Natural Resources Professor at Colorado State Honored with Board of Governors Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award

Colorado State University today named Professor Richard Knight in the Department of Forest, Rangeland, and Watershed Stewardship in the Warner College of Natural Resources the 2007 recipient of the prestigious Board of Governors Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award.

The award was presented at the university’s annual Celebrate Colorado State! Luncheon.

A member of Colorado State’s faculty since 1989, Knight’s commitment to enriching student learning, ability to impart a love of the land and his passion for natural resources stewardship is evident daily to students and faculty members.

The consistently positive reviews Knight receives from students recognize him as an inspirational teacher and one of the most sought-after instructors and advisers in the Warner College. Year after year, students in the College have named Knight as one of the people who has most influenced them during their academic careers at Colorado State, not the least because of his enthusiastic, engaging style.

"My philosophy of teaching is shaped not by the desire to see how much material is offered to students, but instead by how much material they retain," Knight said. "Accordingly, going slow and creating an environment where students are encouraged to question facts and pose alternative explanations to data seem to work, particularly when mixed with a wide array of teaching methods."

Knight was recognized in 1993 with Colorado State’s Jack E. Cermak Outstanding Advisor Award, and he was honored as Outstanding Faculty Member in the Warner College of Natural Resources in 1995 and 2005. He was an Aldo Leopold Leadership Fellow in 1999.

Knight’s distinguished scholarly record includes articles, books, videos, invited lectures and seminars. The latest, two-day conference in April that he helped organize on "People and Land in a New Century: A Blueprint for Conservation that Works" included renowned speakers and researchers from across the country.

The Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System in 1993 established the Board of Governors Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award.

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