Dr. Allan Pringle, Curators’ Teaching Professor of physics at the University of Missouri-Rolla, is the recipient of a 2006 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Gov. Matt Blunt and members of the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education recognized Pringle and 14 other recipients during the Governor’s Conference on Higher Education held April 6 in Columbia, Mo.

The awards, which are not monetary, are based on effective teaching, innovative course design and delivery, effective advising, service to the university community, commitment to high standards of excellence and success in nurturing student achievement.

A member of the UMR faculty since 1985, Pringle also serves as a research investigator in UMR’s Graduate Center for Materials Research. While at UMR, he has received seven Faculty Excellence Awards, four Outstanding Teaching Awards and three College of Arts and Sciences Excellence in Teaching Awards from UMR. In 2005, he received a Distinguished Service Award from the Science Teachers of Missouri.

Pringle’s primary research interests include high-performance permanent magnets, neutron scattering and magnetic thin films. He is also active in teaching fundamentals of science to Missouri’s K-12 teachers to help improve science instruction in Missouri schools.

Pringle joined the UMR faculty as assistant professor of physics in 1985. He was named associate professor in 1991 and professor in 1998. He was named Curators’ Teaching Professor of physics in 2005.

Pringle earned bachelor of science, master of science and Ph.D. degrees in physics from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1970, 1971 and 1981, respectively. He is a member of the American Physical Society, the APS Division of Condensed Matter Physics and Science Teachers of Missouri. He also advises the UMR chapter of the Society of Physics Students.