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Faculty named Distinguished Teaching Professors
By SUE WUETCHER
Reporter Editor
Kenneth J. Takeuchi, professor of chemistry, and Joseph J. Zambon, professor of periodontology and oral biology, have been named SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professors.
The two UB faculty members were among 22 faculty members from across SUNY who were appointed to the system’s highest faculty rank by the board of trustees at its May 14 meeting.
The rank of distinguished professor is an order above full professorship and has three co-equal designations: distinguished professor, distinguished service professor and distinguished teaching professor.
“SUNY faculty who receive appointment to the distinguished ranks are truly representative of the broad service contributions and the career achievements being made by faculty on each of our 64 campuses across New York state,” said Interim SUNY Chancellor John B. Clark. “Each of these individuals has met and exceeded the requirements for this honor and I commend the board of trustees for recognizing their talent and service by approving their appointments to distinguished ranks.”
Takeuchi and Zambon join three other UB faculty members who were appointed Distinguished Professors by the SUNY trustees at their March meeting. They are Douglas H. Clements, professor of learning and instruction, Graduate School of Education; Vladimir V. Mitin, professor and chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences; and Stephen Rudin, professor of radiology and director of the Division of Radiation Physics, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.
The distinguished teaching professorship recognizes and honors outstanding teaching at the graduate, undergraduate and professional levels. It is awarded to full professors who have demonstrated consistently superior mastery of teaching, outstanding service to students and commitment to their ongoing intellectual growth, scholarship and professional growth, and adherence to rigorous academic standards and requirements.
A member of the UB faculty since 1983, Takeuchi has received numerous teaching awards, including the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, the Most Outstanding Graduate Faculty Award from the Graduate Student Association and the Friend of EOP (Educational Opportunity Program) Award.
TAKEUCHI
A four-time winner of the Milton Plesur Teaching Award from the undergraduate Student Association, he also is the recipient of the Responsible Care Catalyst Award from the Chemical Manufacturers Association, a national award honoring individuals who, through their excellent teaching ability both in and out of the classroom, inspire students to choose careers in chemistry and science-related fields.
Takeuchi has served as a mentor to a number of student programs, including the Minority High School Student Research Apprenticeship Program, the New York State Summer Institute for Science and Mathematics, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Undergraduate Biological Sciences Education Program and the University Honors College.
He is a recipient of the McNair Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award and the American Chemical Society’s Stanley C. Israel Regional Award for Advancing Diversity in the Chemical Sciences.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Cincinnati and a doctorate in chemistry from The Ohio State University.
ZAMBON
Associate dean for academic affairs in the School of Dental Medicine, Zambon joined the dental school faculty in 1982. Among his numerous honors and awards are the UB Exceptional Scholar Award; the R. Earl Robinson Periodontal Regeneration Award and the Clinical Research Award, both from the American Academy of Periodontology; and the Richard A. Powell Award for Teaching Excellence, the Alan J. Gross Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Charles Lipani Award for Faculty Service, all from the UB School of Dental Medicine.
Twice named Dental Educator of the Year in the UB dental school, Zambon is a member and former chair of the school’s curriculum committee and a co-director of its Electronic Curriculum Project, which has completely digitized the school’s educational program.
A prolific researcher, Zambon has authored or co-authored nearly 150 scholarly papers, more than two dozen book chapters and more than 200 abstracts. He has been principal or co-principal investigator on more than 60 grants and contracts and holds five patents.
He received a bachelor’s degree in biology from St. John Fisher College, and a D.D.S. and Ph.D. in oral biology, both from UB.