Don Grant Award

Don Grant Faculty Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Education

The Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering at Iowa State University announces a new faculty award focused on undergraduate teaching: The Don Grant Faculty Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Education. This award is given to a faculty member in the department that has had a particularly high impact on the undergraduate educational programs. This award is named in honor of Mr. Don Grant who served as an advisor and instructor in the department from 1968 until 1988.

After serving in the US Army, Don Grant graduated in 1948 with an electrical engineering degree from ISU and then went to work for Collins Radio in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. After a twenty year career with Collins, Don returned to ISU and began his career as a faculty member and student advisor and held that position until retiring in 1988. It has been estimated that Don was a friend, advisor and counselor to over 3,000 students in his career at Iowa State.

In the words of Dr. Gary Mirka chair of the department “Don’s influence on the students in the program was particularly significant. As I speak with alumni from around the country and our conversations turn to memories of faculty and staff in the department, one name keeps coming up as someone that was particularly influential in many student’s lives – Don Grant. The winner of this award is selected by the undergraduate industrial engineering honor society – Alpha Pi Mu.

The leadership of Alpha Pi Mu requests nominations from the graduating seniors (both fall and spring semesters.) The Alpha Pi Mu leadership then reviews the nominations and identifies the winner. The winner is announced at the spring IMSE Honors and Awards Luncheon. The winner receives a plaque, a small monetary award and their name is inscribed on a nameplate mounted on the Don Grant Award plaque on display in the department.