Each year, Colorado State University celebrates the teaching, research and service achievements of CSU students, alumni and friends, academic faculty, administrative professionals and classified staff.
Scholarship Impact Award
Ellen Wohl, professor of geosciences in the Warner College of Natural Resources, has received the Scholarship Impact Award, one of the highest faculty honors at Colorado State University.
Given by the Office of the Vice President for Research, the Scholarship Impact Award comes with a $10,000 grant to support the recipient’s research.
“To recognize a scholar like Dr. Wohl is to recognize both her impressive and influential research in wood dynamics in mountainous headwater streams and their connection to carbon cycling, stream metabolism, and river ecosystem productivity,” said Alan Rudolph, CSU vice president for research. “As researchers, we realize that knowledge is built from a foundation constructed by great minds. This award singles out CSU researchers, like Dr. Wohl, who are distinct pillars within their foundations of knowledge.”
Wohl, who received her Ph.D. in geosciences from the University of Arizona, joined the CSU faculty in 1989.
Her research focuses on river process and form and how the physical components of rivers influence communities of organisms in a certain area or over a period of time. Wohl has conducted research on every continent except Antarctica.
“Dr. Wohl is an exceptional mentor (and a generous and spectacularly successful female faculty role model) in the department, college, and university,” wrote Rick Aster, head of the Department of Geosciences, in nominating Wohl for the honor. “She has interacted to great effect with both students and faculty within Geosciences and within the broader watershed and affiliated programs within the Warner College and at CSU.”
Wohl is also an international speaker in high demand and a highly regarded classroom instructor, consistently receiving excellent ratings from her CSU students.
During her career, Wohl has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals and numerous scholarly books and book chapters. She also has written several general interest books about rivers and landscapes, including Rain Forest into Desert: Adventures in Australia’s Tropical North, and Wide Rivers Crossed: the South Platte and Illinois of the American Prairie.
Board of Governors Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award
Stephanie Clemons, professor in the Department of Design and Merchandising, has won this year’s Board of Governors Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award.
Clemons has been teaching interior design at CSU for more than 25 years. She is an influential educator who challenges her students to solve real-world design problems that affect the human condition. Her innovative teaching methods include incorporating service-learning community projects, a focus on diversity, peer critiques, game-based learning and the “flipped” classroom.
“Dr. Clemons goes so far above and beyond the call of duty that I often wonder if she even sleeps at night!” interior design student Christine Nicolaysen said. “She is masterful at helping students to come to understanding, not just lecturing at them. She consistently challenges the class to think deeper, replying with a question at the moment you finally thought you were off the hook. There is no such thing as a quiet Dr. Clemons class because there is always engagement from so many of the students.”
Clemons is also well-known nationally for her contributions to interior design education. She was a pioneer in the use of computer-aided design in the classroom, and many of her publications and service work focus on disseminating classroom instructional innovations, as well as furthering K-12 interior design curriculum. For example, her textbook Interior Design for high school interior design teachers will be published this year. She was named a fellow by the American Society of Interior Designers in 2008 and currently serves as chair of the organization’s board of directors. In addition, she was named fellow of the Interior Design Educators Council in 2003 and currently serves as chair of its K-12 Task Force.
Clemons said it is an honor and a privilege to receive the recognition.
“Working with undergraduate students has been a fascinating and life-changing experience for me,” she said. “My students have been vibrant, diverse, and incredibly caring individuals who truly desire to probe ideas, dig deep to develop quality design solutions to address human needs, and engage in the ever-evolving learning experience.”
Clemons was named a University Distinguished Teaching Scholar in 2014. The Department of Design and Merchandising is in the College of Health and Human Sciences.
van den Heever named Monfort Professor
Internationally respected researcher. Highly regarded educator. Tireless campus and community volunteer.
Any – and all – of those words describe Susan van den Heever, associate professor in the CSU Department of Atmospheric Science and a 2015 Monfort Professor. The honor comes with $75,000 annually for next two years to support her research.
“Dr. van den Heever is among our most productive faculty, already achieving a record of outstanding accomplishments in teaching, research and service,” said David McLean, dean of the College of Engineering. “Her balanced record of achievement in research, teaching and service embodies the land-grant mission.”
