Robert Cargill, Department of Classics  

Robert Cargill, associate professor in the Department of Classics, wants to form a relationship with his students.  

When he was a student, Cargill’s professors fostered his learning and were committed to his success. Now as a faculty member, Cargill is doing the same with his students. 

“I try to be genuine, open, and meet students where they are,” Cargill said. 

Cargill teaches in large lectures and understands it can be challenging to connect, but he is always trying to form a relationship with his students in lectures and during office hours.  

“I want to make sure they can have the opportunity to have that ‘aha’ moment to learn those things,” Cargill said. “It's important for me that everyone has the opportunity to learn and excel and not just be dismissed because they don't look the part.” 

Daniel Eberl, Department of Biology 

Daniel Eberl, professor in the Department of Biology, feels excited when he sees his students applying what they are learning in the classroom.  

“As many of our faculty and staff, I work hard to help students along their path to knowledge, independence, and self-fulfillment,” Eberl said. “It is gratifying to be recognized by them for doing so.” 

Eberl enjoys seeing his students in the lab designing new experiments and excited about their discoveries.

In his years of teaching, Eberl has made a lot of memories with his students and many of them center around seeing his students excel and grasp the material.  

Eberl said he felt out of place embarking on his undergraduate studies, and it wasn’t until his professors and teachers guided him and invested in his education.  

“I am grateful to them and want to pass it forward,” Eberl said. “I am sure that these students will also pass it forward in their own circles and their own ways.” 

Ashley Howard, Department of African American Studies  

Ashley Howard, assistant professor in the Department of African American Studies, said by teaching students she is doing her part in preparing the future leaders of the world. 

“I very much pride myself in thinking about being a part a small part in educating future global citizens and honoring young people, their experiences, and their ideas,” Howard said. “It's one of the most powerful experiences that you can have.” 

Even though most of her classes are lectures, Howard creates space for dialogue. She feels honored when students take her classes. 

“Students are the reason that we're here and the university doesn't exist without them,” Howard said. “It's quite affirming because I want my students to have a rigorous and engaging educational experience because that is what they're paying for and more importantly what they deserve.” 

Donika Kelly, Department of English  

Donika Kelly, associate professor in the Department of English, said her favorite thing about teaching at the collegiate level is being able to see young people put art at the center of their lives, which is why she is committed to supporting their success. 

“I want to be a good facilitator and steward of that time,” Kelly said. “I want it to seem meaningful, because I know once they're out in the world, it's going to be a lot harder to hold on to that.” 

Kelly works with students who are committed to poetry but also those who are fiction writers. She loves to see their progress as writers. 

“It's been so wonderful teaching in the English department and working closely with the creative writing majors,” Kelly said. “The students are so serious about their work, and they're so focused.” 

Brian Lai, Department of Political Science  

Brian Lai, associate professor and chair in the Department of Political Science, said it's his goal as an educator to help his students reach success.  

Inside and outside of the classroom, Lai works to get to know his students to further assist them in reaching their academic and career goals. Most of the students Lai works with are undergraduates, and his favorite part of working with them is their enthusiasm to learn.  

Some of Lai’s favorite memories of working with his students include when he is collaborating with them on projects and learning more about their interests.  

“The moments that have been the most meaningful is when students tell me that they are working on a project together, something has made them think about different or new career paths, or new kinds of experience or opportunities that they're going to pursue after graduation,” Lai said. “It's those kinds of things I think are the most exciting for me.” 

Dan Matheson, Department of Health and Human Physiology 

Dan Matheson, professor and director of the Sport and Recreation Management program in the Department of Health and Human Physiology, said student success is important to him because “the students that are in our programs now are the future leaders of the sport and recreation industry.”

Matheson, prior to coming to teach at the University of Iowa, was working inside the sports recreation field and came back to lend his expertise to students.  

“I left my career in in the sports industry to work with young people that wanted to follow a similar career path,” Matheson said. “Anytime that I have the opportunity to make any sort of contribution to students getting further along in their search for their dream career opportunities is quite meaningful." 

During his first two years teaching at Iowa, Matheson was able to take students to Indianapolis and San Diego to show them firsthand experience in the field of sports recreation.  

“Those are probably some of my favorite memories because it gave me optimism for what we could accomplish in this program,” Matheson said.  

Rachel McLaren, Department of Communications Studies 

Rachel McLaren, associate professor and director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Communication Studies, said she enjoys teaching at Iowa because of the curious nature of undergraduate students in her classes.  

“As professors we have this unique ability to, at least for that short period of time of a semester, help them either learn new skills or to feel confident in their ability to manage all the different things that they're doing,” McLaren said. 

McLaren said its rewarding to hear students feel excited and enriched in her classroom. McLaren likes to work with and teach young adults because of the growth she gets to see throughout their time at the university, both in their education and their life. 

“They might not remember the exact lesson or content that I taught them, but hopefully they remember how they felt in my classroom,” McLaren said. 

Elias Shu, Department of Statistics and Actuarial Studies  

Elias S. W. Shiu, professor in the Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science, said he wants to help his students learn about the complex world of statistics and data science.  

Shiu understands the level of difficulty of the program and does his best to make sure each of his students is grasping the material.  

“I enjoy seeing my students do well,” Shiu said. “It is an important profession. We need competent actuaries because it has a big societal effect. It is a responsible job.” 

Regularly, Shiu learns something new from his students, which is one of his favorite things about teaching undergraduates.  

“The courses are hard but sometimes some students are so good they solve solutions in a way I had not thought of,” Shiu said. “It is just wonderful. We do get some very sharp students, and it is amazing.” 

Kelli Taeger, Department of Human and Health Physiology 

Kelli Taeger, associate professor of instruction in the Department of Health and Human Physiology, hopes every student who enters her classroom feels that she cares for their education. 

“The reason we teach is to have an impact on students' lives — that's our ultimate goal,” Taeger said. “We hope it is positive and that we prepare them for what is ahead.” 

One of her favorite moments is at the end of the courses when she can see the improvement and growth in her students.  

Taegar is committed to helping her students be successful and hopes to be someone her students can turn to if they ever need assistance or motivation. She wants her students to know she is always in their corner and cheering for them to succeed. 

“I hope their experience in the classroom teaches them skills that will benefit them throughout life,” Taeger said.