Edwin L. Dove

I am an Associate Professor in Biomedical Engineering. I am committed to quality teaching, research and scholarship, and service -- the traditional commitment of faculty members at a public research-extensive university. Working with students has always been a professional and personal joy. I have received numerous awards for education and teaching, including the James N. Murray Award, the President’s Award for Educational Innovation, and most recently the President and Provost Award for Teaching Excellence.

Perhaps most relevant to this election is my service to the University through my membership on the Faculty Senate and Faculty Council. I have served as the secretary of the Faculty Senate and Faculty Council, and I have served on many Faculty Senate and university committees. I served as the co-chair of the ad hoc Committee on Special Compensation that was formed by the President of the Faculty Senate and the Provost. I now serve on the Faculty Policy and Compensation Committee, and the Year of Public Engagement Steering Committee.

Many universities are undergoing changes that alter the traditional role played by faculty members. The University of Iowa may not be immune to these changes. For example, some elected state leaders believe that in order to help Iowa’s economy, a climate of entrepreneurship must be created at Iowa’s universities by revising the traditional rewards given to faculty members; instead of rewarding faculty members for teaching and scholarly achievements, faculty members should be rewarded for creating ideas and then developing them through entrepreneurship. If implemented, this would represent a fundamental change in the mission of the University and the traditional expectations of the faculty. I believe that in the near future the Faculty Senate will have to determine the degree to which it wishes to support or oppose this potential transformation. There are many valuable benefits (including economic) to the state and the nation of quality teaching, and traditional research and scholarship. I believe that the Faculty Senate should have as goals to lead in articulating these benefits to the University’s constituents, and to play a significant role in the efforts to develop and implement approaches that help Iowa prosper while maintaining the traditional expectations of faculty of quality teaching, research and scholarship, and service. How best to accomplish these goals should be on the Faculty Senate agenda.