Two K-State faculty receive $5,000 Iman Awards for teaching and research
Two Kansas State University faculty members, both from the College of Veterinary Medicine, will each receive a $5,000 award in recognition of their outstanding teaching and research during a ceremony at the K-State Alumni Center. The ceremony will take place Nov. 14 at 4 p.m.
Introduced in 2007, the annual Dr. Ron and Rae Iman Outstanding Faculty Awards are sponsored by the K-State Alumni Association and are made possible through the generosity of Ron and Rae Iman.
Lisa M. Pohlman DVM, MS, DACVP, professor of clinical pathology, will receive the Iman Outstanding Faculty Award for Teaching. The recipient of the Iman Outstanding Faculty Award for Research is Waithaka Mwangi, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology.
Pohlman earned her DVM from the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, and her master’s degree in clinical pathology from Auburn University, where she also completed a residency.
She is an active, innovative and compassionate teacher and mentor, who is passionate about her role in helping future veterinarians be the best they can be. Pohlman has been the recipient of several other teaching awards, including the prestigious ASVCP Educator Award, and the Zoetis Distinguished Teacher Award, among others. She enjoys providing continuing education in clinical pathology through speaking engagements, online courses, and publications.
Pohlman also serves her community through her extensive volunteer work as the president and medical director of the Riley County Humane Society in Manhattan, Kansas. Her research interests include improvement of clinical pathology laboratory methods and identification and characterization of disease in domestic species, particularly in shelter animals, as well as pets owned by individuals who cannot afford routine veterinary care.
“Dr. Pohlman has natural teaching abilities, but isn’t satisfied depending on innate talent,” said her nominator, Dr. Derek Mosier, professor and head of the Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology at K-State. “Outstanding teaching moves beyond excellence and represents a lifestyle and not just a livelihood. Dr. Pohlman exemplifies outstanding teaching at many levels. In the classroom she consistently spends the time necessary with those students who need some extra time and attention. In more than one instance, this extra attention has enabled students to excel when they may otherwise have been average, has helped them focus or redefine career goals, and in at least one case I’m aware of has helped a student take on a whole new sense of self-worth and value.”
In support of her nomination, Dr. Maddie Butterfield, a 2023 graduate of K-State in veterinary medicine, said, “Dr. Pohlman is incredibly understanding, patient, and empathetic in her teaching: she’s taken student consideration into her course setup multiple times, to find the most effective and least overwhelming method for her students. Dr. Pohlman frequently asked for student feedback for constant betterment of her course and took students into opinion: notably and importantly without ever lowering her expectations of what we would be able to accomplish and learn in her course, to maintain a core base of knowledge that would provide us confidence in the day-one competencies for our careers.”
Mwangi received his Ph.D. from Washington State University, College of Veterinary Medicine in 2002, where he also did postdoctoral training and then accepted an assistant professor/graduate faculty position.
In July 2005, he joined Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine as an assistant professor and graduate faculty member. He was promoted to a tenured associate professor in 2014. In October 2016, he joined Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine as a tenured associate professor and graduate faculty member and he was promoted to professor in 2019. In 2024, he received K-State’s University Outstanding Scholar Award.
Mwangi conducts research in development of vaccines and biotherapeutics for livestock and humans. Current research efforts are focused on the development of vaccines for African Swine Fever Virus, Japanese Encephalitis Virus, Bovine Parainfluenza-3 Virus, Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus, and Malaria. In addition, he is developing antibody-based therapeutics for HIV, COVID-19, and Respiratory Syncytial virus. He has 60 peer-reviewed publications in high impact journals, 13 provisional and awarded patents, and he has received more than $30 million in funding.
“While at K-State, Dr. Mwangi has developed an active, nationally recognized laboratory working on vaccinology and immunology of infectious diseases of production animals,” said his nominator, Dr. Derek Mosier. “He has made substantial contributions to veterinary and graduate education at the College of Veterinary Medicine, is actively involved in national grant review panels, and is a leader in national and international professional societies.”
In support of his nomination, Dr. George Mutwiri, professor, executive director and dean of the School of Public Health at the University of Saskatchewan, said, “Dr. Mwangi has performed extensive, high-quality research on vaccines. In the course of that research, he has attracted millions of dollars in funding, has generated intellectual property as indicated by several patents granted/applied for, and also revealed new novel knowledge that has been published in several high profile, peer-reviewed international journals.”
“Dr. Mwangi and Dr. Pohlman are helping K-State shine as a next-generation land-grant institution through their work as outstanding professors and researchers,” said Adam Walker, president and CEO of the K-State Alumni Association. “They are excellent examples of how our faculty have tremendous influence on not only our university community, but those communities outside of K-State. We are pleased to present Dr. Mwangi and Dr. Pohlman with this year’s distinguished Iman Awards. This award helps us reach, connect and serve K-State. Thank you to the Imans for their generous support of our university and the Alumni Association.”
The Imans live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Ron and Rae are life members of the K-State Alumni Association and served as Kansas State University Foundation trustees. Ron Iman earned three degrees from K-State: a bachelor’s degree in math education in 1962, a master’s degree in 1970 and a doctorate in statistics in 1973. He is a past member of the Association’s board of directors, served as the Association’s representative to the KSU Research Foundation board and is a past chair of the Arts and Sciences Advisory Council. He received the university’s Arts and Sciences Distinguished Service Award in 1996 and, in 1994, served as national president of the American Statistical Association. Ron Iman was named a Highly Cited Researcher by the Institute for Scientific Information in 2004.
For more information on the Iman Awards, visit k-state.com/Iman.