They are each very unique. One works with the NIU Opera Workshop, another helped elevate the mechanical engineering program to national prominence and still another has a film debuting on campus this month.

But William Koehler, Parviz Payvar and Jeffrey Chown all have one thing in common: They have been named the 2005 Presidential Teaching Professors.

The award, which is given by NIU, recognizes the top faculty at NIU and is endorsed by NIU’s president, said Ivan Legg, executive vice president and provost.

“[It is the] highest teaching award you can receive at the university,” Legg said. “We [NIU] are able to attract outstanding faculty. I think it is very important that we give this award out.”

Koehler received his doctorate in music from the University of Texas at Austin. This is his 20th year at NIU as a School of Music professor. He also coordinates the undergraduate advising for the school. Although he is grateful for the award, he said he is also a bit surprised.

“I’m surrounded by so many outstanding teachers here who are equally worthy of this award,” he said.

Koehler said he enjoys the challenge that goes along with the unpredictability of teaching. A lot of teaching is “experimenting,” he said, trying to find approaches that are useful.

Koehler is the fourth PTP in the School of Music, Director Paul Bauer said.

“He participates as a complete faculty member in every sense of the word, and his value to the NIU community is tremendous,” Bauer said.

Payvar has spent 37 years teaching and researching. He received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley and came to NIU in 1988 as the chair of the mechanical engineering department. The first mechanical engineering student graduated under his tenure, and his mission was to elevate the program “to regional and national prominence,” he said.

Payvar also shares the responsibility of learning in the classroom, said Mansour Tahernezhadi, associate dean for the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology.

The award is “the icing on the cake,” said Payvar, who said teaching, learning and research cannot be separated.

“Students keep [me] motivated to keep learning,” he said. “Knowledge is developing every day. I’m a student all the time.”

Teaching is a great way to connect with people, Chown said. He has taught film theory and documentary filmmaking for 23 years and also directs the graduate program in communication. Chown’s specialty is examining history through the lens of documentary films. His newest project, “Lincoln and the Black Hawk War,” will debut at NIU later this month, he said. Although Chown is “a bit embarrassed” by all the recognition, it does remind him of why he’s here.

“I’ve really been enjoying hearing from old students who I haven’t seen in 10 or 15 years who are e-mailing to congratulate me,” he said. “It’s good to be reminded that your work means things to people.”

Susan Edwards works with Chown on a daily basis as the graduate secretary for the communication department. He is a “champion of students,” she said.

“He makes himself very available to students and likes to stretch their gray matter,” she said.

Although Vice Provost Earl Seaver would not reveal how many faculty members were nominated this year, the nomination process included gathering support letters on each nominee and randomly sampling 100 students to get their thoughts on the finalists.

Winners receive a medallion, a monetary award and a four-year stipend for research, Seaver said. For the next four years, Koehler, Payvar and Chown will be known as Presidential Teaching Professor, and after that, they will gain the title of Distinguished Teaching Professor, he said.

Forty-four faculty members have been named PTP since the award’s inception in 1991.