UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Kenneth Keiler, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, has been named a recipient of the 2023 Eberly College of Science Distinguished Service Award. This award was established in 1979 to recognize faculty and staff who have made significant and outstanding leadership and service contributions to the Eberly College of Science over a sustained period of time.
Keiler was nominated for his outstanding record of service, including toward improving undergraduate teaching and graduate admissions and policies. Recently, Keiler aided the development of two new courses in the department, MCIRB 203 — an introductory microbiology lab that helps embed students in research early in their education — and BMB488 — a communities of practice course that combines research with a seminar that explores societal and ethical issues around science. While developing the materials, Keiler ensured that all teaching materials were transferable to other faculty, which one nominator praised as an example of how to develop course goals and learning objectives. Notably, all his efforts in these two courses were done entirely in his own time.
“His impact on our undergraduate educational mission has been and continues to be extensive,” said a nominator. “In essence, he went over and above to serve with outstanding impact.”
Keiler has also devoted efforts into reshaping the Biochemistry, Microbiology and Molecular Biology (BMMB) graduate program. As chair of the BMMB Steering Committee and Recruitment Committees, he helped institute a holistic admissions process which eliminated the need for the GRE exam, paving the way for other departments and programs in the college to do the same. As a result, recruitment of students, and particularly underrepresented students, has increased. In addition, he led efforts to standardize policies aimed at benefiting students, such as parental leave for graduate students, and to update the program’s qualifying exam and curriculum. He also invited two graduate students to serve on the BMMB Steering Committee, to help ensure that graduate students have a voice that is heard.
According to one nominator, Keiler identified “clear learning objectives for BMMB graduate students, which not only helped guide the efforts to develop policies that outline activities that enable future student success but also gave clear direction to our current students.”
Keiler also served as chair of the Junior Faculty Mentoring Committee, the first effort in the department to provide official mentorship to each early career faculty member.
Keiler’s efforts shine outside of the department as well. He represented Eberly College of Science on the Faculty Senate, serving on the curriculum committee. Through this involvement, he learned about the bureaucratic process in course revision at Penn State and now frequently assists others in the department with implementing course changes.
“[Ken is] a strong leader who is passionate about student success at all stages of their [graduate] education and supporting faculty in a mentoring role,” said a nominator. “His leadership has led to more positive changes in BMMB for students and faculty than the previous six years that I have been in this position.”