty work hard and passionately to teach students about the Earth, especially since it doesn’t come with an owner’s manual!"  Dr. Palmer notes that "Four Geology faculty recognized for their excellence in teaching last spring were hired only in the last five years.  That bodes very well for the future of this department,” he says with a large smile.