Student Choice: Outstanding Faculty Award

Tomono Adachi

"Tomono-sensei is the kindest instructor I’ve ever had. Her courses are fun, provide a good challenge but aren’t too hard, and I’ve learned so much from her. You can tell she really cares about her students."

Noël Alton

"Educated, relatable, understanding, kind, hardworking. Best professor i've ever had here at WSU."

Tim Border

"Tim has a great way of connecting with and inspiring students. He’s always positive and helps us be more excited about life and what we can achieve. He wants us to succeed as much as he wants himself to succeed. I have watched him spend extra time after class to help a student grasp concepts that Tim teaches. I had no desire to attend classes in person, but Tim made me want to attend class in person. Since his class I have added more face to face classes each semester when I was planning on going online all four years. He makes me and other students feel comfortable, valuable, and like they belong at Weber State. On top of all of this he teaches usable and helpful concepts that we can use on our professional career and daily lives."

Ryan Cain

"Truly cares about each individual student and goes above and beyond."

Therese Cavlovic

"Professor Cavlovic is a wonderful instructor who really cares about her students. Her classes are engaging, and she’s always happy to help with any questions you may have."

Kristin Champi

"She made me love books and reading again. After having 4 kids and a career and moving as a military family every 2 years, I just gave up on reading. I used to love reading books all the time and just couldn't quite get the spark back, that is... until I took her class in the Fall. It truly reignited the spark and joy of reading a good book. I have turned that renewed spark of reading into a spark in my own children who insist on book shopping at least twice a week and lots of reading at bedtime for them. She truly is an amazing teacher and definitely deserves this award!"

C. Ryan Dunn

"He is a very kind an understanding professor. Also very organized and shows so much care for his students and his teaching material. His class was difficult to stay on top of but it is teaching me so much! So grateful for teachers like him!"

Christopher Dunn

"He was a great instructor that cared about his students. He listened and helped us as much as he could! He was understanding and you could tell that he wanted his students to succeed."

Brandon Flores

"The reason I nominate Brandon is because everyone just enjoys him and his class. He brings an amazing energy to class and that energy is life changing."

Youn Soo Kim Goldstein

"Dr. Goldstien is a skilled and patient teacher. She creates pathways for our success and gives her students ample footing to learn and grow."

Jessica Greenberg

"They are such an amazing teacher and she makes sure to work 1 on 1 with students to make sure they understand everything."

Darcy Gregg

"She brings energy into her classroom and does her best to help students."

Amber Hansen

"She’s an amazing instructor and really cares for her students. She’s so welcoming to her class and will go out of her way to help her students out."

David Hartwig

"He has been such a support, has offered all of his students the confidence they need to strive."

Sarah Herrmann

"Dr. H made the class easy to understand, cared about the students learning the material. She made the class fun and I changed my minor to Psychology because of her attitude towards the subject"

Eddie Hill

"Dr. Eddie Hill approached me last Spring after I volunteered for the inaugural REACH Weber Family Day Camp and asked if I wanted to be an Undergrad Research Assistant in the Summer. This camp was my first interaction with Dr. Hill. I didn't know him prior to this camp and I am not an OCRE major or minor. He took a chance on me by offering this amazing opportunity to me. I learned so much from Dr. Hill. He taught me how to conduct research, a needs assessment, planning, implementing, and evaluating a health program. Dr. Hill is kind, respectful, knowledgeable, patient and goofy. He believes in, challenges, and trusts me. He gently pushes me out of my comfort zone. Through my interactions with him, I have gained confidence in myself and strengthened my leadership skills. I also had the opportunity to work with youth and strengthen my health promotion skills. I have learned and gained invaluable skills and knowledge from working with Dr. Hill. I will forever treasure my experience with REACH Weber and Dr. Hill. He has made my time at Weber State greater, greater, greater!! I continue to volunteer with The REACH Weber program."

Eric Hill

"He was the first teacher I met and had classes with. I was very afraid of being new to the university and to the country, and despite not completely knowing the language, he helped me a lot. Thanks to him I know the history of this country and I feel very confident to continue studying, he made me feel that I can do it."

Robert (Bob) Hunter

"He truly cares about his students and understands that we have lives outside of school. I truly think he’s one of the kindest people I’ve ever met and if they can people should 100% take his class."

