March 18, 2026
Contact: Eric Stann, stanne@missouri.edu
Matthew Martens, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Missouri; Steve Sowers, chief executive officer of Commerce Bank’s Missouri community markets; and Sarah Dubbert, president of the Columbia market for Commerce Bank, awarded a 2026 William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence to Eric Aldrich today. Aldrich is an assistant teaching professor of atmospheric science in the School of Natural Resources in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.
Christopher R. Daubert, vice chancellor and dean of CAFNR, joined other leaders in surprising Aldrich by honoring him with the fellowship, which includes a $15,000 stipend. Kemper Fellowships are awarded to five outstanding teachers at the University of Missouri each year.
The William T. Kemper Fellowships for Teaching Excellence were established in 1991 with a $500,000 gift. Kemper, a 1926 Mizzou graduate, was a well-known civic leader in Kansas City until his death in 1989. His 52-year career in banking included top positions at banks in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. Commerce Bank manages the trust fund.
Eric Aldrich biography
For Eric Aldrich, meteorology is more than a subject he teaches; it’s a passion that fills even a 500-student lecture hall. A former television meteorologist, he has a knack for turning complex concepts, such as atmospheric dynamics, into lessons that are both clear and engaging.
Aldrich works intentionally to ensure students not only grasp meteorological concepts but also develop the critical thinking skills needed to interpret weather and climate. As faculty advisor for the Mizzou Meteorology Club and an active participant in the School of Natural Resources’ Student Mentorship Program, he is deeply invested in helping students reach their full potential and achieve their goals.
“On a clinical level, Eric demonstrates a command of his subject matter,” Patrick Market, director of the School of Natural Resources, wrote in his letter supporting Aldrich’s nomination. “On a human level, Eric enjoys what he does, and it shows in his classroom and the students who learn from him; they develop the same kind of interest in the field.
One could argue that the changing nature of the weather makes the work interesting, but it is Eric's love for the topic that is contagious.”
Samuel McCurdy, an undergraduate teaching assistant and senior environmental sciences major with an atmospheric emphasis, said Aldrich has been a guiding force in his academic journey at Mizzou, showing him the impact a passionate educator can have on students.
“I realized through him that I want to become a teaching professor one day,” McCurdy wrote in his letter supporting the nomination. “I want to engage with the material and with students in a way that changes their perspective of the world, just as he has done.”
Aldrich teaches a number of courses throughout the academic year at the School of Natural Resources. He has also brought high-tech, interactive learning to the atmospheric science program through projects such as the Weather Analysis and Visualization (WAV) Lab, a collaboration to create “weather virtual reality” to understand complex weather concepts, and by updating Mizzou’s weather website to aggregate Mizzou and MU Extension forecasts.
Dennis K. Miller, an associate professor of psychological sciences in the College of Arts and Science, wrote in his letter supporting the nomination that Aldrich has become the “campus go-to person” for making large classrooms more interactive.
“So many instructors on campus have been getting their students engaged in the lecture hall thanks to Eric's scholarship of teaching, mentorship, leadership and kindness,” Miller wrote. “He’s been a tremendous colleague and resource for faculty members to improve active learning.”
Over the years, Aldrich has received several awards, including the Maxine Christopher Shutz Award and Lecture for Distinguished Teaching from Mizzou in 2024, the Outstanding Early Career Teaching Award from CAFNR in 2023, the Outstanding Faculty Award for Service from the School of Natural Resources in 2022 and the Mizzou Athletics Professor of the Year Award in 2014 and 2018. Last year, he was inducted into the CAFNR Teaching Academy.
Cole Peine, who is now a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, took numerous courses from Aldrich while pursuing his bachelor’s degree in environmental sciences and master’s degree in atmospheric science and meteorology at Mizzou.
“Eric goes above and beyond what is required of him every day in and outside of the classroom,” Peine wrote in his letter supporting the nomination. “He consistently reminds all his students that the door to his office is always open for whatever they may need. For me personally, Eric was my biggest mentor in school, motivating me to be the best student and person that I can be.”
Aldrich received his bachelor’s and master’s in atmospheric science from Mizzou and is currently working on a doctorate in agricultural education and leadership.
