Ken Hovis Receives Julius Ashkin Award

Neuroscientist Ken Hovis sees deep parts of the brain, but the sheer potential he recognizes in all first-year students has made him a remarkable teacher.

“When you’re a student, four years seems like forever, but the amount of growth you see in students over those four years is really incredible,” Hovis said.

Hovis is the assistant dean of educational initiatives at Mellon College of Science. Since 2016, he has carefully reviewed, discussed and strategized the general education requirements as his responsibility to oversee the core curriculum.

“One of the things I love and respect about the culture at CMU is that we always want to improve,” Hovis said. “We have made significant changes: to courses, to requirements, to policies and to various aspects. I can see the positive impact those changes have had day to day, and year after year, on campus and in the community through our never-say-die attitude.”

Advising first-year students and helping them acclimate is another important aspect of his job.

“I’m most proud of the changes we have done to make the student experience better,” he said.

Hovis, an associate teaching professor, leads a first-year seminar course and a science communication course. He taught at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar from 2011 to 2016 and was instrumental in establishing its Biological Sciences programs, where he continues to teach a neuroscience micro course at the Doha campus.

Hovis completed his Ph.D. at the Mellon College of Science in 2011, conducting research on the neural circuitry of the brain’s olfactory bulb.

“I was a teaching assistant (TA) for Gordon Rule who first gave me the opportunity to teach part of a lecture. I also TA’d with Amy Burkert and co-taught my first course with Carrie Doonan,” Hovis said.

Seeing those same names on a list of past award recipients, Hovis realized that he had stood on the shoulders of giants.

“The people here are what first attracted me to CMU, and it’s the people that are the reason I stay,” he said.

Hovis is honored with this year’s Julius Ashkin Award that is presented to a Mellon College of Science faculty member who has shown unusual devotion and effectiveness in teaching undergraduate students. He will receive the award at the MCS Annual Meeting in May and was recognized at the university’s Celebration of Education on April 18.