UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Paul Heinemann, professor of agricultural and biological engineering in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, has been named the recipient of the college's 2008 Excellence in Academic Advising Award.
Sponsored by the College of Agricultural Sciences Alumni Society, the award recognizes faculty members for overall effectiveness in student advising, individual student goal-setting and career planning, and personal counseling. Candidates are recommended by faculty, students, administrators and alumni.
Heinemann is program coordinator for the Biological Engineering and the Agricultural Systems Management academic majors. He also helps guide curriculum revisions and accreditation processes for the Biological Engineering program, in addition to organizing the Freshman Testing, Counseling and Advising Program each summer. A member of the Penn State faculty since 1988, he teaches several courses each year.
Heinemann participated in a National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges leadership-development program and developed the Community of Teaching Excellence program for recognizing outstanding teaching faculty in the College of Agricultural Sciences. He is the recipient of the Gamma Sigma Delta Teaching Award, the Northeast Agricultural and Biological Engineering Young Engineer of the Year Award, the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers' A.W. Farrell Young Educator Award, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Agricultural Sciences Excellence in College and University Teaching Award.
"Dr. Heinemann's unique expertise with curriculum in the department has made him personally responsible for much of the more than 100 percent growth in student enrollment we have experienced since 2002," says Roy Young, professor and head of the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering. "He is sought out by students for his insights and counsel, likely more than any other faculty member."
Duane Moore, a senior in the agricultural and biological engineering program, says Heinemann's calm influence and listening ability have helped to solve many problems.
"His eagerness to help keeps me coming to him for advice," Moore says. "Dr. Heinemann has been a great resource to me in my academic career at Penn State."
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Writer: Bethany Fehlinger brf5002@psu.edu
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