Paul Hanley, associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the College of Engineering, received the spring 2016 Faculty Service Award presented by the Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities (IISC). The award seeks to highlight one faculty member each semester and recognize his or her commitment to community engagement and the impact of their projects on their students and partnering communities.

Over the course of three academic years, Hanley has partnered with the IISC to complete 18 projects in six communities across Iowa. Undergraduate seniors in his engineering course Project Design & Management, co-taught by Professor Jacob Odgaard, are split into groups to work on real-world projects, replicating the experience of a professional consulting firm.

Some of the most recent projects completed by his students include recommendations and preliminary designs for a rooftop garden in downtown Sioux City; a master redevelopment plan for the Iowa City Municipal Airport; and site planning and designs for a new nature center in Winneshiek County.

“This award honors faculty who have taken their courses and students into communities,” says Linda Snetselaar, associate provost for outreach and engagement. “These faculty work closely with students and community partners to ensure that there is reciprocity throughout the project. This award honors the dedication and extra effort it takes to do an engaged learning course.”