WOMEN CHEMISTRY PROFS WIN TOP AWARDS FOR TEACHING, RESEARCH

Susan Shadle and Dale Russell, both chemistry professors at Boise State University, have received the top awards in teaching and research from the university’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Shadle, who specializes in bioinorganic chemistry, is the recipient of the Award for Distinguished Teaching. Russell, a former Hewlett-Packard scientist who joined Boise State in 1995, received the Award for Distinguished Research in Science and/or Mathematics.

The awards are given annually to outstanding professors in the College of Arts and Sciences, the largest individual college at Boise State. The college includes 11 departments ranging from biology and physics to music, philosophy and modern languages and literatures.

Shadle, who earned a Ph.D. in chemistry at Stanford University and did postgraduate work at Johns Hopkins University, was lauded for her enthusiasm, skill, and success in the classroom.

“Her student evaluations are consistently excellent, whether they are from freshman students or chemistry seniors,” the selection committee noted in its report. “Students readily testify to the positive impact that Dr. Shadle has had on their learning and lives.”

Shadle designed and implemented new computer-based labs and has published some of those lab exercises in professional journals. “Dr. Shadle has rigorous expectations and goes above and beyond the call of duty to help students meet those expectations,” the report said. “She also demonstrates a strong enthusiasm and success at reaching those who might shy away from chemistry at the introductory levels.”

Russell, who holds one of the world’s largest individual patent portfolios on a chemical process that attaches or removes electrical charge to particles suspended in fluid, was honored for her research efforts. She has 11 U.S.patents and has filed for two more, including one for a selective mercury electrode that gives scientists a way to measure mercury levels at the site of contamination.

“Her publications and patents speak to her productivity in the laboratory, but the quality of her research is underscored by the number of grants she has been awarded. In all, Dr. Russell has either been the principal investigator or co-principal investigator on grants totaling over $1.7 million,” according to the committee report.

Russell, who has a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Arizona, was also praised for providing Boise State students with opportunities to engage in hands-on research with real-world applications. “In this, her research not only contributes to her specific field of study, but also to the educational mission of Boise State,” according to the report.

Russell and Shadle each received a cash award and a recognition plaque. Their names will also be added to a plaque listing all previous award recipients that hangs outside the dean’s office in the Science-Nursing building.

Contact:
Ranelle Nabring
Applied Technology
426-4026