Indiana State University Newsroom
Indiana State University faculty members Rusty Gonser, professor of biology, and Sister Alma Mary Anderson, professor of graphic design and computer imaging, were recognized with the university's Faculty Distinguished Service Award.
The award, which recognizes distinguished service outside the classroom, was presented during the annual Faculty Recognition Banquet Thursday.
A member of Indiana State's faculty since 1987, Anderson is a faculty marshal and has served/serves onmany departmental and university committees, including 27 years on Faculty Senate. She was also a member of Our Green Valley Alliance for Sustainability. Anderson is on the Saint Mary's College (Notre Dame) Board of Trustees and their executive, college relations, facilities and grounds and academic affairs committees. She also serves on the Pennsylvania College of Technology Art and Design Advisory Board, as well as the Ivy Tech Community College Visual Communication Advisory Board. She has been a volunteer and feline foster person for the Terre Haute Humane Society for many years and continues to rescue and socialize cats for adoption. As a scientific illustrator/designer, Anderson has assisted in the illustration, production and creation of textbooks and resource books on environmental health and histories of two Jewish communities. Other "outside" design and consultancies are done pro bono for nonprofit and startup small businesses.
"Service is where we bring our knowledge and expertise - and interest and passions - to an extended group/community to improve processes and people (and creatures)," she said. "In service we learn from and about others, we interface with persons and issues we might never have met/experienced. Although teaching and research enable these, they don't always get us out of our comfort zone the way service does. My service activities have enabled me to meet and fully appreciate the incredible faculty who are so involved with ISU - even when their teaching, research/creativity and advisement (formal and informal) duties (and paperwork) demand more and more time - the people who volunteer their services to improve the lot of faculty, students, extended community members. Needless to say, I am drawn to service activities for how they have enriched me and relish the variety they bring to my life, and the attentiveness to others they require."
Gonser is director of Indiana State's Center for Genomic Advocacy and reviewer for the Central Indiana Susan G. Komen Grant Committee and works with the ISU Genetic Counseling Clinic at Union Hospital. He is a content area reviewer for Journal of Integrative and Comparative Biology, Journal of Herpetology, European Journal of Wildlife Management, Irish Journal of Forestry, Herpetologica, Applied Geography, Michigan Academician and Bioscene. Gonser has served on the Indiana Department of Education Advanced Science Standards Committee: Animal Science, Plant and Soil Science and Food Science; Indiana Department of Education Advanced Science Standards Committee: Anatomy and Physiology; and is an Indiana Department of Education, Biology Core I Exam reviewer. He also serves on the biology department's budget committee, graduate affairs chairperson, personnel committee and professor level personnel committee. Additionally, he served as Graduate Council chair for four years. Finally, Gonser has also published several books and articles.
"I am honored and humbled to be selected for the award. It is nice to be recognized for my efforts and that Indiana State values these efforts," Gonser said. "There are many individuals across campus that devote time and efforts, big and small, to make ISU a great place to work. Therefore to be recognized for my efforts is quite humbling."
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Photo: https://photos.smugmug.com/Other/Headshot-Proofs/Miscellaneous-Portrat-Proofs/Faculty-Awards-Spring-2016/Selected-Faculty-Portraits-2017/i-Lh279p9/0/XL/AndersonAlmaF-XL.jpg - Sister Alma Mary Anderson
Story Highlights
Indiana State University faculty members Rusty Gonser, professor of biology, and Sister Alma Mary Anderson, professor of graphic design and computer imaging, were recognized with the university’s Faculty Distinguished Service Award.
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