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Award recognizes faculty who promote cross-cultural engagement through education, research and service

ROLLA, Mo. – Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ of Missouri Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Hank Foley today awarded one of the UM Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ President’s Awards to Curt Elmore, professor in the department of Geological Sciences and Engineering at Missouri Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ of Science and Technology. 

Foley — accompanied by Missouri S&T Chancellor Cheryl B. Schrader — surprised Elmore with the President’s Award for Cross-Cultural Engagement, which includes a $5,000 award. The award recognizes faculty who promote cross-cultural engagement through education, research and service.  The award marks the first of 11 to be presented in 2014. 

The President’s Awards are presented annually to faculty members across the four campuses of the Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ of Missouri Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ who have made exceptional contributions in advancing the mission of the university.

President’s Award for Cross-Cultural Engagement
Curt Elmore, Ph.D., P.E.
Professor of Geological Engineering
Missouri Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ of Science and Technology

Dr. Curtis Elmore has a passion for bringing developing countries clean water, and he’s spreading that passion to his students. Since 2002, he has taken more than 50 international trips to numerous countries. These trips, many of which are taken with the capstone class Elmore designed himself, are aimed at helping students recognize the impact they can have across the world through engineering.

Since Elmore became a Missouri S&T professor of geological engineering in 2001, his focus has been on creating more international engagement outlets for students. He created an International Engineering and Design capstone class, which allows students to investigate and design solutions for water supply problems in Guatemala or Brazil. The course includes three to four weeks in a country where students apply their laboratory knowledge to real-world problems. He also directs the U.S.-Brazil Consortium for Sustainable Drinking Water Studies, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, which facilitates student exchange between Missouri S&T and two Brazilian universities.

In an effort to extend students’ global thinking, Elmore established the Global Studies minor and is in the process of establishing the Humanitarian Engineering and Science minor at Missouri S&T. The programs aim to produce future STEM leaders with broad cross-cultural awareness and an orientation to global service.

One nominator wrote, “He has forever altered and improved the S&T campus and its students’ experiences, changed views and perspective for both students and faculty, and impacted the lives of many peoples internationally, literally saving lives.”

A multitude of students cite Elmore’s influence on their lives and future careers, based on the cross-cultural exposure he gave them. Elmore’s teaching at Missouri S&T has created positive effects that continue to reach across the globe.

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