Michelle Jeffs

"She is a great teacher, cares about her students, puts full effort into her job and that makes the students know that she does enjoy her job."

Clint Johnson

"Clint is an amazing instructor. I have learned so much from him alone and he deserves to be recognized for his commitment to his students, hard work, and how he genuinely cares about the students he meets."

Benjamin Kruger-Robbins

"Ben honestly cares about his student’s success. In addition to making plenty of opportunities for seeking help with classes, he makes class engaging and actively provides valuable feedback. I am glad to have had him as a professor."

George Kvernadze

"I love math, but this was my first math class that I wasn’t taking from a Highschool teacher, so I didn’t know what to expect. Dr. K made it really easy to learn and adjust. Between recording lectures and posting them on canvas, having open office hours on both the Ogden and the Davis Campus, and having fun extra math problems at the end of tests as well as weekly languages where he would start the class with “hello” in different languages, it was really easy to enjoy his classes and what he taught. He was open to talk about anything you were confused on. Specifically, one of the final tests we took I was pretty sure I got 2 questions right that he marked wrong. I talked with him during office hours so I could understand why I got them wrong. After talking with him, he found out he read the questions wrong and in turn graded them wrong. He changed my grade as well as everyone else’s grade to reflect the correction, which resulted in everyone’s scores getting an additional 2 points. Another instance that made me enjoy his class was the final. I had received my score and it was a 99/100, which is amazing, but I felt it was unfortunate to see that I got so close to 100 but messed one little thing up and didn’t know what it was. Given that we wouldn’t be in class anymore, I emailed him to see if I could see why I was marked down one point on a question. It turned out I didn’t do a thing wrong mathematically, I just had an old answer written next to the correct answer and wasn’t very clear which answer I was giving as my final answer. Knowing that it wasn’t a math misunderstanding that caused me to get 99/100 made me feel way better about the outcome. I wouldn’t have been able to feel that way if Dr. K didn’t go out of his way to find that question on the test and email a picture of it to me.

I really enjoyed his class and all that he did for me and his other students. He cares about everyone’s progress and makes sure everyone has a chance to succeed."

Abigail Mack

"Dr. Mack is just amazing. She is so caring and compassionate toward her students. Her lectures were always captivating and had great examples to help me learn. You could tell how much experience and background she has with the topic as it really comes through in lectures and conversations with her. The class was not difficult or expensive, but I still got so much out of it through readings, examples, and lectures. I can't wait to take more classes from her. This course helped me see the impacts of language and cultures and helped me realize my love for language and anthropology."

Makaela Markham

"She is the epitome of kindness. Makaela doesn’t teach like a normal professor would. Everyone leading up to my college years would say how brutal professors can be, and Makaela changed the narrative. This was my second time taking Math 0950, I wasn’t a star student to say the least. Even though it was an online course, she engaged with each one of us, made sure we were comfortable and in charge of OUR learning. Which to me, is what teaching should be all about. Not only did I pass the class, I got an A. Makaela won’t take recognition for that, but I hope she knows that she was a huge part in my success. I will continue suggesting her to anyone that might need the class.

Professor Markham deserves this award and so much more. I hope she knows that she does make an impact."

Susan Matt

"First thing, She believed in me from the beginning and she talked with the fervor of a true historian. Her genuine passion, and stout presence keep you engaged. She directs you to the small finite details many may miss or even know. Her ability to stand out as a leader, mentor, historian, and influencer has made my time at Weber State the greatest to the upmost! I am very thankful for her!"

Megan Van Deventer McDonald

"Because every single student you will meet will tell you how perfect she is. I strive to be a fraction of the teacher she is. She takes great care of every single student. She cherishes every single one of us and makes sure to put our wellbeing first. There is no one else like her. Her lessons sticks with you. Her empathy and compassionate with leave you in awe every time. She deserves every award possible."

Francesca Mintowt-Czyz

"She really pushed me to improve myself and become more comfortable in my own skin. She gave deep and extremely useful feedback on assignments. She always makes sure you feel safe while still pushing you outside of your comfort zone."

Louise Richards Moulding

"She is the most humble and sweet professor I have ever met in my life. She make me feel appreciated, seen and heard. She is very kind and genuine person. I admire her both personally and professionally."

Leah Murray

"I love her class and how passionate and enthusiastic she is about the topic."

