Three NDSU faculty members have been selected to receive prestigious endowed professorships.
Ross Collins, professor of communication, received the Dale Hogoboom Endowed Professorship; Victoria Gelling, associate professor in the Department of Coatings and Polymeric Materials, received the Walter F. and Verna Gerhts Endowed Professorship; and Joel Caton, professor of animal sciences and co-director of the NDSU Center for Nutrition and Pregnancy, received the Jordan A. Engberg Endowed Professorship.
The Engberg and Hogoboom professorships are awarded to faculty at the rank of professor with at least eight years of service to NDSU and a balanced academic record of excellence in teaching, research and service. The Gerhts professorship is for faculty at the associate professor rank with at least five years of service. The awards come with $5,000 stipends to be used for academic purposes.
Mark Meister, chair of the Department of Communication, wrote in his nomination letter that Collins is an innovative journalism educator who expertly teaches industry-standard and contemporary writing and editing skills to the department’s journalism majors.
“Dr. Ross Collins is truly an exceptional professor who demonstrates excellence in teaching, research and service required by the Hogoboom Professorship.”
Collins earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Minnesota State University Moorhead, a master’s degree in cultural history at the University of Warwick in Great Britain, and a doctorate in journalism history at the University of Cambridge in Great Britain.
Gelling earned a bachelor’s in chemistry at the University of North Dakota, and a doctorate in chemistry at NDSU.
“In addition to having a high level of achievement in each of the areas of teaching, research and service, Dr. Gelling is a pleasant person to work with and a highly valued colleague,” wrote Dean Webster, professor and chair of the coatings and polymeric materials department, in his nomination letter. “She is well-organized and a good example of someone who has been able to achieve a good balance of work and family life.”
Larry Reynolds, University Distinguished Professor of animal sciences, and Greg Lardy, professor and head of animal sciences, nominated Caton for the Jordan A. Engberg Professorship, calling him a cutting-edge researcher whose work has impacted his field of research, his department, college and NDSU through balanced efforts in teaching and outreach.
Caton earned a bachelor’s in animal science and doctorate in ruminant nutrition at New Mexico State University, and a master’s in animal science at the University of Missouri.
NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.