Shawn Dorius, professor of sociology and criminal justice, is the recipient of the faculty 2026 Outstanding Achievement in Teaching Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University. His teaching philosophy is grounded in Transformative Pragmatism, a blend of theory emphasizing experiential learning, relevance, and the development of personal and professional agency. This aligns with Iowa State’s land-grant mission of science in service to society and preparing students to be competent professionals and engaged citizens.
Dorius recognizes that learning and retention are strongest when practiced in authentic settings. Students are taken beyond classrooms on immersive, field-based and community-engaged learning experiences that encourage reflection, adaptation and growth. His Conservation Ethics and Values course, for example, includes two weeks at Iowa State’s Rod and Connie French Conservation Camp in Montana to contrast the Mountain West’s public lands model with Iowa’s, encouraging ethical reflection on complex ideas like wildlife conservation, biodiversity loss and concentrated animal production.
“This commitment to experiential learning grounds the theoretical study of ethics in a transformative, real-world context, creating a deep, lasting impression of conservation values and debates,” stated a colleague.