Phil Baird, associate professor of natural resources at the University of Minnesota, Crookston (UMC), received the 1999 President’s Award for Outstanding Service from University President Mark Yudof.
The award recognizes faculty and staff who have provided exceptional service to the University. It honors active or retired faculty or staff members who have gone well beyond their regular duties and have demonstrated an unusual commitment to the University community.
Since Baird joined UMC’s Natural Resources Department 17 years ago, he has taught three or four and occasionally, five courses per quarter. This is clearly above average even for a campus which emphasizes teaching over research. He also is advisor to 35 students. Throughout his career, Baird has taught hands-on, field-oriented courses which take more set-up time, especially to arrange field trips which are occasionally overnight.
Baird has been one the leaders on campus working with educational applications of technology. He was the first to implement distance delivery of courses using the Internet and the World Wide Web. He used the Internet to present an interactive course in Wilderness Management from the University of Montana.
He showed exceptional leadership as chair of the Technology Working Group when the Crookston campus implemented the laptop computer concept. Since that time, numerous universities have visited the campus and use the concept as a model. Baird has given several demonstration presentations to these visitors.
Beyond the University, Baird was instrumental in organizing the Northwest Minnesota Urban Forestry workshops. He had a vision of student volunteering service in the natural resource field and has taken students each spring to the Deer River District on the Chippewa National Forest for a long weekend of planting trees. His crews have now planted more than 120,000 trees for the U. S. Forest Service. Twice a year, he organizes students to clean up litter through the "Adopt A Highway" Project. He and his students assist at Itasca State Park. He is always open to present demonstrations, lectures and makes available the most current resources of horticulture and natural science.
Baird joined the UMC faculty in 1979 as an instructor and was promoted to assistant professor teaching in 1986 and associate professor in 1996. His bachelor of science degree in outdoor recreation resources management and master of science degree in forestry administration and management are both from Iowa State University in Ames.
Posted 06/03/99 by Andrew Svec
Author and Contact: Barbara Weiler, 218-281-8435