After earning her Ph.D. from CSU in 2001, van den Heever worked as a research scientist for seven years before joining the atmospheric science faculty in 2008. She was named associate professor in 2013.
As a researcher, her work on storm systems has earned international acclaim. Her transformative research on the effects of air pollution on cloud formation and storm dynamics has enabled improved climate modeling and weather forecasting in tropical regions.
She recently was selected by her peers and the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory to lead an international team that is proposing a $150 million project to deploy a state-of-the-art radar system aboard the International Space Station.
van den Heever has presented her work around the world and published dozens of works, including papers and texts. She is much more, however, than a renowned researcher. Twice in the past five years she has been named “Outstanding Professor of the Year” in atmospheric science by her students and remains the only professor to win the award twice.
In addition, van den Heever regularly volunteers in local elementary and middle schools, giving presentations as well as serving as a mentor to young women in high schools.
“As one of the nation’s top programs in the field of atmospheric science, expectations for CSU
Atmospheric Science Department faculty are extremely high; Sue easily bests those standards,” said Jeffrey L. Collett, Jr., head of Department of Atmospheric Science. “Sue is an outstanding role model for the many talented young women and men that enter our graduate program. I can think of no one better suited for selection as a Monfort Professor.”
Subhas Karan Venayagamoorthy, professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was also presented a Monfort Prefessorship at the annual Celebrate! Colorado State event.
Venayagamoorthy named Monfort Professor
Associate Professor Subhas Karan Venayagamoorthy of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has been named a Monfort Professor, one of the university’s top honors.
The Monfort Professor Award was established in 2002 through a gift from the Monfort Family Foundation. Venayagamoorthy will receive $75,000 annually for two years to support his research projects and teaching efforts.
“In addition to being an extraordinary researcher and student mentor, Karan is also an excellent teacher in a classroom setting,” College of Engineering Dean David McLean wrote in his nomination letter. “He has taught both undergraduate and graduate courses, consistently receiving outstanding evaluations from the students. Karan incorporates his cutting-edge research and knowledge into his classes and creates an environment that facilitates learning and student engagement.”
For the past six years, Venayagamoorthy and his students have worked with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment on a series of water research projects that have used experiments, computational modeling and theoretical analyses to provide a scientific knowledge base for effective design of small drinking water systems. Venayagamoorthy plans to use part of the money from his Monfort award to expand that research to develop effective and sustainable solutions for treatment of drinking water in the U.S. and the developing world.
He also plans to use computational modeling to study the interactions between large, commercial wind turbines and the turbulent atmospheric boundary layer in order to maximize energy output.
Venayagamoorthy received his doctoral degree in civil and environmental engineering from Stanford University in 2006 with an emphasis in environmental and computational fluid dynamics. He joined CSU’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in 2008.
Venayagamoorthy has received numerous national and international awards and recognitions, including the 2014 Frenkiel Award for Fluid Dynamics.
Susan van den Heever, professor in the Department of Atmospheric Science, also received a Monfort Professorship during the annual Celebrate! Colorado State event on April 16.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Award
Awarded to a graduate student for outstanding achievement in academics and service to and advancement of diversity.
Dominique David-Chavez
Human Dimensions of Natural Resources
Office of International Programs Distinguished Service Award
Recognizes faculty or staff who have made a significant impact campus-wide on internationalization efforts of Colorado State University.
Maria Fernandez-Gimenez
Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship
Lou Swanson
CSU Extension
Nancy Murray and
Mark Oberschmidt
Fort Collins International Center
Margaret B. Hazaleus Award
The Hazaleus awards were started in 1997 to honor individuals for long-term efforts to enhance the opportunities for women on campus.
Alex Bernasek
Department of Economics
Irene Vernon
Department of Ethnic Studies
Enrollment & Access Distinguished Service Award
Recognizes individuals or groups who have supported the vision, mission and efforts of the Division of Enrollment and Access.
