Dec. 5, 2016

Faculty selected for endowed professorships

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Three distinguished NDSU faculty members have been awarded endowed professorships. The selections were made by the NDSU Faculty Awards and Recognition Committee.

Kim Vonnahme, professor of animal sciences, has been selected as the recipient of the Jordan A. Engberg Endowed Professorship Award; Chad Ulven, associate professor of mechanical engineering, has been recognized with the Walter F. and Verna Gehrts Presidential Professorship; and Michael D. Robinson, professor of psychology, has been chosen to receive the Dale Hogoboom Presidential Professorship.

“Endowed Professorship Awards are given to faculty members who have an outstanding teaching, research, and service record,” said Provost Beth Ingram. “These faculty exemplify the excellence of our faculty. Their selection speaks to their commitment to NDSU and recognition of their record by their colleagues and students.”

Each recipient will receive a stipend of $5,000 and $1,500 for expenditures related to their academic endeavors for each of the next two years.

Vonnahme, who joined the NDSU faculty in 2004, specializes in the area of animal reproductive physiology.

“I was truly surprised and humbled by being nominated and awarded this prestigious endowed professorship,” Vonnahme said. “I am extremely thankful for the support of my colleagues, dedicated technicians, devoted students and insightful mentors who have helped me along the way. Many exceptional professors have held this distinction and I aspire to meet the expectations set by those before me.

Vonnahme earned her bachelor’s degree at Iowa State University, master’s degree in animal science from Oklahoma State University and doctorate in reproductive physiology at the University of Wyoming.

She was nominated by Joel Caton, professor of animal science and a past recipient of the Engberg Professorship. “Dr. Vonnahme is an accomplished researcher, award-winning teacher and the type of faculty member who makes others around her better through her efforts to establish positive collaborations with multidisciplinary research,” he said.

Ulven, who is associate chair of Department of Mechanical Engineering, came to NDSU in 2005. His research focuses on composites using bio-based and synthetic materials.

“It is a great honor to be recognized in this way,” Ulven said. However, many of my accomplishments are shared with the outstanding students and colleagues that I have the privilege of working with every day. In addition, my chair and dean have been extremely supportive of my often time unconventional ways of doing things. Without these close working relationships, innovative research and education is not as fun or impactful.”

Ulven earned his bachelor’s degree at NDSU and master’s degree and doctorate in materials engineering at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

“Dr. Ulven has an outstanding record of teaching, research and service,” said nominator Gary Smith, dean of engineering. “His instructor ratings are always among the highest in mechanical engineering. Dr. Ulven’s research … has attracted a wide variety of support from national agencies to local commodity groups and industry.” Smith also noted Ulven’s campus committee activities and his work with the American Society of Testing and Materials committee.

Robinson, a respected personality-social psychologist, joined the NDSU faculty in 2001 and conducts research in such areas as cognition, motivation, emotion and self-regulation.

“These professorships are such a great idea. Professors work very hard, in part because they are deeply invested in what they do, but in part because this hard work may be appreciated from time to time,” Robinson said. “The Dale Hogoboom Professorship is a wonderful award, and I am very grateful to receive it. I look forward to congratulating the next Hogoboom awardee, as well.

Robinson earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and his doctorate in social psychology at the University of California, Davis. He is a fellow of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology, the Association for Psychological Science, the American Psychological Society and the Society of Personality and Social Psychology.

“Dr. Robinson is an energetic, creative, prolific scientist who has devoted himself to both NDSU and the field. He is an excellent candidate for the next Dale Hogoboom award,” said psychology faculty colleagues Mark McCourt, Paul Rokke and Benjamin Balas, who nominated him for the honor. “He has become the most prolific and possibly the most impactful scholar in his department’s 60-year history.”

The recipients will be recognized during the annual NDSU Celebration of Faculty Excellence, scheduled for May 11, 2017.

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