Dr. Jon Kellar, chair and D. Fuerstenau professor of materials and metallurgical engineering, has been named the 2008 South Dakota Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Kellar was selected from nearly 300 top professors in the United States.
"We are extremely proud of the recognition that Dr. Kellar has received and delighted that he has joined such an elite group of professors," School of Mines president Dr. Robert A. Wharton said. "This award is a well-deserved acknowledgement of Dr. Kellar's dedication to teaching."
Kellar received his B.S. and M.S. in metallurgical engineering from the School of Mines, and his Ph.D. from the University of Utah. He joined the School of Mines as an assistant professor in 1990, and has served as the chair of materials and metallurgical engineering since 2000. He has received a number of awards and recognitions, including the South Dakota Board of Regents Award for Excellence in Research, the School of Mines President Award for Outstanding Professor and the National Science Foundation Presidential Faculty Fellow award.
Several years ago, a group of faculty began exploring new ways to teach the basics of engineering education to first-year students. Those efforts continue to positively reverberate throughout the School of Mines today, specifically with an increased emphasis in direct application of engineering principles at the undergraduate level. The metallurgical engineering department has developed new emphases that integrate art and history within the context of the discipline. Kellar believes these efforts result in graduates who are better prepared to tackle the challenges of engineering, and life in general.
Kellar's personal philosophy of teaching is that while there is no substitute for the rigor in engineering education, by injecting humor and hands-on applications such as those above, a teacher can make the learning process enjoyable.
"This award is very special as its focus is undergraduate education," Kellar said. It is even more special given the number of great teachers I had while as a student at the School of Mines and that I am associated with today."
The U.S. Professors of the Year program salutes the most outstanding undergraduate instructors in the country-those who excel as teachers and influence the lives and careers of their students. It is recognized as one of the most prestigious awards honoring undergraduate teaching. Recipients are selected based on extraordinary dedication to undergraduate teaching, which is demonstrated by excellence in the following areas: impact on and involvement with undergraduate students; scholarly approach to teaching and learning; contribution to undergraduate education in the institution, community and profession; and support from colleagues and current and former undergraduate students.
CASE and the Carnegie Foundation have been partners in offering Professors of the Year since 1981. This year, there are winners in 44 states, the District of Columbia and Guam.
