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Sept. 22, 1999
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- P.A. Mack Jr., a member of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and former IU trustee, has been named the first recipient of a new award bearing his name.
The P.A. Mack Award for Distinguished Service to Teaching recognizes exemplary contributions to university teaching. It will be presented annually by the Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching (FACET), a program that recognizes outstanding teaching at the eight IU campuses and provides a forum for exchange of ideas about teaching and learning at IU.
"P.A. Mack has made the promotion and support of teaching his mission and the focus of his public service," said Professor Eileen Bender, university director of FACET. "He is not only a worthy recipient of this award, but he has set the standard for future winners."
As an IU trustee from 1991-98, Mack chaired the university-wide Joint Commission on Learning. This initiative focused on the role of teaching and research in promoting student achievement and on ways to support continuous faculty and program development. He is a co-creator of the Teaching Excellence Recognition Awards, which provide funding for exemplary IU faculty, and has served on the dean's advisory council of the IU Kelley School of Business. Instrumental in the development of FACET, Mack was made an honorary member in 1997.
Currently, Mack serves as a gubernatorial appointee to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, a post he previously held from 1991-92. He is also on the board of directors of Clarian Health -- a network that includes Indiana University Hospital -- and on the board of directors of the IU Foundation.
In addition to his contributions to education, Mack served as administrative assistant to U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh and as vice chairman of the National Credit Union Administrative Board under Presidents Carter and Reagan. He also is a former president of the American Association of Retired Persons. He earned a master's degree in business administration from IU.
Mack Award recipients will be chosen annually through a nomination and selection process involving FACET award-winners who currently teach at IU. Nominees may include persons who have contributed distinguished service to teaching at IU and elsewhere consistent with the documented goals and ideals of FACET. Winners will be recognized at the annual FACET retreat and invited to share their perspectives on teaching and learning with the academic community at large.
(Jen McCormick, 812-855-5393, jenmccor@indiana.edu)