Alumni & Development
About Walter Konetzka
Professor Konetzka is remembered for his energy, charisma, and dedication to teaching. A former staff member recalls, “He inspired academic excellence. He paid attention. He could concentrate ferociously on a process, an idea, or a person. He was effortlessly creative and could confront an issue or a problem and see solutions other people didn’t see.”
During his 37-year career at Indiana University, Professor Konetzka taught approximately 11,500 students. For his efforts, he received many teaching awards, including IU’s Frederick Bachman Lieber Award for Distinguished Teaching, the Carski Foundation Distinguished Teaching Award from the American Society for Microbiology, the IUB College of Arts and Sciences-Graduate School Alumni Teaching Award, three Senior Class Teaching awards, and four Senior Class Awards for Teaching Excellence in Biology and Dedication to Undergraduates.
His dedication to teaching carried over into his role as an administrator. While Konetzka served as coordinator for undergraduate programs in biology, he developed the Core BS Biology Program, a series of challenging honors courses designed to train professional biologists. He also served on committees for the American Academy for Microbiology and the American Institute of Biology to shape curriculum for biology students nationally.
Walter Konetzka Fellowship
Thanks to donors like you, the Walter Konetzka Fellowship currently generates an estimated annual income of $6,700. With your support, this fellowship will continue to recognize a promising microbiology student and honor Walter Konetzka.
Sarah Guttenplan, 2011 Konetzka Fellow
Sarah Guttenplan is earning her Ph.D. in Microbiology. Dan Kearns is her research advisor. Sarah studies motility regulation in the bacterium, Bacillus subtilis. She has been an associate instructor for L112 Biological Mechanisms, M215 Microorganism Laboratory, and M250 Microbiology.
Megan Kingsolver, 2011 Konetzka Fellow
Megan Kingsolver is also earning her Ph.D. in Microbiology. She is a member of Rich Hardy’s laboratory. Her research focuses on the interactions between alphaviruses (Sindbis) and the mosquito vectors that transmit them. Megan has been an associate instructor for Biology L113 Introductory Biology Laboratory, L211 Molecular Biology, and L319 Genetics Laboratory.
Payel Sarkar, 2011 Konetzka Fellow
Payel Sarkar is our third Konetzka recipient. Like Sarah and Megan, she is earning her Ph.D. in Microbiology. A member of Pranav Danthi’s lab, she conducts research on the role of Reovirus outer capsid protein μ1 in cell entry. Payel has been an A.I. for L112 Biological Mechanisms, L113 Introduction to Biology Laboratory, and M430 Virology.
About the Konetzka Fellowship
The Konetzka Fellowship is open to Department of Biology graduate students in good academic standing. First preference is given to graduate students in microbiology with superb teaching abilities and strong research skills. Second preference is given to graduate students majoring in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology or Genetics if their research is in the area of microbiology and they have the requisite teaching skills.
This endowed fellowship was established by family, friends, colleagues, and former students to honor a beloved researcher, administrator, and teacher.