April 28, 2024
Shawnee State University has announced the 2024 Faculty Awards. As part of this year’s presentation, the recipient of the Board of Trustees Distinguished Teaching Award is Dr. Erik Larson. An Associate Professor of Geology at SSU, Dr. Larson has been with the university since 2014.
“Dr. Larson’s teaching style has been described as demanding but fair, and his classroom culture as open and discussion-based,” said SSU Provost Sunil Ahuja while presenting the award. “He teaches in person, online and in the field. He engages in undergraduate research and serves as a mentor for his students, his colleagues’ students, and students from other institutions.”
Dr. Larson also serves at the Faculty Director of the university’s E-Campus as well as serves on the Distance Learning Committee as its Director. He is a part of several other university committees including the Assessment & Accreditation Committee and the Campus Tree Committee, and represents SSU on the Ohio Transfer 36 Natural Sciences Review Panel. He is a member of the Awards Committee for the Geological Society of America’s Karst Division. In the past, he has chaired the university’s annual Celebration of Scholarship conference, promoting and recognizing student-led research and innovation.
“Erik is an outstanding teacher, mentor, a gifted scholar, and a selfless contributor to the mission of the university,” said fellow Professor Dr. Kurt Shoemaker. “Faculty like Erik elevate the entire university. The future of Shawnee State should be built around people like him.”
Dr. Larson received his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Analysis from Unity College in Unity, Maine in 2010 before receiving his Ph.D. in Earth & Atmospheric Sciences at Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi in 2014. In his professional portfolio, he has co-authored over 20 academic publications and nearly 100 abstracts of his research, including many with undergraduate student involvement of those he has mentored.
“I am honored to receive the Distinguished Teaching Award,” said Dr. Larson. “It’s great to have my work in the classroom and in the field recognized.”
The SSU Board of Trustees Distinguished Teaching Award is presented to an instructor who makes a significant impact on their students by engaging with them in a meaningful way while providing excellent teaching and contributions to higher education.