NIU alum Dr. Zainal Ariffin Ahmad, Associate Professor at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) in Penang, Malaysia, has received the National Academic Award for Teaching in Malaysia. The award was presented during a gala award ceremony on August 5, 2009. In October 2009 Dr. Ahmad will deliver the keynote address at the 4th Teaching and Learning Conference organized by Taylor University College in Malaysia. Professor Ahmad is the head of the Human Development Lab in the Graduate School of Business at USM; recently he visited NIU and met with a number of current and former NIU staff members, including Deb Pierce of the Division of International Programs. "Z" and Deb are shown here at Heaven on Seven in Naperville, where they had dinner that was hot even by Malaysian standards!