Three outstanding NDSU faculty have been named finalists for the 58th Faculty Lectureship. The lecture, scheduled for Tuesday, April 2 at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Union Century Theater, is considered one of the highest honors at the university.
The finalists include:
• Donald Miller, professor of pharmacy practice
• Mukund Sibi, University Distinguished Professor of chemistry and biochemistry
• Chad Ulven, professor of mechanical engineering
“The Faculty Lectureship is one of the oldest and most prestigious of the university’s awards. These finalists were selected by the Faculty Awards and Recognition Committee for their remarkable record in teaching, scholarly achievement, service and for their commitment to NDSU,” said Canan Bilen-Green, vice provost for faculty affairs and equity.
Each finalist will have a short presentation and interview before the Faculty Awards and Recognition Committee, which will determine the award recipient. The recipient will be announced at a later date. The honoree receives a $2,500 award, while the two finalists will receive $500.
Donald Miller
Miller was nominated by Mark Strand, professor of pharmacy practice and public health. “Dr. Donald Miller is a model NDSU teacher, researcher and public servant,” Strand said. “Don has a reputation as a national expert in rheumatology, evidenced by his being invited to serve on a federal FDA committee for review of new drug applications.”
Miller was the longtime chair of NDSU’s Department of Pharmacy Practice, serving in the position from 1997 to 2015.
In 2014, Miller was named to the FDA Arthritis Advisory Committee, and since 2015 he has been a guest member of the American College of Rheumatology’s Committee on Rheumatologic Care. He is a past board member of the North Central Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation, and received the chapter’s John Finn Award for exceptional service. In 2016, he received the North Dakota Pharmacists Association Al Doer Service Award. He is a fellow of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
Miller joined the NDSU faculty in 1978, and has received the Mary J. Berg Award for Excellence in Teaching and Blue Key NDSU Distinguished Educator Award. His vitae lists 68 publications, ranging from clinical pharmacy to pedagogy.
Miller earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Manitoba and his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Michigan.
Mukund Sibi
Sibi was nominated by Kalpana Katti, University Distinguished Professor of civil and environmental engineering.
Sibi joined the NDSU faculty in 1987 and directs NDSU’s COBRE Center for Protease Research. He is the recipient of the national Arthur C. Cope Award, among many other honors.
“Dr. Sibi excels in all three areas of research, teaching and service that encompass the nature of his contributions to NDSU,” Katti said. “With locally relevant and nationally and internationally significant research in discovery of novel molecules for treatment of cancer, to his tremendous impact on students through both classroom teaching and advising, it is indeed fortunate that NDSU maintained retention of this exemplary faculty member.”
Sibi’s vitae lists more than 180 refereed publications, 20 book chapters and 12 patents. He has served as executive officer of the National Organic Symposium and as an executive committee member of the American Chemical Society Division of Organic Chemistry.
Sibi earned his bachelor’s and masters’ degrees at Bangalore University, India, and his doctorate at City University of New York.
Chad Ulven
Ulven, who joined the NDSU faculty in 2005, was nominated by Michael Kessler, dean of the College of Engineering. “I have the highest respect for Dr. Ulven and the quality of scholarship, research, creativity, teaching, service and his overall commitment to NDSU and the state of North Dakota,” Kessler said.
The nomination praised Ulven’s many partnerships to improve and broaden agricultural-based materials education and research. Ulven’s research focuses on polymer matrix composites for use in commercial and defense application, and he has received 88 contracts and grants at NDSU. He and his research group have produced 70 journal articles, 88 conference papers, five book chapters and dozens of technical presentations.
Ulven served as the coordinator for the Nurturing American Tribal Undergraduate Research and Education’s Sunday Academy program for 10 years. He also has been active in the NSF-funded Research experience for Teachers program and North Dakota Governor’s School engineering program.
Ulven has been involved in the filing of four patents, and co-founded two companies based on technology developed at NDSU and licensed from the NDSU Research Foundation.
He earned his bachelor’s degree at NDSU, and his master’s degree and doctorate in materials engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
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