Distinguished Professor Award, 2011
Nancy Kinner is renowned for her work in the area of oil spill response, but in her heart she鈥檚 a teacher. When the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, it unleashed the largest oil spill in U.S. history. It also sent Kinner into action.
And she embraced her role because she knew not only how important it was, but also what an incredible learning experience it would be for her students. Never once did they take second fiddle. An environmental engineering class that includes a total of 14 hours a week of group project meetings for Kinner remained a priority, even if it meant waking at 3 or 4 a.m. to participate via conference call when she was in Alaska. Instead, she found ways for her students to be involved.
鈥淣ancy鈥檚 devotion to communicating the science of the spill to the U.S. is an excellent example of why she is deserving of this award,鈥 says Whitney Blanchard, a former student and current NOAA employee. 鈥淣ancy is a teacher. She taught science and engineering to everyone watching PBS or reading The Economist as well as to the U.S. Congress.鈥
She testified before Congress three times, responded to hundreds of media inquiries, provided information on the latest oil spill research and development to NOAA and the Coast Guard鈥攈er phone never stopped ringing. On the day of Commencement she was on stage serving as chief faculty marshal when that phone buzzed. It was David Kennedy, head of NOAA鈥檚 National Ocean Service asking her to convene an emergency international meeting to address the use of dispersants in cleanup efforts鈥n two days. Her answer was yes before quickly adding that she would have to call him back; she had to get the ceremony started.
鈥淭his spill was a unique opportunity to show the strengths 易胜博官网 has in environmental and marine work,鈥 says Kinner. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really about the people I have the great privilege and honor of working with; it鈥檚 all of them that make me look good.鈥
Those who know Kinner wouldn鈥檛 be surprised to learn she鈥檚 just as involved in the Deepwater Horizon disaster today as she was when the explosion and spill happened more than a year ago.
鈥淭he reality is that drilling and spills are going to happen,鈥 she says. 鈥淭here will be spills and we need to be ready for them.鈥
鈥擡rika Mantz
About this Award
The purpose of this award is to identify and honor longstanding members of the 易胜博官网 faculty. This singular university-wide award will be given each year to the faculty member whose overall record of excellent teaching, caring about students, devotion to the university community, and substantial record of scholarly achievement exemplifies what we would call a "distinguished longstanding career" at 易胜博官网. Each year there will be no more than one Distinguished Professor Award. Long-term 易胜博官网 tenure-track faculty members at the rank of professor are eligible.
