Cahir, Pangborn To Receive Mckay Donkin Awards

March 20, 2003
Univeristy Park, Pa. – Dr. John J. Cahir, vice provost and dean emeritus of undergraduate education, and Dr. Robert N. Pangborn, associate dean of the College of Engineering, were jointly named the 2003 recipients of the McKay Donkin Award.

The McKay Donkin Award was established in 1969 in honor of the late McKay Donkin, who served as vice president for finance and treasurer of the University from 1957 to 1968. It goes to a full-time faculty or staff member or to the retiree who has contributed most to the economic, physical, mental or social welfare of the faculty, beyond their regularly assigned duties.

A tireless advocate as a faculty member and administrator for developing and supporting programs that would improve teaching and learning at Penn State, Dr. Cahir led many commissions, committees and panels on educational and resource matters, both at the University and nationally, that has had direct, positive impacts on Penn State faculty. He had a continuous, active tenure on the University Faculty Senate from 1973 until his retirement in 2002.

For example, he was chair of the University Committee on Instructional Facilities, which met the growing demand for classrooms to be more flexible at all locations than they had been in the past and to accommodate an array of instructional technologies used by the faculty. Also for more than 20 years, he worked with others to advocate and support the introduction of information technology equipment and access for teaching and administrative purposes. He played key roles in the computer installations in college facilities, residence halls, classrooms and CAAIS--an early form of eLion, the web-based system where students can retrieve academic information. He also served on the steering committees for World Campus and the School of Information Science and Technology.

Cahir also was a founding faculty member of the Joint Faculty Senate-Administration Committee on Insurance, which has functioned for 25 years to review and improve insurance coverages and benefits. A strong advocate for diversity, he was a founding member of Connect, whose goal was to increase the participation of women in underrepresented areas at the University and to recommend the creation of the Commission for Women. Also, he supported diversity activities through the various programs in the Office of Undergraduate Education and he was an advocate for athletes, athletic programs and the Student Athletic Advisory Board. He also was a founding board member of the Penn State Faculty-Staff Club.

Dr. Pangborn has assumed many leadership roles in the University Faculty Senate, serving as chair-elect, chair and immediate past chair, as well as member, vice chair and chair of the Senate Faculty Affairs Committee.  A key position also was the chair of the Committee on General Education, which led to a major revision of the undergraduate curriculum to its current form today with an emphasis on active learning and intercultural or international experiences.

He also served as interim Campus Executive Officer and Dean of the Altoona College in 1999-2000 and helped lead its transition smoothly from a campus to a college in areas of programming and administrative restructuring.  Currently as the associate dean in the College of Engineering, he provides support to faculty for curricular innovations and to promote excellence in the undergraduate engineering curriculum.

"I can think of no other individual Universitywide who exemplifies the spirit and actions of intercampus and intercollege collaboration more than Rob," said a colleague.

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Contact:  Paul Blaum at 814-865-9481 or at pab15@psu.edu