Four Kansas State University faculty recognized for excellence in undergraduate teaching
Wednesday, April 3, 2019
MANHATTAN — Four Kansas State University faculty members have been named recipients of the 2019 Commerce Bank and W.T. Kemper Foundation Undergraduate Outstanding Teaching Award.
Steven Copp, assistant professor of exercise physiology; Jessica Nelson, instructor of special education, counseling and student affairs; Marcella Reekie, instructor of technical writing; and Elizabeth Yeager, associate professor of agriculture economics, will receive the award and a $2,500 honorarium from the Commerce Bancshares Foundation and the W.T. Kemper Foundation. They will be recognized at the All-University Awards Ceremony at 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 7, in the Alumni Center Ballroom.
"Commerce Bank and the William T. Kemper Foundation are proud to continue our tradition of partnering with K-State to honor four exceptional educators," said Shawn Drew, market president and CEO of Commerce Bank. "The partnership began over 20 years ago and continues as a wonderful way to recognize teaching excellence. Our heartfelt thanks and congratulations go out to this year's recipients."
Copp teaches the undergraduate courses Physiology of Exercise and Neurological Exercise Physiology. He also is co-director of research in the Cardio-Oncology and Autonomic Physiology Laboratory in the kinesiology department. He is the recipient of a National Institutes of Health grant to research blood pressure control in cardiovascular disease. Copp's philosophy is that his classroom is an extension of his research laboratory, and he makes it a point to bring new and cutting-edge information to his students. He also is a member of the American Physiological Society and the American Heart Association.
Nelson teaches Exceptional Student in the Secondary School, Exceptional Child in the Regular Classroom and High Incidence Practicum. She also is co-advisor for the university's Council for Exceptional Children group and is a member of the College of Education's Student Affairs Committee. She serves as co-chair and planning committee member for the Midwest Symposium for Leadership in Behavioral Disorders' master teacher group and is a planning committee member for the Richard L. Simpson Conference on Autism. She also is a reviewer for ReThinking Behavior magazine and member of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Reekie teaches Written Communication for Engineers, which prepares upper-level engineering students to gather, use and present technical information in a professional setting. She received an Open/Alternative Textbook grant to develop a free textbook for the course. In addition to her teaching, she serves on technical writing and award committees, participates in national writing conferences and aids in reviewing accreditation standards for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. She also is a recipient of the English department's faculty award for excellence in undergraduate teaching.
Yeager teaches Farm and Ranch Management, Commodity Futures, Introduction to Computer Decision Tools for Agribusiness and Optimization Techniques for Agriculture Economics. She also advises about 30 undergraduate students each semester. In the College of Agriculture, she is co-advisor for the Student Council, co-chair of the Academic Standards Committee and serves on the Alumni Board. She is the recipient of a Gold Quill Award from the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, and a Teaching for Tomorrow Fellowship Award from Purdue University. She is a member of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, serving on the leadership of the Teaching, Learning and Communication Section and the Agricultural Finance and Management Section, and was named an Outstanding Young Scholar by the Agriculture Finance and Management Section of the association.
