Endowed Faculty Chairs | Kirkwood Community College

A Note from Our President:

I am amazed by the work being done by the Kirkwood faculty on a daily basis. Their passion for supporting student success is truly inspiring. It’s that high level of commitment to those we serve that has helped make this college one of the premier two-year institutions in the country.

The Endowed Faculty Chair awards support our faculty so they can continue to grow as educators to ensure our students receive the highest quality education possible. These awards are an investment in those who teach that will pay huge dividends in student success for years to come.

Dr. Kristie Fisher

What Are the Endowed Faculty Chair Awards?

The Endowed Faculty Chair awards were initiated to honor retiring President Dr. Norm Nielsen in December 2004. Endowed Faculty Chairs provide an opportunity for selected faculty to undertake professional development projects in their disciplines or in instructional pedagogy through writing, preparing, and presenting a special lecture, conducting research, or pursuing other opportunities.

The emphasis is on personal and professional growth and is separate from assigned duties, routine work, or service to the department.

The goals for the Endowed Faculty Chair program are to:

Encourage faculty to pursue educational challenges with creativity and innovation
Promote academic quality by supporting faculty commitment to educational and pedagogical excellence
Promote the college’s name in connection with educational excellence
Bring community leaders and faculty together in a commitment to excellence in education

The Endowed Faculty Chair program is a major effort by the Kirkwood Board of Trustees and the Kirkwood Foundation Board to demonstrate their commitment to quality instruction by recognizing and fostering instructional excellence and lifelong learning.

2024 – ’25 Endowed Faculty Chair Award Winner

Finn Kolsrud

Assistant Professor, Sociology

This Place Is For Me: Facilitating Student-Driven Dialogue at Kirkwood Community College

Deliberative dialogue is a process by which individuals can discuss complex social problems, finding common ground where possible, and weigh costs and benefits of various solutions. This project aims to expand the role of deliberative dialogue on campus. Whether it is in the classroom setting or at co-curricular learning events, active, regular participation in deliberative dialogues on college campuses build a sense of community and belonging.
The project involves recruiting and training a cohort of students to convene and moderate deliberative dialogues on campus. In addition, the project involves piloting a “request for dialogue” system. Faculty, staff and student organizations can utilize this system to convene a dialogue facilitated by the cohort of trainees. The hope is that the project will be sustainable, giving students opportunities for dialogue training and facilitation year after year.

2025 – ’26 Endowed Faculty Chair Recipients

Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie Endowed Chair

Todd Saville

Professor/Coordinator, Financial Services

Mindful Money Matters in a Mass-Consumption Society

Kirkwood Endowed Faculty Chairs

Randy Ackman

Professor, Animal Health Technology

Animal Anatomy Prosections

Terri Cronbaugh

Assistant Professor, Nursing

Implementation Tool for Clinical Judgment Model

Sondra Gates

Professor, Communication

English in the Age of AI

David Jennerjohn

Assistant Professor, Industrial Maintenance Technology

Launching Innovation: Designing the Future of S.L.S

Timothy Robbins

Assistant Professor, English

Building a Culture of Critical Generative AI Literacy in Kirkwood's Writing Curriculum

Endowed Faculty Chairs are Supported by the following Donors:

The Allsop Family

Diamond V

The Mansfield Trust

The Rohde Family

Ruffalo Noel Levitz

Henry B. and Patricia B. Tippie

Transamerica

UnityPoint Health - St. Luke’s Hospital

Kirkwood Foundation

We are grateful to the Endowed Faculty Chair donors and their dedication to supporting excellence in the classroom.

For more information about creating an Endowed Faculty Chair in honor or memory of someone special, contact Jody Pellerin at 319-398-5409 or jody.pellerin@kirkwood.edu.