Our daddy makes us proud! You have done so much in the last two years ...

He was selected as Professor of the Month for UNC in October (we just found out)

I am sure this had something to do with it:

UNC MIRROR
Book money goes to African village
Tara Spencer
Issue date: 10/22/08 Section: News
PrintEmail Article Tools Page 1 of 1 To purchase a well in Africa that can produce 600 gallons of water per day and radically transform the lives of everyone in the village would cost $5,320.

Jeff Cook, a professor of philosophy, has made it his goal this semester to transform the lives of people in an African village by asking his students to donate $20 instead of spending nearly $100 on a textbook.

Cook said the textbook he was planning to use had readings and articles that could be found online.

Cook had the class take a poll at the beginning of the semester to find out if they wanted to save the money and do the readings online, or if they wanted to dish out the money to buy a hard copy.

"I went to UNC, and I know what it is like to buy an expensive book that I probably won't even read," Cook said.

More than 60 percent of his students have already donated this year, which matches the percentage of who donated last year.

Cook is hoping students will use their spheres of influence to raise more money for this cause.

"I am glad that our professor didn't make us buy a textbook," said Mikal Achtner, a freshman biological medical science major. "It would have cost a lot more, plus the money is going to a good cause."

Cook said if every American gave $20, it would take care of more than half of the water problem on the planet and save thousands of lives.

"I don't want to be part of a culture who is unaware of the desperate and suffering people of the world," Cook said.

Cook outlined in his philosophy class that the amount of money Americans spend during the Christmas holiday is about what it would cost to eliminate world poverty.

"Isn't it interesting that on Christ's birthday, Americans go out and buy expensive and somewhat unnecessary gifts for their loved ones instead of helping others?" Cook said.

What Cook is doing is impacting the lives of his students.

"This is really a big deal," said Korey Askew, a junior recreation and communication major. "We don't understand that we are blessed more than other people. We don't even know their struggles."

Askew said he wants to spread the word to organizations that he is involved in raising more money.

"It's great to think that I helped to save kids from a horrible death at the expense of a book," said Scott Wharton, a senior communication studies major.

Wharton also said that Cook is one of the best professors at the University of Northern Colorado and that many students are inspired by his goal.


and, maybe more importantly, on ratemyprofessor.com he got a pepper for being "hot!"

way to go dad!