Dr. Pawan Kahol, associate dean for the College of Natural and Applied Science (CNAS) and professor of physics, astronomy and materials science at Missouri State University, was selected as the recipient of the 2009 Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Missouri Professor of the Year. He received the award Nov. 19 in Washington, D. C.

“Pawan has a passion for teaching and has devoted much time to helping students with their problem solving skills,” said Dr. Tamera Jahnke, CNAS dean. “Pawan cares about each student and works with them to help them succeed. He has also authored solution manuals for textbooks that go above and beyond providing a simple solution – they provide step-by-step problem solving techniques.”

Kahol was one of 38 state winners selected from more than 300 top professors in the United States. The Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) assembled two preliminary panels of judges to select finalists. The Carnegie Foundation then convened the third and final panel, which selected four national winners. CASE and Carnegie selected state winners from top entries resulting from the judging process. Kahol was selected from faculty members nominated by colleges and universities throughout the country.

“I am humbled to receive the award,” Kahol said. “Like a large number of effective professors in this great country, the only thing that I care about is my students’ success. I want my students to go beyond the ordinary and develop a higher-level understanding of the physical world that will become a part of their life. I explain to students the ‘why’ part of what I do in the class and use visualization, imagination and calculus to connect physics concepts to their daily experiences.”

Kahol earned his doctorate in physics from Panjab University, India, in 1979 and has been at Missouri State since 2005. Prior to coming to Missouri State, he served for 17 years in a variety of academic and administrative positions at Wichita State University.

Some of Kahol’s research interests are: electron spin resonance, organic light emitting devices, heat capacity of conducting polymers, spintronics, magnetic susceptibility, transport studies, and ferroelectricity of KDP-type systems.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching was founded in 1905 by Andrew Carnegie “to do all things necessary to encourage, uphold and dignify the profession of teaching.”  The foundation is the only advanced-study center for teachers in the world and the third-oldest foundation in the nation. Its nonprofit research activities are conducted by a small group of distinguished scholars.

Dr. Robert Pavlowsky, professor of geography, geology and planning, received a consultant agreement from the City of Springfield for the project entitled “Springfield MS4/TMDL Monitoring.” The contract is for $19,746.

Dr. Alicia Mathis, head of the biology department, received a grant of $79,298 from the National Park Service. The funding will assist with her project, “Fire Effects Monitoring in Central Great Plains NPS Units.”

Dr. Chris Barnhart, of Biology, received an $8,000 grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for his project, “Propagation and Culture of Winged Mapleleaf and Pink Mucket Mussels.”

Dr. Lifeng Dong, assistant professor of physics and materials science, co-authored an article entitled “DNA-Templated Synthesis of Pt Nanoparticles on Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes,” which was published in Nanotechnology. This research was also featured on Nanowerk Spotlight.

  Store Concept Board:
1        Gene Sheperd, Penn Valley
2        Jillian Davidson Penn Valley
3        Christina Benson Missouri State University
HM    April Whitlow Missouri State University
 
 Personal Shopper:  All Missouri State University Winners
1      Rennee Osborn
2      Leanna Yanes
3      Whitney Davis
HM  Shannon Soper
 
 T-Shirt Design:
1    Michele Kelsay Missouri State University

 Original Design
1      Juan Carlos Garcia KSU
2      Emily Doyen Stephens
3      Kelsie Mitchell OSU
HM Kathryn Alms UN

Dr. Robert Pavlowsky, Missouri State University professor of geography, geology and planning, received an $8,000 grant from Olsson and Associates, Inc. for the “Geomorphic Assessment of Lackman Tributary, Lenexa, Kan.” project. The Project which will help the city of Lenexa deal with flooding and bank instabilities found along the tributary.

The Ozarks Environmental and Water Resources Institute (OEWRI) at Missouri State University will direct the study. The scope of work will involve investigations of Lackman Creek, which flows through an urban area in Lenexa, Kan.

“The project will provide Olsson and Associates with the vital channel and floodplain information to be used to base flood control decisions, channel form designs and channel stability assessments,” said Pavlowsky