Each year the Council for Advancement and Support of Education names a U.S. National Professor of the Year, an award that recognizes instructors for their commitment and dedication to undergraduate teaching and to acknowledge the role of faculty in encouraging students to remain connected with their alma maters after graduation.
Academic institutions make the nominations.
UW-Eau Claire Provost Ronald Satz nominated Hartsel this year. Throughout his 12 years at the university, Hartsel has taught chemistry courses at all levels, including introductory classes and those at the senior level. He has worked with more than 30 undergraduate research collaborators and has published several papers co-authored by students. He also was one of the first UW-Eau Claire faculty members to be awarded a National Science Foundation travel grant, which provided funding for him and an undergraduate student to conduct research in Paris. I don't think we do a very good job of getting this across in the classroom.