KOKOMO, Ind. – Two Indiana University Kokomo professors recently were honored for their work outside the classroom, as recipients of faculty scholarship awards.
Lance Mason, associate professor of education, received the senior faculty award, while Hyunkang Hur, assistant professor of public management, received the junior faculty honor.
Mark Canada, executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, said while people usually associate professors with teaching, they also generate new knowledge and creative work, and share that work with the world through publications, presentations, exhibitions, concerts, and more. It also benefits students as many faculty involve them as research assistants and mentor them in their own creative work.
“We have professors such as Dr. Mason and Dr. Hur to thank for a lot of the new knowledge we have about education, public administration, health management, and much, much more,” he said. “It makes perfect sense for us to recognize these and other professors’ contributions to our knowledge of the world.”
Mason studies the early 20th century philosopher of democracy and education, John Dewey, as well as media literacy. In 2019, he published six articles in peer-reviewed journals, including two solo-authored articles and three book chapters. He also edits journals in social studies education and has served on the program committee and as a panelist at conferences. In addition, he was interviewed multiple times for his work, and his papers cited numerous times by other scholars.
Mason said it was an honor to have his work recognized by his IU Kokomo colleagues, noting that he applies his studies in the classroom.
“My research centers around media literacy, and a key aspect of my teaching is helping students better navigate and understand the media landscape,” he said. “So, the two aspects of my work are closely-related, and my research constantly informs how I teach.”
Hur uses meta-analysis to study the role of job security in employee work attitudes and job performance in the public sector. He published six publications in peer-reviewed journals, including the top journals in his field — and was the top author on five. He presented his work at four national and international conferences. In his publications, he investigates diverse communities in work environments, including LGBTQ+ and veterans.
Hur said was “deeply honored” to receive the honor, adding that the support he’s received from co-workers in the School of Business, and on campus made it possible. Because his work focuses on the latest needs and challenges in the government and non-profit sector, it allows him to prepare his students to work in that environment.
“My current research work focuses on how market-oriented government reforms, such as pay-for-performance systems, at-will employment policies, or downsizing of public sector organizations, affect public employee work motivation and citizen’s trust,” he said. “This helps my students learn how to address and solve problems, and tackle challenges in government, markets, and society.”
Education is KEY at Indiana University Kokomo.