ISU honors two Meridian professors for public service and teaching

Jared Papa, a clinical assistant professor in the Physician Assistant Studies program, has received the 2012 Distinguished Service Award—the highest honor the university bestows on a faculty member for community service.

Galen Louis, an assistant professor and director of the university’s Master of Public Health program, was one of five finalists in the Distinguished Teacher category and received a 2012 Outstanding Master Teacher Award.  Louis and Papa were honored at a university reception in Pocatello April 12.

 “I truly feel honored to be the recipient of this award especially considering the amazing resumes and accomplishments of all the outstanding award winners,” said Papa.

Papa, who began teaching at ISU-Meridian in 2008, recently traveled to South America with Idaho Condor— a nonprofit, humanitarian mission that provides medical care for underserved populations in Peru.

In the Treasure Valley, he has coordinated community health screenings for uninsured adults, providing health education and increasing access to quality health care.
Last year, he secured a grant from the ISU Cultural Affairs Council to bring a nationally renowned speaker to the Meridian campus to discuss cultural diversity and traditional Mexican medicine.  

Before joining ISU, Papa was a National Health Service Corps Scholar at a rural Washington health clinic that served primarily Spanish-speaking clients.  The NHSC is a federal program that provides medical care in underserved areas of the United States.

Papa’s clinic received the NHSC Award of Excellence for dedication to caring for the underserved, an award given annually to three clinics in the nation.

Louis has taught at ISU-Meridian since 2006.  His students applaud his ability to make their studies relevant and applicable in the real world.

“He is a rare a rare teacher who engages his students in class through humor and raw honesty.  It is through working with him that I learned what I wanted to do…be like him,” wrote a former student who is now a public health professional.

A finalist for the 2009 Idaho Health Care Hero Educator Award, Louis is a contributing scholar, researcher and practitioner in the areas of workforce development, minority health issues, community planning and chronic disease prevention. 

Each year, ISU—through the offices of Academic Affairs and Research—honors outstanding faculty in the areas of teaching, public service and research.  A top honoree is selected from each category.  Click here to read more about this year's honorees.