Three MU professors awarded 2019 Kemper Fellowships for Teaching Excellence

March 12th, 2019

Photos and bios of Blackburn, Meyer and Motavalli are available for download here

COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Chancellor Alexander N. Cartwright, Provost Latha Ramchand and Steve Sowers, president and CEO of the central and eastern Missouri region of Commerce Bank, today awarded the 2019 William T. Kemper Fellowships for Teaching Excellence to Botswana Blackburn, professor of health science in the MU School of Health Professions; Donald Meyer, professor of marketing in the Trulaske College of Business; and Peter Motavalli, professor of soil nutrition management in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.

Cartwright, administrators and staff surprised the professors by honoring them with the fellowships, which include a $10,000 award. Kemper Fellowships are awarded to five outstanding teachers at the University of Missouri each year. Fellowships were awarded Monday to Jennifer Fellabaum-Toston, associate teaching professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis in the College of Education; and Brian Silvey, associate professor of music education in the School of Music.

This year is the 29th anniversary of the William T. Kemper Fellowships for Teaching Excellence, which 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.