Two K-State faculty receive $5,000 Iman Awards for teaching and research
Two Kansas State University faculty members, one from the College of Agriculture and one from the College of Arts and Sciences, 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 Sept. 25 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.
Jason S. Bergtold, university distinguished teaching scholar and professor of agricultural economics, will receive the Iman Outstanding Faculty Award for Teaching. The recipient of the Iman Outstanding Faculty Award for Research is Jun Li, university distinguished professor of chemistry.
Bergtold earned his Ph.D. in economics from Virginia Tech in 2004. He worked at the USDA Agricultural Research Service before starting at K-State in 2008. Bergtold works to actively engage students in the learning process using a variety of innovative teaching approaches. He has taught over 4,500 undergraduate students and mentored 43 graduate students at K-State. He also works with undergraduate students in his research projects, has directed research experience for undergraduate programs, and has championed teacher training in his profession.
Additionally, Bergtold is a coleader for the Agriculture and Applied Economics Association Teaching Academy, as well as the inaugural editor for Applied Economics Teaching Resources. His excellence in teaching as been recognized by K-State, USDA, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, and Western Agricultural Economics Association. Bergtold has an extensive research program examining conservation, agricultural land use, rural community resilience, and alternative energy pathways, publishing over 90 journal articles and book chapters and raising over $30 million in grants.
“Jason has established himself as an exceptional and nationally recognized teaching faculty member, teaching scholar and researcher,” said his nominator, Allen Featherstone. “His excellence in teaching, student and faculty mentoring, and active research program has impacted undergraduates, graduate students and working professionals enrolled in the department’s masters of agribusiness (M.A.B.) program, as well as graduate students, instructors and faculty across the profession. He has impacted students, faculty and colleagues in the College of Agriculture, across Kansas State University and in the agricultural and applied economics profession and beyond.”
In support of his nomination, Zander Seth, a K-State senior in agribusiness, said, “Dr. Bergtold’s service to the field of agricultural economics goes far beyond the classroom. His leadership and involvement within the organization does not go unnoticed. Dr. Bergtold has built a reputation as a leader in our school. He has the ability to bring his research ideas and real-world principles into the classroom, directly benefiting his students.”
Li received a Ph.D. in chemistry from Princeton University in 1995 and postdoctoral training at Cornell University from 1994-1997. He developed his research career on nanoscience and nanotechnologies at Molecular Imaging Co. from 1997-1998, then at the Institute of Materials Research and Engineering in Singapore from 1998-2000, followed by NASA’s Ames Research Center from 2000-2007, before arriving at K-State in 2007.
Li’s research focuses on integrating nanomaterials (carbon, semiconducting materials and metal oxides) into functional devices for energy conversion and storage, biosensors for cancer diagnosis, pathogen detection and neural stimulation, and novel electronics materials. He has contributed to over 200 publications, including peer-reviewed papers, invited book chapters, referred proceeding papers and an edited book. He has filed 44 invention disclosures and patent applications, which have led to 17 issued patents and multiple licenses for commercialization.
Due to his accomplishments, he was elected a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors in 2019, was named a fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2021 and a fellow of the International Association of Advanced Materials in 2022.
“Professor Li has established a high-profile international reputation in several areas of interdisciplinary and applied bio-related materials chemistry, and he has also made a significant mark on graduate education at K-State,” said his nominator, Christer B. Aakeröy. “Professor Jun Li has continued to raise the bar for scholarly excellence, and despite his many accomplishments, his trajectory is still rising. He is an exceptionally prolific scientist; his work is regularly published in the most well-established journals in materials science, and the positive impact of his work is continuously recognized and rewarded by a large international audience in both academia and industry.”
In support of his nomination, Daniel A. Higgins, professor of chemistry at K-State, said, “Prof. Jun Li has had a tremendous impact on science and technology development through his research, and has also provided participants in his research program with highly enriched educational experiences that make them uniquely skilled and highly employable.”
“Dr. Li and Dr. Bergtold 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 them 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.