MU Professor Awarded 2008 Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence
April 2, 2008
Story Contact: Emily Smith, (573) 882-3346, SmithEA@missouri.edu
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Chancellor Brady Deaton and Chairman Jim Schatz of Commerce Bank today awarded one of the 2008 William T. Kemper Fellowships for Teaching Excellence to Tony Lupo, associate professor of soil, environmental and atmospheric sciences in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.
Deaton, Schatz and a group of professors, administrators and staff paid a surprise visit to Lupo’s classroom to honor him with the Fellowship, which includes a $10,000 award. 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.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Please see attached biography for details about Lupo.
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Tony Lupo, associate professor of soil, environmental and atmospheric sciences
In the ten years that Tony Lupo has worked at the University of Missouri, he has maintained an impressive level of involvement. Lupo, associate professor of soil, environmental and atmospheric sciences, has directed 32 undergraduate research projects, created the Storm Chase Club and developed three new courses. He also continues to teach an average of four to six courses each year.
Lupo’s work has gained recognition far beyond MU. In 2007, Lupo contributed work to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that received the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize along with former Vice President Al Gore.
“Dr. Lupo is an exceptional teacher who is known both for his enthusiasm and his ability to teach complex principles in an understandable manner,” said Paul Vaughn, associate dean and director of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. “Dr. Lupo has been described as a tireless teacher, an individual whose passion for the science of meteorology is such that his students simply cannot keep from sharing his enthusiasm.”
In 2006, Lupo was honored with the CAFNR Senior Level Teaching Award and, in 2005, he won the Teaching Award of Merit from the MU Chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta.
Lupo is enthusiastic and passionate about what he teaches and is highly praised by his students for being helpful and personable.
“In many respects, Dr. Lupo is like a member of my family,” said Justin Glisan, a graduate student who had Lupo as an advisor for the past six years. “This type of relationship augmented my academic career and helped make me the person I am today.”
Lupo received his associate’s degree at Cayuga County Community College, his bachelor’s degree at State University of New York and his master’s and doctorate at Purdue University.