Dr. Mark Rectanus, Professor of German Studies, is the recipient of the Regents Award for Faculty Excellence. For twenty-nine years, Dr. Rectanus has served in many capacities that have impacted all of Iowa State, most recently as Director of the Languages and Cultures for Professions (LCP) program (2003‐Present) and as Chair of the Department of World Languages and Cultures (2008‐2013). An outstanding University citizen, Dr. Rectanus has demonstrated himself to be an effective and visionary campus leader; a model teacher across several disciplines; an innovator in curriculum design and development; and an internationally recognized scholar who has selflessly dedicated himself to enhancing the lives of students, faculty and staff through many campus‐wide initiatives.
Dr. Julia Dominguez, Associate Professor of Spanish, receives the ISU International Service Award. Dr. Domínguez’ outstanding accomplishments in teaching, research, professional practice, service and outreach are all interconnected with Iowa State’s internationalization activities and goals. A top scholar of Spanish literature, she has published in prestigious international venues, organized symposia and delivered talks at prominent international conferences. She is also an LAS and ISU award-winning teacher of Spanish, who infuses international perspectives into all of her teaching. Finally, as the Co-Director of two faculty-led study abroad programs, she has provided nearly 1,000 ISU students the opportunity to live abroad, undertake international internships, and become both bilingual and bicultural.
Dr. Kevin Amidon, Associate Professor of German Studies, is the recipient of LAS Award for Outstanding Teaching. Since 2002, Dr. Amidon has distinguished himself as an exemplary scholar-teacher of German language and culture. His outstanding teaching portfolio includes 14 meticulously designed new courses and remarkably high evaluation averages across courses: 4.7 for overall instructor and 4.4 for overall course rating (with several superlative 5.0). His dedication to student-centered learning goes far beyond his classroom, as he works tirelessly on individualized undergraduate and graduate research projects, honors courses, and independent studies. He is also an internationally recognized scholar, whose research infuses his classes with interdisciplinary approaches, and whose curricular and extracurricular endeavors have been acknowledged nationally as a pedagogical model.
Dr. Cristina Pardo, Assistant Professor of Spanish, receives the LAS Award in Undergraduate Introductory Teaching. One of the nation’s leading experts in the field of computer‐aided introductory Spanish language instruction, Prof. Pardo is a highly successful classroom teacher of Spanish courses at the 100‐ and 200‐level. Since arriving at ISU in 2007, she has pioneered departmental efforts in online language pedagogy and has also designed two new introductory courses in Spanish. Additionally, Prof. Pardo is the Coordinator of the Spanish Lower‐Level Language Program, supervising and training lecturers and TAs for Spanish 97, 101, 102, 201, 202, and 297 (averaging 600 students per AY). Prof. Pardo is also the author of an introductory‐level Spanish textbook.
Dr. Mark Looney, Senior Lecturer of German Studies and International Studies, is the recipient of the LAS Award for Outstanding Teaching by a Lecturer. Dr. Looney has distinguished himself as a highly effective teacher, who consistently makes significant programmatic and pedagogical contributions to both German and International Studies programs. He excels in multiple dimensions of course and curriculum development, student outreach, and in the innovative use of instructional technology. Since Fall 2008, he has designed or re-designed over ten courses (at the 100, 200, and 300 level, both in German and English, traditional and online), including a capstone course in International Studies and an LAS study abroad program in Berlin. Across all his courses, Dr. Looney exceeds departmental means with a 4.5 instructor average and a 4.2 course average.