From left, Craig Martin, KU professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, and Edward McBride, lecturer in civil, environmental and architectural engineering, are this year's H.O.P.E. award winners.

Kansas University’s senior class representatives couldn’t choose just one teacher for the 2007 H.O.P.E. Award Saturday.

Craig Martin, professor and department chairman of ecology and evolutionary biology, and Edward McBride, lecturer in civil, environmental and architectural engineering, both received the Honor for an Outstanding Progressive Educator in Memorial Stadium during the KU-Iowa State football game.

Student body president Hannah Love said it’s rare to select two educators, and it’s even more rare for a lecturer to be chosen.

“When you have educators at that caliber, it’s hard to pick just one,” she said. “We decided that they were both deserving.”

Martin is no stranger to the H.O.P.E. award. He won in 2001 and was selected as a finalist in 1989 and 1990. However, this year he said the award and nomination were bittersweet. Martin said he had a stroke this semester and temporarily had to stop teaching the course he loved.

“It really tore me up to miss class,” he said. “I never missed a lecture in 30 years.”

Martin teaches a 1,000-student introduction to biology class, which he said is his favorite.

“It’s a challenge to take that many students who don’t care about that subject and make them care a little bit,” he said.

It was clear when he was in the hospital that some students didn’t just care about the subject, but about their professor too. He received more than 400 letters from students wishing him well.

“In my opinion, this is the most meaningful award the University gives out,” Martin said. “It’s from the seniors, so it reflects their four years of taking classes with a lot of faculty, so that makes the award extremely special.”

McBride said the award demonstrates how his students appreciate him.

“It’s very rewarding to help students and to motivate them and to see them work really, really, really hard because they really want to learn,” he said.

The other finalists were: Kerry Benson, lecturer in journalism; David Holmes, professor in psychology; and Mary Klayder, honors lecturer in English.

The H.O.P.E. award was established by the KU class of 1959 to recognize educators who displayed outstanding teaching ability and concern for their students.

Nominations were solicited from the senior class by e-mail. Faculty receiving the most nominations were placed on a ballot that was e-mailed to seniors to narrow the field to a group of finalists. Representatives of the Board of Class Officers and its Senior Advisory Board select the winner through interviews with the finalists.

“If they appreciate the effort we’re trying to make, it makes the work all the more worthwhile,” Martin said.