Thirty-one faculty members in the University of Missouri-Rolla School of Extended Learning were recognized for outstanding teaching in distance courses during a ceremony on campus April 27.

The awards, the first of their kind in the school, were based on a modification of the traditional campus teaching award to account for the smaller class sizes found in distance education and the use of some adjunct faculty. Two types of awards were presented. The Outstanding Teacher Awards of Excellence were given to faculty with larger classes and the Outstanding Teaching Commendation Awards were given to faculty with smaller classes.

These awards were based on student evaluations for the previous four semesters during which over 70 faculty members taught one or more courses. In the future, the school anticipates more frequent awards following the more traditional time frame of one year.

"A number of perfect 4.0 rankings were found in both categories and provide a strong testimony to the quality of the instruction delivered by the group being honored," says Dr. Henry Wiebe, dean of the School of Extended Learning. "The faculty engaged in distance education perform under demanding circumstances and obviously have done an exemplary job in order to receive these exceptionally high ratings from their students. In addition, I feel this recognition is long overdue since the type of course being taught does not qualify for the traditional campus teaching award."

The School of Extended Learning, formerly UMR Global, became an official academic unit in January 2005. The change allows campus officials to expand on the university’s current distance and continuing education course offerings. The school also houses UMR’s Video Communications Center, the international affairs office and the distance and continuing education office on campus, as well as the Engineering Education Center (EEC) in St. Louis.

The recipients of the 2004-2005 School of Extended Learning Outstanding Teaching Award of Excellence are:
– Dr. Venkata Allada, associate professor of engineering management and systems engineering
– Dr. John Bade, associate adjunct professor of engineering management and systems engineering at the EEC
– Dr. Victor Birman, director of EEC and professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering
– Dr. Richard Bullock, professor emeritus of mining and nuclear engineering
– Dr. Benjamin Dow Jr., lecturer of engineering management and systems engineering
– Dr. Barry Flachsbart, chair and professor of information science and technology
– Dr. Tad Golosinski, professor of mining and nuclear engineering
– Dr. James Hahn, associate professor emeritus of electrical and computer engineering at the EEC
– Dr. Jennifer Leopold, assistant professor of computer science
– Dr. Ann Miller, the Cynthia Tang Missouri Distinguished Professor of electrical and computer engineering

The 22 recipients of the 2004-2005 School of Extended Learning Outstanding Teaching Commendation Award are:
– Dr. William Bond, adjunct professor of computer science at the EEC
– Dr. Randy Canis, adjunct professor of electrical and computer engineering at the EEC
– Dr. Cihan Dagli, professor of engineering management and systems engineering
– Dr. Lokesh Dharani, Curators’ professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering
– Dr. David Enke, assistant professor of engineering management and systems engineering
– Dr. William Hanna, associate adjunct professor of electrical and computer engineering at the EEC
– Dr. Roger Laboube, Curators’ Teaching Professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering
– Dr. Neal Lewis, lecturer of engineering management and systems engineering
– Dr. Frank Liu, associate professor of computer science
– Dr. Ronaldo Luna, associate professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering
– Dr. Sanjay Madria, assistant professor of computer science
– Dr. Donald Myers, professor of engineering management and systems engineering
– Dr. John Myers, assistant professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering
– Mason Myers, lecturer of engineering management and systems engineering
– Amir Nafar, lecturer of engineering management and systems engineering at the EEC
– Dr. Scott Olson, adjunct professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering at the EEC
– Dr. Sreeram Ramakrishnan, assistant professor of engineering management and systems engineering
– Dr. Jagannathan Sarangapani, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering
– Dr. David Shaller, assistant professor emeritus of engineering management and systems engineering at the EEC
– Dr. Richard Stephenson, professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering
– Dr. Paul Worsey, professor of mining and nuclear engineering