Steve Arnold, chemistry professor, wins Ivy Tech Bloomington President's Award

Ivy Tech Community College Bloomington named Dr. Steve Arnold, professor and department chair of chemistry and astronomy, the recipient of the 2023 President’s Award for Excellence in Instruction. He was selected as the winner among 78 faculty nominees on campus. He was recognized at a College ceremony on Friday, Nov. 3.

“Dr. Arnold is an extraordinary instructor with extensive knowledge of chemistry and other related sciences,” Dr. Martin Wolfger, vice chancellor for academic affairs at Ivy Tech Bloomington said. “He continuously receives outstanding teaching evaluations from his students, which is remarkable considering that chemistry can be a difficult subject.”

Arnold’s nominations showed that his methods have positively impacted learning outcomes for college-level chemistry and astronomy students at Ivy Tech.

In one testimony, a student shared that they experienced patient and thorough teaching methods in Arnold’s course. “He takes his time and makes sure you have the concepts before moving on.”

Another student testimony highlighted his high-quality and motivational instructional methods. “I feel like I have learned more in this class than I have ever learned in any other class. The learning environment he created made me feel motivated to be engaged.”

In addition to his role as professor and department chair, Arnold serves as the campus Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society advisor. He has been a PTK advisor for 20 years and has received numerous awards for his role and as an organization. He has also earned campus awards for excellence in service learning and was voted by students as Associate Accelerated Program (ASAP) faculty member of the year, among others.

In the community, he has served on the Indiana University School of Public Health Community Advisory Board. He also served as the regional science fair director for 15 years and as co-chair of Science Olympiad for eight years. He hosted outreach activities such as teen science night at Wonderlab, education day at the Monroe County Fall Festival, and science demonstrations at local libraries and schools.

“I believe that education is the best way that people can improve their lives,” he said. “Indeed, in my time in the field, I have seen the miraculous changes brought about when people seek to improve themselves.”

Arnold began teaching at Ivy Tech in 2004. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from Indiana State University and a Master of Science in Chemistry from Purdue University. He holds a Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration from The George Washington University.

The President’s Award is presented annually to one full-time faculty member from each Ivy Tech campus statewide. As recipient of the award, Arnold was a nominee for the statewide Ivy Tech Founder’s Award for Excellence in Instruction. The Founder’s Award is presented annually to one full-time faculty member statewide.

Ivy Tech Bloomington offers more than 40 career and four-year transfer programs, with courses that start multiple times per year for quick entry and graduation. To get started, apply for free online at ivytech.edu/bloomington, call 812-330-6013, or email askBloomington@ivytech.edu. For information on free training programs at Ivy Tech Bloomington, visit ivytech.edu/bloomington/NLJ.