Barb Musslewhite
Center for Advising and Student Achievement
Multicultural Staff and Faculty Network Distinguished Service Award
Honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to their professions and the multicultural community.
Carla Barela-Bloom
Center for Advising and Student Achievement
Salome Cardona
Student Access Center
Lumina Albert
Department of Management
Outstanding Achievement Award
Recognizes meritorious and outstanding achievement in job skills and/or service to the University by state classified personnel; awarded by the Classified Personnel Council.
Natalya Bowen
Department of Construction Management
Maria De Lourdes Zavala
Access Center
Connie Jaime-Lujan
Student Financial Services
Courtney Loflin
CSU Extension
Margaret Parks
Department of Management
Distinguished Administrative Award
Presented to administrative professional staff for continuing meritorious and outstanding achievement in the areas of outreach, teaching, administration, and/or research; awarded by the Administrative Professional Council.
Andrew Mullen
Hartshorn Health Network
John Parry
CSU Bookstore
Evelyn Swiss
Research Integrity & Compliance Review Office
David Warner
Department of Physics
Oliver P. Pennock Distinguished Service Award
Recognizes meritorious and outstanding achievement over a five-year period by full-time members of the academic faculty; established as a tribute to Professor Pennock, who served as a distinguished professor of Civil Engineering in the 1920s.
Kirk Hallahan
Department of Journalism and Technical Communication
Peter Hellyer
Department of Clinical Sciences
David MacPhee
Department of Human Development and Family Studies
Bruce Ronda
Department of English
Mary Vogl
Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures
Jack E. Cermak Outstanding Advisor Award
Endowed in 1984 to honor excellence in academic advising, including recognition by students and peers as an outstanding advisor; capacity to offer career as well as academic advising; interpersonal communication skills that lead to beneficial advising relationships; and contributions to the improvement of advising services and/or the appreciation of academic advising throughout the campus.
Lisa McCann
Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology
Amber Paulson-Hofseth
Center for Advising and Student Achievement
Karolin Luger
Department of Biochemistry and Mollecular Biology
Interdisciplinary Scholarship Award
Recognizes either a faculty member or research team whose interdisciplinary scholarship has had a major impact nationally and/or internationally, or who have demonstrated their potential to do so.
Katharine Leigh
Department of Design and Merchandising
Laura Malinin
Department of Design and Merchandising
James Bamburg
Department of Mollecular, Cellular, and Integrative Neurosciences
Sue VandeWoude
Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology
Kevin Crooks
Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology
Elizabeth Ryan
Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences
Exceptional Achievement in Service-Learning Award
Recognizes a student or a student group for remarkable contributions in service-learning courses and/or community-based research; awarded by the Service Integration Project.
Jeret Benson
CSU Pet Hospice Program
Exceptional Achievement in Service-Learning Community Partner Award
Presented to an outstanding Colorado State University community partner for their notable contributions to and participation in service-learning courses, initiatives or community-based research.
Stacy Poncelow
Poudre School District
Instructional Innovation in Service-Learning Award
Honors a Colorado State University faculty member who demonstrates an innovative contribution to service-learning curriculum development and/or community outreach.
Aaron Eakman
Department of Occupational Therapy
Spirit of Philanthropy Award
Recognizes a faculty or staff member whose commitment and passion to support CSU have made a significant impact on the fundraising efforts of the university.
Mike Ellis
Lory Student Center
CSU Ventures Award for Innovative Excellence
The CSU Ventures 2014 Award for Innovative Excellence is presented to a researcher who is not only an innovator, but someone whose innovations have been transferred to industry and are exhibiting strong potential for commercial success. With this award, CSU Ventures seeks to recognize the research excellence and acknowledge the impact that their innovation has outside of the University, on the lives of many people around the world.
Fausto Bellezzo
College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Dean Hendrickson
College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Provost’s N. Preston Davis Award for Instructional Innovation
Presented to an individual from among University faculty in recognition of the use of technology to further or significantly encourage instructional innovation; in recognition of more than four decades of service by N. Preston Davis.
Joseph Cannon
Department of Marketing
Brian Fugate
Department Management
Robert Jordan
Department of History
