KU alumnus honors petroleum engineering professor with gift

“That this started because there happened to be scholarships available says a lot about the power of scholarships and how they can change the trajectory of the choices in your life,” Holland said.

He graduated with distinction from KU in 1996, earning a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering. He began a successful career in the field, which led him from Liberal, Kansas, to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Oklahoma City, and finally to Denver. He now lives in Englewood, Colorado, with his wife, Melissa, and their three daughters.

Professor Green made a powerful first impression: He taught Holland’s Intro to Engineering class. He even managed to make classes like Heat Transfer interesting.

“He was an energetic and engaging teacher,” said Holland. “He does plenty of academic research, but he’s a teacher at heart.”

Green, who retired in 2009 after 45 years of teaching at KU, won KU’s Honor for the Outstanding Progressive Educator (or H.O.P.E.) Award in 1988 and was a finalist seven more times. (H.O.P.E. is the only KU award for teaching excellence bestowed exclusively by students.) He received the School of Engineering Gould Award for Outstanding Teaching five times and in 2001 received the Chancellors Club Teaching Award. He is also a 2015 recipient the School of Engineering’s Distinguished Engineering Service Award, the highest honor bestowed by the School.

Green says part of his recipe for success as an educator was to treat students with respect, as if they were junior colleagues.

“I always conveyed to them that ‘I am on your side’ and I wanted them to succeed,” said Green. “Having students like Zack succeed both as a student and then later in his chosen career path is one of the most rewarding aspects of being a professor.”

Holland’s gift elevates a fellowship previously established in Green’s name that was initiated and funded mainly by former students. That fellowship is now the Don W. Green Chemical & Petroleum Engineering Professorship. The fund may also be used to support undergraduate research and teaching fellowships as well as graduate student fellowships.

Susan Williams, the chair of the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at KU, is excited about the opportunities the professorship will provide.

“Don Green’s passion for teaching and love for the students is inspirational, and he has been a great mentor and example of what it means to be an educator,” said Williams. “This gift recognizes our faculty’s commitment to teaching and strengthens the Department and the School of Engineering. We are tremendously grateful to Zack and Melissa for their support.”

Arvin Agah, dean of the KU School of Engineering, appreciates that Green’s influence will carry forward a legacy of teaching excellence.

“Zack and Melissa’s generosity advances the School of Engineering as a leader in research and teaching. We deeply appreciate all they have done for KU Engineering,” Agah said. “It is extremely fitting that this gift honors such an influential and beloved faculty member as Don Green. He has helped generations of KU Engineering students succeed in the classroom and beyond, and Zack is a prime example of that.”