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Rodemeyer wins first President's Award of Excellence

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By Stephanie Rodriguez

Dr. Stephen A. Rodemeyer is living the dream of many faculty members: he helps Fresno State attract the best and brightest students from all over the country.

Rodemeyer, professor of chemistry, is the founding director of the Smittcamp Family Honors College, a program designed for top-performing incoming college freshmen. He has assisted its growth from an initial class of 50 high-achieving freshmen in 1999 to a class of 75 in fall 2001.

"Being able to initiate a program of this caliber is an academic dream job. The program is the academic flagship of the university," he said.

Not only does Rodemeyer love his position, he's also very good at it. In January, he was awarded the "President's Award of Excellence" for leadership at Fresno State.

President John D. Welty presented the award to Rodemeyer at the Faculty and Staff Assembly. The recognition includes a $10,000 award. The selection is made by the University Advisory Board, composed of community leaders.

"I am pleased to that Dr. Rodemeyer has been recognized for his stellar leadership at Fresno State," said Welty. "He has been an inspiration to students and faculty alike, and, through his dedication to the Honors College, is helping Fresno State become one of the premier universities on the West Coast."

The President's Award of Excellence was established in the fall of 2001. The award seeks to recognize a faculty member who demonstrates integrity, leadership and a commitment to the university and community as exemplified by President Welty.

Rodemeyer said he believes the students participating in the Smittcamp Family Honors College bring a unique quality to the campus.

"The presence of these students increases the intellectual activity on campus, enhancing course work, research, performances and other activities for all students and faculty," he said. Applicants to the Smittcamp Family Honors College must meet one of the following criteria: a 3.6 GPA, 1200 on the SAT or graduating in the top 10 percent of their class.

Rodemeyer, a Fresno State professor for more than 30 years, won the Provost's Excellence in Teaching Award in 1995. He also has served as chair of the Department of Chemistry and acting dean of the School of Natural Sciences.

Welty said Rodemeyer was the perfect selection to serve as director of the Smittcamp Honors College because his small-town roots give him unique insights into many of the students who qualify for the rigorous honors program.

He attended St. Thomas University in St. Paul, Minn., where he was one of 1,200 students. The first in his family to attend college, he benefited from small classes and instructors who knew their students well.

Rodemeyer is committed to helping the Honors College students succeed at Fresno State: "A lot of these entering students are away from home for the first time, and we don't want them to get lost in the system," he said. "At Honors we try to give students a small-college experience in the midst of a large university."

Rodemeyer served as the chair of the University Task Force on Students, which formulated the university's concept of what and where a student should be when ready for graduation. Additionally, he has served as coordinator of the Health Careers Opportunity Program and chair of the Premedical Advising Committee.

Rodemeyer received his B.S. degree in 1962 at St. Thomas College and his Ph.D. in 1966 from the University of California, Berkeley. After pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Notre Dame, he joined the Fresno State faculty in 1967.

Stephanie Rodriguez is a University Relations student intern.

Back to University Journal, 4/02/02 Issue