L.R. Hesler Award

The L.R. Hesler Award is named for the long-time head of the botany department who also served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Hesler’s students, colleagues, and friends established this memorial award to recognize outstanding teaching and service to the university.

This year’s award goes to Dr. John M. Peters of the Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling. His nomination letters from current and former students all note his deep and lasting impact on students’ lives and, subsequently, their careers. One student noted that Dr. Peters lives his life as a co-learner, consistent with his specialization of collaborative learning. “He doesn’t just talk about it,” the student writes, “he practices it with his students.” Not only does he regularly come to wherever students live or work off campus, he holds “porch chats” at his log cabin home, where he and students sit in rocking chairs to discuss ideas, concepts, student issues, and concerns. He has co-authored and edited many articles and books with his students, including one used by more than 50 universities today. Dr. Peters’s extraordinary teaching ability is proven by other awards and honors, including the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and an induction into the Continuing Education Hall of Fame.