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2011 SESSION
WHEREAS, Kenneth Rasmussen, Professor of Geology at the Annandale Campus of Northern Virginia Community College, was honored by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia with a 2011 Outstanding Faculty Award; and
WHEREAS, only the best of the Commonwealth’s faculty at public and private colleges and universities receive the prestigious Outstanding Faculty Award, which recognizes superior accomplishments in teaching, research, and public service; and
WHEREAS, a professor of geology and oceanography at Northern Virginia Community College since 1992, Dr. Rasmussen has traveled around the globe conducting research on oceans and lakes, sedimentation, and paleoclimates; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Rasmussen has led four research expeditions to the world’s sixth deepest lake, Lake Issyk-Kul, in Kyrgyzstan, becoming one of the first Western geoscientists to conduct research in the newly formed republic; and
WHEREAS, the recipient of a NOVA Presidential Sabbatical Award for Quaternary paleoclimate research at Lake Issyk-Kul, Dr. Rasmussen also received a postdoctoral fellowship for research at the lake from the National Science Foundation and NATO; and
WHEREAS, well respected in his field, Dr. Rasmussen has contributed to numerous scientific publications throughout his career and has been awarded research and educational grants from the National Science Foundation and Virginia Community College System; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Rasmussen has brought his love of science and research into the classroom, developing a wide variety of geoscience offerings for students who range in age from 17 to 70; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Rasmussen takes his students into the field so that they can gain practical, hands-on experience; his field courses have included trips to the Chesapeake Bay, ancient inland seas of West Virginia, and modern coral reefs; and
WHEREAS, an innovative educator, Dr. Rasmussen recently developed Mid-Atlantic Field Geology, a summer course for teachers during which they learn how to turn the local area into a geological laboratory; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Rasmussen has received numerous awards and accolades for his outstanding contributions, including the NOVA Alumni Federation’s Faculty of the Year Award and the John H. Moss Award for Excellence in College Teaching from the National Association of Geoscience Teachers; and
WHEREAS, an enthusiastic and knowledgeable geoscientist, Dr. Rasmussen has added to the body of knowledge in his field while broadening the knowledge and understanding of his students and inspiring future scientists; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend Kenneth Rasmussen on his 2011 State Council of Higher Education for Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Kenneth Rasmussen as an expression of the General Assembly’s appreciation of his dedication to scientific discovery and to the higher education of students in the Commonwealth.