Four outstanding NDSU faculty members were recognized with prestigious annual campus awards during the 12th annual “Celebration of Faculty Excellence” on May 6 at the Alumni Center.
Christina Weber, assistant professor of sociology, was chosen for the Odney Award for Excellence in Teaching; Won Koo, professor of agribusiness and applied economics, received the Waldron Award for Excellence in Research; and Herbert Snyder, associate professor of accounting, was selected for the Peltier Award for Innovation in Teaching. Robert Littlefield, professor of communication, was acknowledged as the recipient of the NDSU Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Professor Award, which recognizes faculty members who have attained distinction in their profession.
Weber received the Odney Award, which is selected primarily on comments from students describing a faculty member’s ability to stimulate interest, demand rigorous thought and generate enthusiastic responses. “It’s an honor to be recognized by my students,” said Weber. “Connecting with students is really important and I love getting to know them. I’m always learning things from all my students, which is great.”
Weber joined NDSU in 2005. She is a member of the NDSU FORWARD Team, Women’s Studies Advisory Committee and is an alternate member of the Institutional Review Board. She is active in Women in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology, and is a faculty sponsor of Sociology Club and Feminist Majority Student Organization. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington, and master’s degree and doctorate in sociology from State University of New York at Buffalo.
The Waldron Award went to Koo, who also is the director of the Center for Agricultural Policy and Trade Studies. “It’s a big honor getting this award,” said Koo. “I’ve devoted my life to doing high quality research, so I am very happy receiving this award.”
Koo joined the NDSU faculty in 1981. His honors include Best Paper Award from Global Academy of Business and Economic Research, Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Professorship, Faculty Lectureship, Eugene R. Dahl Excellence in Research Award and Outstanding Research Awards from the Western Agricultural Economics Association and the American Agricultural Economics Association. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Chunbuk National University, master’s degree at Korea University and doctorate in economics from Iowa State University.
Snyder received the Peltier Award, recognizing the manner he teaches his accounting students how to search for fraud. “What we try to do is create situations where students can actually go out and investigate real and simulated crimes,” he said. “The innovation is the ramping up of the work, so that their skills are good enough when they go out into the real world that they can do good work.”
Snyder is active in the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners Institute of Internal Auditors, National White Collar Crime Institute and American Library Association. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Babson College and his doctorate in information science from Syracuse University.
Littlefield was acknowledged as the Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Professor for his many contributions in support of public speaking and debate education. “It is really a humbling experience,” said Littlefield. “It’s a very wonderful feeling, and I’m happy that the relationship that I have with the community is recognized as being a positive thing.”
A member of the Hall of Fame of the Pi Kappa Delta National Forensic Honorary, Littlefield has received the President’s Leadership Medal from Lions Clubs International. In addition, he received the Wayne Brockreide Award for Research, Ralph E. Carey Award for Distinguished Career Service and Double Diamond Coach Award from the American Forensic Association. He received the Outstanding Educator Award from the NDSU College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and was twice named the Debate Coach of the Year by the North Dakota Speech and Theatre Association. Littlefield earned his bachelor’s degree at Minnesota State University Moorhead, master’s degree at NDSU and doctorate at the University of Minnesota.