Faculty of Distinction Award to Economics Professor

BALDWIN CITY, KAN. — Baker University Professor of Business and Economics Alan Grant is one of 17 college faculty members in the state receiving the Kansas Independent College Association’s Faculty of Distinction award. Grant and the other honorees will be recognized at a workshop and award reception on Nov. 3 in Newton, Kansas.

The KICA Faculty of Distinction honor is awarded on the basis of faculty excellence and achievement, similar to Baker’s own Jennie Howell Kopke and Verda R. Kopke Award for Distinguished Teaching, which Grant received in May. KICA President Matt Lindsey specifically cited “a gift for balancing a commitment to hold each student accountable for real, meaningful learning and a strong sense of empathy for the value of each student as an individual” as key factors in determining recipients.

In his remarks at the university convocation ceremony in September, Grant spoke about these ideals as cornerstones of the learning experience at Baker and applauded the faculty’s willingness to “make learning easier and more relevant” by meeting students “on [their] turf.”

Grant’s honor marks the second consecutive year a Baker faculty member has been named a KICA Faculty of Distinction honoree. Assistant Professor of English Marti Mihalyi was recognized in the award’s inaugural campaign in 2014. Honorees are nominated by the president or chief academic officer of their respective institutions and “serve as models for educators everywhere,” according to the organization.