Dale Receives UW’s George Duke Humphrey Distinguished Faculty Award

Danny Dale recognizes that the best mentors are those who learn alongside their students; is noted by faculty as a good research collaborator; and builds personal connections, according to his students.

These attributes -- recognized by University of Wyoming faculty and students alike -- have earned Dale, a professor in the UW Department of Physics and Astronomy and an associate dean in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, the George Duke Humphrey Distinguished Faculty Award.

Named for UW's 13th president, who served from 1945-1964, the George Duke Humphrey Distinguished Faculty Award recognizes teaching effectiveness, distinction in scholarly work and distinguished service to the university and state.

"Danny is a great educator and mentor to his students. Five Ph.D.s graduated under his supervision, and he currently advises five graduate students," says Jinke Tang, a professor and head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy, who nominated Dale for the award. "A total of 120 undergraduate research assistants worked in his research group. Indeed, Danny is dedicated to providing research experiences to undergraduate students."

Tang also notes Dale's record of obtaining grants and having his research recognized in scholarly publications. Dale has been awarded 58 federal grants totaling more than $29 million, of which $4 million came to UW. In total, he has 307 refereed publications and 24,000 citations.

"Much of what Dr. Danny Dale has achieved can be read, line-by-line, on his extensive curriculum vitae. What cannot be seen on this document is Danny's unprecedented ability to build relationships," says Rachel Watson, a senior lecturer in UW's Division of Kinesiology and Health and director of the UW Science Initiative's Learning Actively Mentoring Program (LAMP). "He never stops recognizing that behind every great achievement, whether it is in the research lab, the classroom or administrative conference room, is a set of relationships that, when nurtured, creates a network that can accomplish unprecedented change."

UW students are just as enthusiastic about Dale and his impact.

"Danny always made the classroom environment feel welcoming and supportive," says one student. "I always felt like I could ask questions and get a thoughtful answer or generate a respectful discussion."

Another student says, "He doesn't simply lecture and send everyone on their way. The way he ran his classroom this semester provided a very positive experience and allowed us to get the most out of the class that we could."

Robert Kennicutt Jr., a professor laureate at the University of Arizona, is one of many faculty members at other institutions who have, over the years, conducted collaborative research with Dale.

"Danny Dale is widely recognized as an internationally leading researcher in the structure and evolution of galaxies," Kennicutt wrote in his nomination letter. "Within that broad subject, he is especially well known as a world-leading expert on multiwavelength observations of galaxies and modeling of the emission of interstellar dust in the infrared and submillimeter wavelengths."

Dale came to UW in 2001 as an assistant professor of physics and astronomy. He became an associate professor in 2005 and a full professor in 2010. He has served as associate dean and interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences as well as head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Dale has been honored at UW numerous times previously, including being named to the Harry C. Vaughan Professorship in Astronomy in 2019. He received a John P. Ellbogen Meritorious Classroom Teaching Award in 2006 and a National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2004.

He has served as director of the Windy Ridge Foundation Astro Camp each summer since 2003; was a senior mentor for LAMP during the first three years of its existence; designed and implemented the "Studio Physics" course at UW, including designing the space for the lab and lecture in the Michael B. Enzi STEM Facility; spearheaded a digital overhaul of the Harry C. Vaughan Planetarium; and has been the UW women's club team hockey coach since 2009.

Dale received his Ph.D. and master's degree in electrical engineering, both from Cornell University; and his bachelor's degree in physics and math from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. He graduated summa cum laude.

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