Distinguished Alumni Award

Albert B. Hood, professor of education at the University of Iowa from 1965 to 2000 and now an active emeritus professor, has been one of the outstanding researchers in the field of student development for 40 years.

Hood became one of the leading forces in the college student development (student personnel) movement, devising important instrumentation to measure the effects of college experiences on college students intellect and identity. Over the course of his leadership in the Student Development Program, he cultivated the scholarly careers of many important figures in the profession in this country and around the world. His former students include deans, professors, and vice presidents at institutions in the U.S., Portugal, Hong Kong, Japan, and Indonesia who speak frequently and humbly of the intellectual debt they owe Hood and whose work multiplies exponentially his impact.

As editor of the Journal of College Student Personnel from 1970 to 1976, Hoods influence on the development of the field has rarely been equaled. He has actively integrated his interests in psychology, counseling, and his study of college students and student affairs work, all the while demonstrating again and again his commitment to his students and supporting them through personal trials.

For his outstanding work, Hood has been honored by the American Psychological Association, the American College Personnel Association, the American Counseling Association, and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. Not only has his scholarship been recognized over the years, but also his teaching and service.

At the University of Iowa, Hood founded the Graduate Program in Student Development and initiated the Substance Abuse Counseling Program. He has conducted numerous studies that have helped shape a better understanding of a diverse variety of college-level concerns, including issues of college student athletes, the recreational habits of UI students, the impact of part-time work on academic pursuits, and the effects of alcohol use on students. He has published more than 100 scholarly articles and written six books. In addition, he has given generously to the institution, earning membership in the UI Foundations Presidents Club.

Since 2000, Hood has approached his retirement with the same intellectual curiosity and energy that he has brought to every other project he has undertaken, and he continues to serve others with enthusiasm. As a member of the Aging Studies program, an interdisciplinary program on campus, he has been engaged in a lively study of health and vigor in the aging populace. He also served as president of the UI Emeritus Faculty Council.

One of his most significant recent accomplishments is his work with the Senior College, which he helped create, and in which his leadership has brought together a group of active volunteers who have provided opportunities for intellectual growth in the retired community of Iowa City and beyond. Even in its first year, Senior College classes filled every term. His success in this initiative is not only a tribute to his energy and creativity, but also honors the rich resource Iowa City has in its retirees.

For his tremendous academic accomplishments—as well as his values, compassion, and unwavering commitment to all that is good—Al Hood is truly deserving of this UIAA Distinguished Faculty/Staff Award.