Jacob Harrison named Shakeshaft Master Teacher

Jacob Harrison, assistant professor in the Department of Music and Theatre, has been named the Jerry Shakeshaft Master Teacher in the Humanities and Social Sciences for the 2014-15 academic year in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa State University. Harrison will be recognized at the 2014 College of LAS Fall Convocation, September 11.

The Shakeshaft Master Teacher is presented annually at Iowa State to an outstanding teacher in the humanities and social sciences. The award was established in memory of Jerry Shakeshaft by his family, friends and colleagues. Dr. Shakeshaft was a long-time political science professor at Iowa State who held a life-long dedication to the principle of undergraduate teaching.

Harrison has transformed the University Symphony Orchestra into a sophisticated ensemble that consistently overflows the concert hall with enthusiastic audiences for each performance. He has taken a personalized approach to working with all of the orchestra’s string performers individually to inspire and educate them, leading directly to the ensemble’s high level of musicality.

He has also founded a second orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra, in which students collaborate with faculty and other professional musicians. Harrison’s nominator notes that his contributions have visibly elevated the level of musical excellence at Iowa State University.

About Liberal Arts and Sciences The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is a world-class learning and research community. Iowa State’s most academically diverse college, LAS educates students to become global citizens, providing rigorous academic programs in the sciences, humanities and social sciences within a supportive personalized learning environment. College faculty design new materials, unravel biological structures, care for the environment, and explore social and behavioral issues. From fundamental research to technology transfer and artistic expression, the college supports people in Iowa and around the world.

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NEWS RELEASE College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Iowa State University

Contacts: Beate Schmittmann, Liberal Arts & Sciences Dean, (515) 294-3220 (schmittb@iastate.edu) Laura Wille, Liberal Arts & Sciences Communications, (515) 294-7742 (lge@iastate.edu)