Kaoru Ikuma, Associate professor in civil, construction and environmental engineering, and ENVSC affiliated faculty, has received the James Huntington Ellis Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Introductory Teaching.

• Developed or co-developed the first three courses in the new (fall 2020) environmental engineering major, including a learning community and introduction to research, and two of the required upper-level courses.
• Mentored dozens of undergraduates in research projects involving laboratory measurements and field experiments.
• Makes time to talk with students, especially women and underrepresented students, about careers, internships, course plans and other issues.
• Emphasizes teamwork-building and excitement for the major among primary learning outcomes.
• Received the Outstanding Teaching in Environmental Engineering and Science award from the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (2021).
• Student letter of support: "The emphasis on creativity, teamwork and problem solving gave me greater confidence in my ability to collaborate with various teams and tackle higher-level challenges. This has given me practical skills applicable to my future career."