MU Professor Awarded 2013 Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence
April 1st, 2013
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Deputy Chancellor Mike Middleton and Commerce Bank Chairman Jim Schatz of Commerce Bank today awarded one of the 2013 William T. Kemper Fellowships for Teaching Excellence to Tim Evans, an associate professor of toxicology in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine.
Middleton, Schatz and a group of professors, administrators and staff surprised Evans by honoring him with the Fellowship, which includes a $10,000 check. Kemper Fellowships are awarded to five outstanding teachers at the University of Missouri each year.
The William T. Kemper Fellowships for Teaching Excellence were established in 1991 with a $500,000 gift. Kemper, a 1926 MU graduate, was a well-known civic leader in Kansas City until his death in 1989. His 52-year career in banking included top positions at banks in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. Commerce Bank manages the trust fund.
ATTACHED : Evans Bio
Tim Evans
Tim Evans is an associate professor of toxicology in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine. Evans, who has been a member of the MU faculty since 2001, was named an assistant professor in 2003 and was promoted to associate professor in 2010. As an instructor of veterinary toxicology, Evans teaches topics including reproductive pharmacology, veterinary diagnostic toxicology and how chemical agents cause environmental disease. His students say his commitment to teaching extends well beyond the classroom.
“When drought conditions last summer caused nitrates to accumulate in dangerous levels in many crops, Dr. Evans worked tirelessly to educate veterinarians and livestock producers about the danger and how to effectively manage this risk,” said Daniel Tappmeyer, a fourth year veterinary professional student. “While Dr. Evans is remarkable for his teaching of toxicology, perhaps the most important thing he teaches veterinary students is the importance of having a sense of humor.”
Evans is well known around the College of Veterinary Medicine for his superhero alter-ego he calls “The Antidote.” He has been known to make dozens of trips up and down the elevators in the Bond Life Sciences Building dressed in a mask and cape. Evans uses his alter- ego to teach students the concept of “treat the patient, not the poison”. “The Antidote” also lectures occasionally on how to treat animals who ingest toxic materials and has been known to occasionally lead toxic plant walks around campus. Evans’ quirky teaching style resulted in his being named Mizzou Wire’s “2010 Nerd of the Year” in their “Nerds of Mizzou” series.
“Dr. Evans is one of the most passionate and enthusiastic instructors I have ever had the pleasure of knowing,” said Neil Olson, dean of the MU College of Veterinary Medicine. “These qualities are quickly picked up and appreciated by the students in his classroom. Students at all levels absolutely appreciate his commitment to teaching. He is indeed one of the finest teachers MU has to offer!”
Evans is known as a dynamic lecturer, transforming his classroom into a riveting, interactive experience that facilitates effective student learning and enhances long-term retention and application of important facts and skills. In all of his lectures and student interactions, Evans’ unique ability to incorporate humor, along with his unparalleled enthusiasm and expertise, helps keep students relaxed, attentive and highly motivated to learn.
“Words like ‘passion’ and ‘enthusiasm’ describe Tim Evans,” said Craig Franklin, a professor in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine and Director of the Comparative Medicine Program. “For his classroom lectures, he relentlessly prepares, spending days updating his materials and constantly self-critiquing his teaching style. His teaching does not stop in the classroom and his passion for teaching and love for his students make him an deserving winner of the Kemper Award.”
Outside of the classroom, Evans serves as a mentor for graduate students and veterinary students participating in the Veterinary Research Scholars Program, the faculty sponsor for the Christian Veterinary Fellowship club at MU, and is a member of the MU Faculty Council. Evans has been awarded the 2012 Carl F. Norden-Pfizer Distinguished Veterinary Teacher Award, two Golden Aesculapius Awards, the SCAVMA Teaching Award for Clinical Sciences and the George Dadd Award for peer-reviewed excellence in teaching. He is the only faculty member to claim all of these major honors from the MU College of Veterinary Medicine in the last 12 years. Evans received his doctor of veterinary medicine degree from the University of California-Davis, and master’s and doctorate degrees from MU.