University honors four with Commerce Bank and W.T. Kemper Foundation Outstanding Teaching Award
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
MANHATTAN — Four Kansas State University faculty members are being recognized with the 2016 Commerce Bank and W.T. Kemper Foundation Outstanding Teaching Award for making a difference in the classroom.
The 2016 award recipients are Nathaniel Birkhead, assistant professor of political science; Huston Gibson, assistant professor in landscape architecture and regional & community planning; Chad Jackson, director of the university's Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship; and Kevin Wanklyn, instructor of mechanical and nuclear engineering.
Sponsored by the William T. Kemper Foundation and the Commerce Bancshares Foundation and coordinated through the Kansas State University Foundation, the awards include a $2,500 honorarium.
"Commerce Bank and the William T. Kemper Foundation partnered with K-State nearly two decades ago to support undergraduate teaching excellence," said Tom Giller, community bank president of Commerce Bank, Manhattan. "We are pleased to continue the tradition with the university to honor these four exceptional educators for their dedication to teaching."
University President Kirk Schulz said that supporting excellent faculty will help the university achieve its goals for the future.
"It is a pleasure to recognize these extraordinary educators for their dedication to K-State students, which would not be possible without support from Commerce Bank and the William T. Kemper Foundation," Schulz said. "The support we receive from community is an invaluable asset to K-State's goal of becoming a Top 50 public research university by 2025."
Birkhead's main area of teaching is American politics, focusing on Congress, the presidency and political participation. He was associate instructor of the year for the department of political science at Indiana University in 2011. He earned his bachelor's from the University of Colorado and a doctorate from Indiana University.
Gibson teaches the undergraduate courses World Cities and co-teaches Planning & POP Culture. He also teaches graduate courses in the regional & community planning program, as well as teaches in and serves as the director for the online Master of Science in community development program. Gibson earned two departmental teaching awards during his time as an instructor at Florida State University, where he earned his doctorate in urban and regional planning. He obtained his bachelor's from the University of Mississippi and his master's from the University of Tennessee.
Jackson's areas of teaching include entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship and international business. In addition to consulting with a variety of organizations on areas of business strategy, corporate social responsibility and corporate innovation, and being a featured speaker at numerous conferences and events, Jackson was selected as Professor of the Year by K-State Housing and Dining Services in 2015. He earned his bachelor's, master's and doctorate from Kansas State University.
Wanklyn has earned several teaching awards, including the 2014 Presidential Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, the 2014 Dean of Engineering Award for Excellence, the 2014 James L. Hollis Memorial Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, the 2015 American Society of Engineering Education Midwest Section Outstanding Teaching Award and more. He obtained his bachelor's, master's and doctorate from Kansas State University.
