Turley-Ames, Huntly, Sadid are ISU 2006-07 Distinguished Faculty

Three Idaho State University faculty members will be honored as ISU’s 2006-07 Distinguished Faculty during Commencement ceremonies May 12. They are Kandi Jo Turley-Ames, PhD, psychology, Distinguished Teacher; Nancy Huntly, PhD, ecology and biology, Distinguished Researcher; and Habib Sadid, PhD, engineering, Distinguished Public Service Award.

ISU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Robert Wharton, PhD, says, “Drs. Turley-Ames, Huntly and Sadid exemplify the dedication, commitment and accomplishment that all faculty aspire to achieve in the areas of teaching, research and service. These distinguished individuals were competitively selected by a committee of peers and bring great honor to our University.”

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 and 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 Master’s 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.”

Huntly is a professor of ecology and biology. Her doctorate in ecology and evolutionary biology is from the University of Arizona. Her research encompasses the areas of ecological dynamics and biodiversity. One external researcher says she is “universally viewed as a prime leader in this field.” Her most recent research includes a collaborative effort with ISU anthropologists Herbert Maschner, PhD, and Katherine Reedy-Maschner, PhD, to study the ecology of the Aleutian region of Alaska over the past several millennia. Her research has been amply funded – as principal or co-investigator, she has attracted more than $4 million in grants to ISU.

Sadid, professor of engineering, has a doctorate from Washington State University. Sadid, a four-time finalist for this award, he lends his engineering and other skills to many community projects. A 10-year board member of the Portneuf Greenway Foundation, he has helped build biking and running trails, small parks and overlooks along the Portneuf River, and the Meditation Garden for Bannock Youth Foundation.

At ISU, he is president of Sigma Xi, the scientific research society. He initiated the student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers, teaches ethics and professionalism for freshman and senior engineering students, promotes engineering in high schools and is active in national engineering organizations.