By Kristine Milbrandt
A “passion for music and people” has earned Dr. Lee Nelson the 2012 John O. Chellevold Student Award for Excellence in Teaching and Professional Service.
Students selected Nelson, associate professor of music and Zahn Chair in Choral Conducting, as one of four honorees. The others are Dr. Denis Drolet, assistant professor of chemistry, Outstanding Adviser Award; Hans Pregler, production manager, Administrative Staff Award; and Bernard Holland, security officer, Non-Administrative Staff Award.
Nelson and Drolet will receive their awards at the Excellence in Teaching and Scholarship Convocation Thursday, April 12, at 9 a.m., in Neumann Auditorium as part of RICE (Research, Internship and Creative Endeavor) Day activities.
Nelson, who will also speak at the convocation, said he is “honored and humbled” to receive the award.
“When it comes to education I see myself as a catalyst, someone who helps bring out the best in each student, both as musicians and as individuals,” he said. “Teaching has the deepest impact for me when it fosters faith, hope, compassion and respect.”
One student nominating him wrote, “Dr. Nelson has a passion for music and people that is immediately infectious to anyone in his presence. You can’t help but smile when you’re around him.”
“Dr. Nelson is constantly challenging me to do my best,” another student stated. “He encourages me to be a leader and to serve others as a reflection of my faith.”
The award honors the late Dr. John O. Chellevold, a longtime Wartburg mathematics professor and administrator. It was established by one of his former students, the late Dr. Ross Nielsen, a 1939 Wartburg graduate who went on to a distinguished teaching career at the University of Northern Iowa, and credited Chellevold as his inspiration.
Dr. Mark McDermott, assistant professor of science education, and Drolet, associate professor of chemistry, who received the Chellevold Award last year, were runners-up.
As the outstanding adviser, Drolet was described by a nominator as “a great adviser and professor, but most importantly he is a great person, trying his best to make sure that each and every one of his students have the best experience they can.”
A nominator for the Non-Administrative Staff Award cited Holland’s “charisma” and “smile” as a campus security officer, noting that he makes students feels safe and welcome on campus.
“It is an honor,” Holland said. “It is something I don’t take lightly and have more gratitude than I can express.”
Pregler was cited for his ability to create a fun and caring work environment by a nominator, who wrote, “He aspires to do the best he can in everything and that quality rubs off on his employees.”