ISU awards top teaching honors to five faculty

Idaho State University psychology professor Kandi Jo Turley-Ames, PhD, has been named ISU's 2007 Distinguished Teacher. She will receive the award at Commencement May 12.

Three faculty members have been named ISU's 2007 Master Teachers. They are: Diane Allen, technical general education; Jeff Rosentreter, PhD, chemistry; Curtis L. Whitaker, PhD, English; and Jessica Winston, PhD, English.

“Idaho State University is extremely fortunate to have faculty on staff with such dedication to educating our students and the entire University community,” said ISU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Robert A. Wharton, PhD.

Turley-Ames, chair of the psychology department, has been on the College of Arts and Sciences faculty since 1997. Her bachelor’s and master’s degrees are from ISU. Her doctoral degree is from Washington State University.

A student nominator wrote, “Dr. Turley-Ames has changed my life. I took Intro to Psychology just because it is a required general class. I enjoyed her as a teacher so much that I chose to become a psychology major. I am now in the Experimental Psychology Masters Program, simply because I took 101 from her. I had no intention of attending graduate school … but she had faith in me and encouraged me.”

Allen, instructor of technical general education in the College of Technology, has been on the ISU faculty since 1999. Her bachelor’s and master’s degrees are from Glassboro State College, and her professional technical certificate is from ISU.  

A staff member’s nomination says, “How exciting can a math class be? It is if Diane is teaching it. She has innovative ways to make math fun and easy to learn … I hear students talking and the word is out – they all want to be taught by her.”

Rosentreter, professor of chemistry from the College of Arts and Sciences faculty, is a former recipient of the Outstanding Researcher Award. His bachelor’s degree is from the University of Montana and his doctoral degree is from Colorado State University.

A colleague wrote in nomination, “His dedication, his enthusiasm and his natural skills make him an excellent teacher and a great role model for the younger faculty within our department … students flock to Dr. Rosentreter, desiring to be in his classes whenever it is at all possible.”

Whitaker, assistant professor of English, has been on the College of Arts and Sciences faculty since 2001. His bachelor’s degree is from the University of California, Davis, and his master’s and doctoral degrees are from the University of California, Los Angeles.

A colleague’s nomination said, “One feature commented upon by all who have observed Dr. Whitaker teach, students and faculty alike, is his remarkable clarity. Clarity of presentation requires preparation and practice, as well as thorough knowledge of one’s subject matter, and this explains, perhaps, why clarity is often the first thing mentioned in (his) evaluations … .”

Winston, assistant professor of English, has been on the College of Arts and Sciences faculty since 2002. Her bachelor’s degree is from Wellesley College and her master’s and doctoral degrees are from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

A colleague wrote in nomination, “Dr. Winston’s … courses on Shakespeare are the ones most talked about by students. Simply making Shakespeare accessible to today’s students is difficult enough, but (she) seemingly goes beyond this, giving students an appreciation of Shakespeare—his world, his extraordinary artistry, and his continued significance.”