QUICK LINKS Today's News News releases ISU homepage NEWS RELEASE 09-17-02 Contacts: Michael Whiteford, Liberal Arts and Sciences, (515) 294-4729 Dave Gieseke, Liberal Arts and Sciences, (515) 294-7742 Kevin Brown, News Service, (515) 294-8986 FIVE FACULTY MEMBERS IN LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES ARE NAMED MASTER TEACHERS AMES, Iowa -- Five faculty members in Iowa State University's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) have been named 2002-2003 Master Teachers. The LAS Master Teacher program, in its fourth year, recognizes teachers who use innovative methods to enhance student learning. This year's program recognizes faculty who developed successful off-campus learning experiences for Iowa State students. The five master teachers will hold teaching methods seminars and in-class demonstrations throughout the academic year. The five LAS master teachers are: Warren Dolphin, university professor of zoology and genetics and coordinator of the biology program at Iowa State. Dolphin develops study abroad activities for biology students. He has led six study abroad trips serving more than 120 students to Australia, Central Europe and Costa Rica. In addition, Dolphin created and coordinates the biology program's study abroad program where participating faculty lead or co-lead international field trips that have served more than 329 students since 1995. Kathy Leonard, professor of foreign languages and literatures. Leonard leads the department's Spanish study abroad activities. Last summer, she led a study abroad program to Arica, Chile. She also formed the Casa Hispanica (residential) learning community to promote diversity and multi-culturalism. Casa Hispanica provides Spanish students a supportive environment where they interact in Spanish, participate in cultural and social activities, and receive academic guidance and career information. Margaret Mook, associate professor of foreign languages and literatures and director of Iowa State's classical studies program. Mook, working as an archaeologist, provides students with opportunities to apply language skills and literary study to the scientific analysis of ancient cities. Mook has taken undergraduate students to the Greek island of Crete to assist with field research. Next summer, several Iowa State students will participate in a new excavation project, where Mook serves as a director. She has also developed the classical studies program's first study-abroad program. Steve Pett, associate professor of English. Pett has taken Iowa State students to Ireland and New Mexico, to study the philosophy of linking literature and culture via traveling and creative writing. On two Irish trips, students worked with a contemporary Irish writer and did intensive reading, writing and discussion of their experiences. In New Mexico, students were introduced to a variety of approaches to writing personal nonfiction while experiencing the local cultural heritage. William Simpkins, associate professor of geological and atmospheric sciences. As a hydrogeologist, Simpkins' centerpiece course is Geology 510, Field Methods in Hydrogeology. The course is two weeks of day long projects dealing with basic field methods used by hydrogeologists. In addition, Simpkins incorporates field trips into his lectures. Field trips include examinations of College Creek to measure stream discharge, touring the Ames Water Treatment Plant and the city's well fields, and other water-quality research sites. -30- Ames, Iowa 50011, (515) 294-4111 Published by: University Relations, online@iastate.edu Copyright © 1995-2002, Iowa State University of Science and Technology. All rights reserved.