The office of academic support at Missouri S&T recently recognized three S&T faculty members and a staff member for their roles in campus service and experiential learning. The awards were presented during a ceremony held on the Missouri S&T campus on Feb. 13.

The Experiential Learning Award recognizes faculty and staff who require undergraduate students to go beyond mastering basic skills and knowledge in the application of that material to problem solving challenges. These activities involve collaborations and reflective learning and allow students to learn environments that align with their aptitudes.

• Dr. Stuart Baur, associate professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering, received the Faculty Experiential Learning Award. Baur was recognized for combining learning beyond the classroom with hands-on community service projects, including leading a project to have students create designs for a proposed new animal shelter in Rolla.
• Dr. David Westenberg, associate professor of biological sciences, received the Faculty Experiential Learning Award. Westenberg was recognized for his work co-advising the iGEM student design team and for his work in supporting the research of students involved in the Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experience (OURE) program.

The Service Learning Award recognizes faculty and staff who involve or influence undergraduate students in academic service learning or community service activities outside the classroom.

• Jessica Haywood, program administrator for volunteerism and involvement, received the Staff Service Learning Award. Haywood was recognized for her work with the Miner Challenge Alternative Break program. Miner Challenge gives students opportunities for immersive volunteer experiences across the United States and abroad. The program helps students develop leadership skills and increases their awareness of social issues.
• Dr. Daniel Oerther, professor of civil, architectural and environmental engineering, received the Faculty Service Learning Award. Oerther was recognized for his work with the U.S. Department of State Diplomacy Lab. The Diplomacy Lab is a public-private partnership that allows the State Department to ‘course-source’ research and innovation related to foreign policy challenges by harnessing the efforts of college students and faculty experts.