"It's all about the students," says Dr. Jerry Jasinski, professor of chemistry, referring to his teaching and research philosophy. Last May, Jerry became the first recipient of the KSC Award for Faculty Distinction in Research and Scholarship, at the annual Celebration of Teaching Excellence dinner. Jerry says the award is both an honor and justification for his approach to scholarship and teaching.

"In my view, teaching and scholarship can't be separated," he says. "It's possible to integrate both, by involving students in the research." That's exactly what he does. Since he began working at Keene State in 1979, he's published 75 papers in major scientific journals. A physical/inorganic chemist, Jerry specializes in crystallography, the X-ray analysis of the molecular structure of matter.

Whether he's working on his own projects or collaborating with teams around the world, he gets students involved. More than 50 students have worked with him in the past 19 years, and, during the past seven years, he has co-authored with undergraduates 39 published papers, two submitted papers, and 20 presented research papers.

"Dr. Jasinski's career at Keene State has been a model for both his students and his colleagues," said Dr. Robert Golden, vice president for academic affairs. "He exemplifies the values of hard work and persistence and demonstrates the balance between teaching and research that the College prizes in its faculty."

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