An ISU professor was honored by his colleagues at the university for his teaching achievements and a recent award from the Carnegie Foundation.

J. Herman Blake, director of African-American studies, was awarded the 2002 Iowa Professor of the Year award from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and Council for Advancement and Support of Education at a conference in Washington, D.C., in November.

On Wednesday, a plaque from the ISU Center for Teaching Excellence was given to Blake at a faculty forum in the Cardinal Room of the Memorial Union.

Blake addressed his colleagues and expressed his gratitude for the award.

“After 40 years of teaching at all kinds of institutions … the best students I’ve encountered are here at Iowa State,” he said.

The Center for Teaching Excellence nominated Blake because he was an “obviously dedicated teacher and extremely interested in his students,” said Corly Brooke, director of the Center for Teaching Excellence.

Blake said he believes he is not the only one who deserved this award.

“There are any number of people on campus who could have and should have received this award,” he said.

The Center for Teaching Excellence has been successful in the past with its nominations, Brooke said. Richard Seagrave, distinguished professor of chemical engineering and former interim president, has also received this award.

“Iowa State is really represented well and obviously has many fine and outstanding teachers,” Brooke said.

Howard Shapiro, vice provost for undergraduate programs, said the Carnegie Foundation and the CASE award are extremely prestigious.

“[Blake is] an unbelievable asset to higher education and students are fortunate to have him at ISU,” Shapiro said. “He has contributed across the board.”

Shapiro, quoting Blake’s philosophy of teaching, said, “There is no known limit to the capacity of the human mind to learn, grow and change.”

The award is given to 50 teachers across the country who show “extraordinary dedication to undergraduate teaching,” Shapiro said.

Award recipients need to demonstrate excellence in several areas including impact on and involvement with undergraduate students, scholarly approach to teaching and learning, contribution to undergraduate education, and support from colleagues and current and former undergraduate students, according to the council’s Web site, www.case.org.