Biological Sciences and Psychology
Dr. Shane Heschel, Chair and Professor of Organismal Biology and Ecology at Colorado College
Dr. Shane Heschel is a plant ecophysiologist who has maintained an active undergraduate research program since starting at Colorado College in 2005. For the past 18 years he and his students have investigated how plant physiological traits may evolve to local conditions or stressful environments like drought. They have documented genetic differences in drought- response plasticity for model populations like Impatiens capensis and Arabidopsis thaliana. Their work also has focused on drought response physiology of invasive species, Tamarix ramosissima. Tamarix has caused massive morphological changes to riparian ecosystems over the last century throughout the southwestern U.S. The Heschel lab aims to understand the impact of drought and light stress on this species’ fitness. With an ecophysiological lens, Shane’s students have provided data to assist with the management of this invasive species. Dr. Heschel’s nomination letter lauded the 36+ collaborations he fosters with peers and undergraduates, and which have resulted in 12 co-authored papers and many presentations. Our speaker also avidly supports undergraduate research students by being a frequent faculty chaperone to the Midstates symposia.In addition to excellence in undergraduate research, Dr. Heschel’s nomination letter contained numerous enthusiastic comments from students about the quality of his courses, specifically citing his accessibility as a teacher – his enthusiasm for biology, especially the green organisms that make life on this planet possible, his sense of humor and capacity to explain complex concepts in an understandable way. Shane also helps manage the Carter Herbarium on CC’s campus. Dr. Heschel earned his Ph.D. from Brown University, his B.S. and M.S. degrees from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. In his spare time, he hikes, plays blues guitar or watches baseball while indulging in pie and cheese.
Physical Sciences, Mathematics and Computer Science
Dr. Kenneth Brown, John H. and Jeanne M. Jacobsen Professor of Chemistry, Hope College
The nomination letter for Dr. Ken Brown, Professor of Chemistry at Hope College, noted that he is an outstanding teacher-scholar who excels at all aspects of his job. Ken is an analytical chemist with a research program that has resulted in 19 papers with 40 undergraduate co-authors. His mentoring extends beyond Hope College. He has led a six-year project, funded by NSF, which provided summer research experiences for students from the City Colleges of Chicago. Ken’s students appreciate his unwavering support for their personal development. He led a six-year long project, funded by the National Science Foundation, which provided summer research experience for community college students from the City Colleges of Chicago, many of whom were from underserved communities. He has used his expertise in analytical chemistry in collaborative interdisciplinary research projects with researchers from many different fields. One noteworthy recent example is his collaboration with colleagues from colleagues at Valparaiso, Purdue, and Notre Dame in the formation of the Northern Lake County Environmental Partnership with the goal of pursing environmental justice for communities in that area. In addition to an exceptional research mentor Dr. Brown is a beloved classroom teacher. As his nomination letter points out nomination letter “Above all, students appreciate his unwavering support for their personal development and success. As a testament to his impact on students, Prof. Brown was recognized with a divisional “Mentoring, Advising, and Teaching” award in 2010.”