Three distinguished NDSU faculty members are finalists for the 62nd Faculty Lectureship. The lecture, one of the oldest and most prestigious of the university’s awards, recognizes sustained professional excellence in teaching, scholarly achievement and service among NDSU faculty.
The lecture is planned for spring 2023, with a date yet to be determined.
The Faculty Lectureship finalists include:
• Jenni Momsen, professor of biological sciences
• Mukund Sibi, University Distinguished Professor of chemistry and biochemistry
• Cheryl Wachenheim, professor of agribusiness and applied economics
Each finalist will have a short presentation and interview before the Faculty Awards and Recognition Committee, which will determine the award recipient. The honoree receives a $2,500 award, while the two finalists will receive $500.
Jenni Momsen
Momsen is the director of the NDSU STEM Education Doctoral Program and co-director of the Collaborations in Discipline-based Education Research (CiDER) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Program.
She was nominated by the faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences.
“Dr. Momsen has a superlative record of achievement across research, teaching, and service. Moreover, these aspects are strongly intertwined, with her research driving both teaching and service efforts,” her colleagues wrote. “Dr. Momsen is a nationally recognized expert in her field of discipline-based education research. Her research focuses on understanding the process of student learning, with an emphasis on how conceptual models help students understand biological systems.”
The nominators said Momsen has written or co-written 32 papers since joining the NDSU faculty. In addition, she has given 13 invited talks and presented or co-wrote an additional 93 talks. She also has secured more than $2.8 million in extramural grants.
Momsen received the 2021 College of Science and Mathematics Award for Excellence in Research, 2018 Peltier Award for Teaching Innovation and 2016 College of Science and Mathematics Excellence in Teaching Award. She is a National Academies biology education fellow and mentor, and past president of the Society for the Advancement of Biological Education Research.
Momsen earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Minnesota and her doctorate in ecology and evolution at Rutgers University. She also was a postdoctoral research associate at Michigan State University.
Mukund Sibi
Sibi is the director of the Center for Protease Research at NDSU and co-director of the Center for Sustainable Materials Science.
He was nominated by the Faculty of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
“Mukund is undoubtedly one of the most successful researchers at NDSU,” his fellow faculty members wrote, noting he has 204 peer-reviewed journal publications, 22 book chapters, one edited book and 12 patents. “Mukund has made outstanding contributions to important areas in organic synthesis and catalysis, medicinal chemistry, as well as biobased chemicals. He is a leading expert in free radical chemistry and made ground-breaking discoveries on radical-based enantioselective catalysis.”
Sibi chaired the Gordon Conference on Organic Reactions in 2002 and was the CEO for the National Organic Symposium in 2009.
Some of Sibi’s honors include the 2018 Excellence in Mentoring Award, 2017 Yoshida Lectureship Award, Japanese Society for Promotion of Science Fellowship, NDSU 2014 Chamber of Commerce Service Award, 2011 Mentor of the Year in the College of Science and Mathematics, 2008 Arthur C. Cope Scholar Award, James A. Meier Professor, Dale Hogoboom Endowed Professor and Jordon A. Engberg Professorship.
“He is a shining light in our community that is noticed around the globe, and we are truly privileged to have him as our colleague and nominate him for the Faculty Lectureship,” Sibi’s nominators wrote.
Sibi earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Bangalore University, India, and his doctorate at City University of New York.
Cheryl Wachenheim
“Dr. Wachenheim epitomizes the criteria of an individual with sustained professional excellence in each of the areas of teaching, scholarly achievement and service. She is also an outstanding public speaker,” wrote nominator William Nganje, chair of agribusiness and applied economics. “Dr. Wachenheim considers service to the university, profession and community, from the local to the international level, both a responsibility and an honor. There are few who devote so much time and thought to ensure the success of others.”
Since joining NDSU in 1998, Wachenheim has taught a total of 123 course offerings to more than 5,300 students. She also taught at Renmin University of China as a visiting Fulbright Distinguished Chair in 2015-2016.
Her 58 manuscripts include 10 as sole author and 21 as first author. Her vita notes 172 presentations, including 49 international presentations. She has been the principal investigator or co-principal investigator on more than 60 grants totaling $2.15 million.
Among Wachenheim’s many honors are the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association Distinguished Teaching Award, Challey Faculty Fellow, Fulbright Distinguished Chair Scholarship, China Agricultural Economic Review High Citation Award, H. Roald and Janet Lund Excellence in Teaching Award, NDSU Excellence in Mentoring Award, Jordan A. Engberg Endowed Presidential Professorship, Tri-College University Excellence in Innovation and Adaptive Education Awards and the regional USDA Food and Agricultural Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award.
Wachenheim is a lieutenant colonel in the Minnesota Army National Guard, and has 23 military awards, including the Bronze Star and Combat Action Badge.
She earned bachelor’s degree at the University of Minnesota, and her master’s degree in agricultural economics, Master of Business Administration and doctorate in agricultural economics from Michigan State University.
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