Awards & Distinction
University Honors Program Awards for Excellence
W. Robert Parks Honors Commendations
2005 – 2006 UNIVERSITY HONORS PROGRAM
AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE
Each year the University Honors Program confers two awards for excellence: one for Excellence in Honors Teaching and one for Excellence in
Honors Mentoring and Advising. Nominations for these awards come from faculty and administrators. Winners are then selected by a committee of
Honors faculty, staff, and students on the basis of their commitment to Honors students and Honors education.
Award for Excellence in Honors Teaching - Dr. Alan Myers
Dr. Alan Myers
Dr. Myers first contributed to the Honors Program as a member of the College of LAS Honors Committee from 1992-1994. During that time, the
members of the committee were asked to consider offering an Honors seminar for the upcoming semester. Dr. Myers volunteered to offer a seminar
now entitled “Tolkien’s Mythology” partly in order to fill the need within the Honors Program, but more importantly because he felt that his
scholarship in Tolkin’s literature and his great enthusiasm for the subject might provide the basis for a course that students would find valuable.
Since 1994, Dr. Myers has taught Tolkien’s Mythology approximately 10 times with at least a minimum of 12 students in each section. Dr. Myers has
continued his Honors teaching while he has been serving as Department Chair of the Biochemistry Department since 2000, again showing his willingness
to take on an extra assignment to contribute to the University Honors Program. His seminar is interesting, engaging, and inspiring to the students
who have been fortunate enough to take it, and the Honors Program is fortunate to have Dr. Myers as a collaborating faculty member supporting
Honors education at all levels.
Award for Excellence in Honors Advising and Mentoring - Dr. Jacek Koziel
Dr. Jacek Koziel
Dr. Koziel has been an active mentor for the Freshman Honors Mentor Program since Spring 2005 and has worked with three Honors freshmen from
the College of Engineering. He has been awarded the University Honors Program Mentoring/Advising Award in recognition of his work in academic advising
of Honors students, advising of Honors projects, and mentoring of students in the Freshman Honors Mentor Program. He has provided students the
opportunity to work on projects relevant to the Iowa livestock and poultry industries, and multidisciplinary projects. He firmly believes these
experiences proved the Honors students with a better understanding of the potential impact engineers have on our society and the world. Dr. Koziel
is very passionate about student learning, mentoring, and students’ ultimate success in their professional careers. Dr. Koziel is a dedicated teacher
and most effective advisor, as described by one of his students, and is exactly the kind of student advisor/mentor we want at Iowa State University
who motivate students to excel through learning.
2006 – 2007 W. ROBERT PARKS
HONORS COMMENDATIONS
Each year the W. Robert Parks Honors Commendations are awarded to a faculty member, a friend, and a student associated
with the University Honors Program. Honors students nominate individuals in each of the three categories who have
demonstrated outstanding contributions to the Honors Program. The Honors Student Board (HSB) then selects the recipients.
To nominate an individual for next year's Parks Awards, click here to download the form.
These are the words of the nominators of:
Student Award: Rachel Allen, senior, Political Science:
Rachel Allen
“Rachel has been a superb HSB member and president, an active member of Harwood House even after moving off campus, and a leader in the Government of the Student Body (GSB). Rachel has encouraged many students to get involved with campus life, the ISU Honors Program, and GSB. I’ve met few people in my time at ISU that are as real, honest, and active as Rachel.”
Friend Award: Tanya Zanish-Belcher, Associate Professor & Director of Special Collections, Library:
Tanya Zanish-Belcher
“Tanya is very friendly and encouraging, shows a lot of involvement with Honors (and students in general) by teaching an Honors seminar, attending Honors functions (such as the Open Forum for the Director search), and hiring Honors students to work within her department at Special Collections.”
“Tanya teaches an engaging Honors seminar, employs more than a handful of Honors students, and has an active concern for the Honors program. She always pushes students to get more involved in campus life and speak their mind to faculty. She is a wonderful asset to the Honors Program and more than deserves this award.”
Faculty Award: Michael Martin, Associate Professor, Landscape Architecture:
“Michael Martin has been highly involved in the Honors Program for several years. We have had the pleasure to have had him as our FHP Leaders Meeting facilitator and are currently taking his Honors seminar about new urbanism.
Martin has a very innovative way of teaching, during our Leaders Meeting we would meet at different places on campus instead of the regular meeting room in the Honors Building. As a result it exposed us to unique places on campus like the Food Science courtyard. He also encouraged new and different activities to do in our seminars.
In our new urbanism seminar he has once again proved to be a great educator and mentor. He facilitates engaging discussions and chooses especially interesting readings. His teaching style is interactive and conversational, unlike an average lecture. He is very attentive to small details and knowing everyone on a personal level. During one of our many fieldtrips he took us to his home and served us tea and cookies.
Through his relentless dedication he has proved to be an integral part of the Honors Program. He has sponsored numerous Honors projects, serves as and FHP Leader collaborating faculty member, and gives a minimum of one seminar a year making him a worth candidate of the Parks Faculty award.”
