Dr. John Cowan
For 25 years, John Cowan has inspired students at OU to think about the universe in new ways. For his dedication to teaching, Dr. Cowan has been recognized in several ways, most recently as the third recipient of the Kinney-Sugg Outstanding Professor Award.
Cowan received his bachelor in arts at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Following that he completed his master's in science at Case Institute of Technology in Cleveland, Ohio, and his doctorate at the University of Maryland in College Park.
He began as an assistant professor at OU in 1979 and since then has received many honors. From 1998 to 2002, Cowan was a Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation Presidential Professor, and in 2002 he was appointed a David Ross Boyd Professor at the University of Oklahoma.
He is a member of the American Astronomical Society, the International Astronomical Union and Phi Beta Kappa. His research includes stellar evolution, supernovae, nucleosynthesis and radio observations of supernovae and galaxies.
His innate showmanship engages students in his introductory classes in astronomy. His use of demonstrations and slides help students understand astronomy and his open-door office policy helps students feel welcome and comfortable asking any question. Often, they return to campus simply to say hello and thank him for making their college experience memorable. |
