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Ben Wahlund, a percussion instructor at Northern Illinois University, is this year's recipient of the school's Excellence in Undergraduate Instruction Award.
The award is given to faculty members who "demonstrate how they embody the qualities that make up the qualities that make up the criteria," the university says in a press release.
Wahlund, who holds degrees in elementary music education and instrumental music education from the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, is in his ninth year as an instructional faculty member at the DeKalb, Ill., school.
He first came to NIU in pursuit of his Performer's Certificate in percussion and Master of Music in music theory and composition, which he earned in 2005.
"His caring spirit has led Ben to pursue an M.S.Ed.
degree in clinical mental health counseling to develop better skills with more acute mental health challenges than previous generations," says professorLiam Teague, head of Steelpan Studies at NIU.
Wahlund has also helped students write music inspired by sounds created by "hitting, scraping, climbing on and experimenting with" an iconic truck-turned-sculpture by artist John Himmelfarb.
He's also helped students create original compositions after scouring the NIU east lagoon for items that could be used for their Read the Entire Article
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