“He is a great teacher, and has avery good personality. He will try hishardest to help you succeed.”

“At my 4 year stay at MTU as achemical engineer, Dr. Sandell hasbeen the most helpful and understandable professor I have had.”

“He goes out of his way to help students.”

“He puts our education and successfirst.”

These are a sampling of student comments that helped Associate Professor John Sandell become the recipient of the university’s 2006 Distinguished Teaching Award. The award is given each year by theCenter for Teaching, Learning, and Faculty Development to faculty in two categories: Professor/Associate Professor, and Assistant Professor/Lecturer. Award winners are chosen from a list of 10 finalists, 5 ineach category. The finalists are chosen based on a review of more than 45,000 teaching evaluations. The award winner is then selected by a committee madeup of faculty, staff, and student representatives. The decision is made following a canvassing of the finalists’current classes, during which the students are asked why the finalist should win the award. Comments from the general university population, including alumni, are also solicited. The winner receives a $2,500 cash award. Dr. Sandell, a several-time finalist, came to the Chemical Engineering department from the School of Technology, and maintains a position as adjunct associate professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department. He has also been arecipient of the Faculty of the Year award from the MTU chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers. John is a deserving recipient, according to William Kennedy, director of the Center and chair of the selection committee. John “…has exhibited excellence in the classroom,” wrote Kennedy in an e-mail.