Five ISU faculty members received the Faculty Excellence Awards given by the Board of Regents.

The winners were Stephen Vardeman, professor of statistics; William David, professor of music; Mark Edelman, professor of economics; Larry Ebbers, professor of educational leadership and policy studies; and Susan Lamont, professor of animal science.

Tom Chacko, professor of management, said the Board of Regents look for recipients who “exemplify what a faculty member should do here to serve the university as a whole and the community beyond it.” Chacko is on the Faculty Senate committee that chooses the nominees for the regents award.

Receiving the award has been a gratifying experience, Vardeman said.

“I believe that being a good faculty member is about integrity, hard work and concern for people and things bigger than one’s narrow self interest,” he said.

The award is important because it shows his colleagues in the statistics department and throughout the university recognize him as one who “has indeed taken one’s responsibilities seriously,” he said.

Vardeman is involved in statistical research, “mostly aimed at developing data analysis methods important to engineers and physical scientists,” he said.

Vardeman said he hopes to work with a variety of engineering faculty members in regards to the statistics involved in basic lab courses in the College of Engineering.

David said the ceremony honoring the recipients was very flattering.

“I felt very humble to be in such company,” he said.

David, who has been at Iowa State for 29 years, is proud of his successes, including his role in the Ames Piano Quartet and the Iowa Music Teachers Association, he said.

He also is the chairman of the Liberal Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee, working with the development of new courses and editing the course catalog.

“It has been interesting work with interesting people,” he said.

Edelman said receiving the award “represents respect, support and appreciation by various leaders and citizens for the policy analyses and education work I’ve done.”

Edelman, who teaches about 75 students, spends most of his time on applied research and university outreach, he said.

“I have a great job, because it allows me to help in solving important problems,” he said, “and it provides me with the flexibility to change topics as new issues emerge on the public agenda.”

Beyond teaching and research, Edelman has brought $5 million in external funds to Iowa State, written a book, served on the Board of Directors for Land O’Lakes and testified before Congress and National Commission on 21st Century production agriculture, he said.

Ebbers said he feels the regents award “has been a real honor.

“I know several people who have received the award, and I am very proud to be a part of the group,” he said.

Ebbers is involved in student affairs and faculty relations.

He also works with community colleges, setting up two leadership programs to produce community college leaders, Ebbers said. He plans to continue to work with students to generate future leaders in the field of education.

“Education is the foundation for essential growth in Iowa,” he said.

Award winner Susan Lamont has been out of the country and has not been able to return home.

Chacko said the process of selecting the recipients goes through many people. Each department puts forth nominations and sends them to the voting committee.

One person from every college is selected to be on the voting committee. Those people review the candidates and send their recommendations to the president’s Office, he said.

The president’s office and the Faculty Senate Executive Committee make the final decision as to who is given the awards, he said.