Division of Biological Sciences

April 10, 2012

Christa Weisbrook presents John David with a personal letter from President Tim Wolfe.

John David, associate professor of biological sciences, is the 2012 recipient of the President’s Award for University Citizenship-Service.

The system-wide award honors faculty members with distinguished service on one of the UM campuses or to the the UM System. Award recipients demonstrate exceptional contributions to achieving one or more goals of the university while embodying its values.

David’s record includes service to the University on the Chancellor’s Strategic Planning and Resource Allocation Council, MU Planning, Design, and Construction Advisory Council, MU Science Education Center Advisory Board, Dalton Research Center Advisory Committee, Hazardous Materials Management Committee, and McNair Program Advisory Committee. His record also includes participation on a number of system-wide committees, including the President’s Academic Leadership Institute Executive Committee and the UM Retirement and Staff Benefits Committee, as well as external reviews of programs at UMSL, UMKC, and Missouri S&T.

“The diversity of these committees points to the breadth of John’s commitment: clearly, he is as devoted to students and faculty as he is to staff and to the University as a whole,” said John Walker, professor and director of the Division of Biological Sciences. “I’d venture to say that few people target their service so broadly with such impressive impact.”

David’s service contributions also include receipt of over thirty extramural instructional grants, totaling over $10 million. He also  spearheaded programs that have had campus-wide impact, most notably the Freshman Interest Group (FIGs) and the Life Sciences Undergraduate Research programs.

“John doesn’t just talk the ‘education’ game, he is committed at a remarkable level,” commented Provost Brian Foster in a letter in support of David’s nomination for the award.

David was surprised with the award at a faculty meeting on 5 April 2012. At the meeting, Christa Weisbrook, faculty fellow for Academic Affairs, presented David with a personal letter from President Tim Wolfe and an invitation to attend an award ceremony in June.

David joined the faculty of the Division of Biological Sciences in 1972 and is a tenured associate professor. He served as the Division’s director from 1989 to 2011. His research interests include plasma membrane structure and function and the role of membrane proteins in skeletal muscle development.

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