The Jefferson Scholars Foundation recently awarded Economics Prof. Kenneth G. Elzinga the 2009 Faculty Prize, recognizing his leadership and scholarship in his field of expertise.
Jefferson Scholars Foundation President James Wright said the award is meant to recognize a faculty member who has been a leader in the University community, a representative of outstanding scholarship and has had a distinguished career.
“Obviously we think [Professor Elzinga] is a superb example of all that,” Wright said.
Elzinga said he felt “very honored” to receive the award.
“I have taught a number of Jefferson Scholars over the years and I have also had an opportunity to recruit scholars over the years,” he said. “That really underscored the honor of receiving the award.”
Along with the prestige of the award, Elzinga will receive $5,000 to support his research, Wright said. Some of the prize money will go toward buying books and funding his visits to the Library of Congress and the University of California, Berkeley, to complete a study about antitrust law, Elzinga said. He added that he also intends to put some of the award into the Marshall Jevons Fund at the University to help support undergraduate research in economics.
Elzinga explained that he is involved in several research projects that include undergraduate students, noting that he enjoys working at the University because of the passion students have for their studies.
“The students who are here want to be here,” he said.
Elzinga, who has been a professor at the University since 1967 and has taught more than 35,000 students throughout his career, said “one of the blessings for me for being at U.Va has been the opportunity of pursuing my own research while still being engaged with students in the classroom.”
He also said he would like to serve as an example for future University professors. The award shows “it is OK to be serious about research and [still] have a passion for teaching.”
The Faculty Prize has been presented every other year since the Foundation’s 25th anniversary celebration in 2005, Wright said, adding that Elzinga will be presented with the 2009 Faculty Prize during an April 15 ceremony in the Rotunda.
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