Word on the street is that the Black Student Union has been selected by the ASSU as 2007 Voluntary Student Organization of the Year, while sociology and political science professor Larry Diamond has been selected the 2007 Teacher of the Year. An honorable mention for Teacher of the Year goes to Jeff Koseff, professor of civil and environmental engineering.

It's not clear yet what the ASSU will choose to highlight about this year's recipients, but in the case of Diamond and Koseff, at least, their public and high-profile roles in perhaps the two most important issues on students' minds -- Iraq and the environment -- surely played a role. Professor Diamond is widely regarded as one of the foremost experts on democracy and Iraq, while Professor Koseff directs Stanford's Woods Institute for the Environment. I'm not familiar with Professor Koseff, but know from personal experience that Professor Diamond is quite deserving of the award, being an excellent teacher, an inspiring scholar, a willing participant in student events and campus dialogue, and an advocate for students he respects.

Congrats!