AMES, Iowa -- The North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) last month honored two Iowa State University faculty members for their teaching ability.
Curt Youngs, an associate professor of animal science, was presented the group's Central Region Outstanding Teacher Award. The criteria used to judge the award includes: the ability to attract and motivate students; use of current, innovative and effective teaching methods; being current in subject matter, including relevance to agricultural, environmental, natural and life sciences; and scholarly activities related to teaching.
Youngs joined Iowa State in 1989. He teaches several courses in animal reproduction, including the nation's only undergraduate course focusing on livestock embryo transfer and related technologies, and also serves as academic advisor to more than 65 undergraduate students.
Youngs' research focuses on applied animal reproductive technologies with a focus on embryo transfer. He earned bachelor's and doctorate degrees in animal science from the University of Minnesota in 1981 and 1985.
Mike Retallick, associate professor of agricultural education and studies, was presented the NACTA Teacher Fellow Award, which is given to faculty based on the instructor's teaching philosophy; evaluations submitted by current students, alumni, administrative officers and peers; a self-evaluation as well as factors such as availability to students, teaching innovations and departmental/institutional activity.
Retallick joined Iowa State in 2001 after earning a bachelor's degree in agricultural education from University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 1993; a master's degree in agribusiness from Kansas State University in 2002; and a doctorate in agricultural education from Iowa State in 2005.
He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on-campus and online related to agricultural education and experiential learning. Retallick advises about 50 undergraduate and 12 graduate students each semester and serves as the director of a College of Agriculture and Life Sciences program called Science With Practice, which provides learning opportunities and on-campus work experiences.
NACTA is a professional society created in 1955 that focuses on the scholarship of teaching and learning agriculture and related disciplines at the postsecondary level. More information about the organization is available at: http://www.nactateachers.org/
Iowa State University Associate Professors Presented Teaching Awards
July 23, 2012