Tanya Nolan

"She is so helpful and cares so much about the students. Tanya truly listens to students issues and tries to help as much as she can."

Carrie Ota

"I am nominating my professor Dr. Carrie Ota for her exceptional dedication and impact on my academic journey. Her unwavering support and guidance played a pivotal role in my growth and success. She not only helped me improve my academic performance but also consistently encouraged and believed in my abilities. Her mentorship has been instrumental, providing invaluable insights and fostering a positive learning environment. Without her guidance, I genuinely believe I would not have successfully graduated. I am grateful for her commitment to my development and consider her a deserving candidate for this recognition."

Shane Perry

"Professor Perry was so diligent about cutting out all the extra fluff and really teaching us the essentials. This allowed me to better focus and learn more about what I needed to know. As board examinations get closer, I feel significantly more confident on the subjects he taught and optimistic about a passing score. Thanks professor Perry for your dedication to our success! Your efforts don’t go unnoticed."

Mitchell Pilkington

"Professor Pilkington always makes time for his students and is willing to help with anything. He has helped me get a CSI internship, given me tips for my resume and CV, and given me guidance on my future career. He always gives helpful feedback and actively looks for unique opportunities to provide his students with."

William Pollett

"He is not only an amazing professor but was very supportive and understanding when I was going through a rough time. He is always willing to hear anyone out and even if someone just needs someone to listen, he can be that person who listens. He truly gives his all to his students."

Andrew Rice

"Andrew Rice positively pushes his students do to their absolute best. There were many times I came to him with crazy ideas for an art piece and he would help me think critically and figure out how we were going to accomplish that, even if it had nothing to do with the lesson plan. In one of the classes I took from him I was a head of the class so after his demo he’d come to me and show me something more so I was still learning. Truly going above and beyond. He is great at helping students achieve dreams. He also encouraged me to apply for grants to attend conferences and workshops to strengthen me as an artist. (Which I did) My art practice grew ten fold durning my time with him. He also mentored me to get into a couple art shows . He became a friend and my time at Weber will always be marked by Andrew’s influence."

Michelle Rich

"Kind and patient Professor always made sure students were heard and helped."

Nathan Rives

"He is committed to student excellence in learning the material he teaches. He is invested in students doing well and in presenting a holistic and as unbiased as possible view of the complexities of history. He is kind and compassionate to students who are struggling in and out of school."

Stephanie Speicher

"Stephanie goes above and beyond to foster a classroom environment where everyone feels comfortable to speak up. She makes class fun, interesting, and informational. She genuinely cares about her students and makes that clear."

Kathryn Sperry

"Dr. Sperry changed my entire course at Weber. Before taking her classes, I didn’t feel like I had a place at Weber State. I didn’t feel like I belonged. I also had planned on going a different route than I am now. Taking her classes exposed me to the world of diversity and psychology. From there I changed to a psychology major and am determined to attend graduate school to get a Ph.D. in psychology and work in academia and become a professor like her. This was something that had never been on my mind before. I had weighed dropping out of college and getting a certificate or stopping at my bachelors. Dr. Sperry took the time to get to know me, and all of her other students. She was and is a person who I can turn to when I have a concern or just need someone to listen. She would often check in when she felt something was off with me and lend a hand.

Dr. Sperry also helped me discover my identity and who I am through her classes. She was one of the first people to accept me as who I am and supported me on my journey. She has celebrated my highs and has been there for me in my lows. I owe the majority of my educational journey and success to her. I have always said that if I could just have a fraction of what Dr. Sperry has, that I will go a long way in life and that couldn’t be more true. Working with her on research and in classes has exponentially grown my skills and my confidence levels. I have been able to apply them to other classes, projects, and other aspects of my life. Dr. Sperry has truly made my time at Weber State a much greater and positive experience. I couldn’t be prouder to be a wildcat and to have been one of her students."

Hannah Stedge

"Professor Stedge was a fantastic instructor through and through. She found ways to teach us the material in ways that were fun and easy to remember. Every single class period I was genuinely excited to learn the material, and Professor Stedge always showed a sense of enthusiasm that was contagious. She encouraged us to have a voice during her class, and to put into words what we had just learned which I've never had from a course before and I really liked that. The large project for the semester was also great. Overall, I grew as a Rehab sciences major and as a person from taking RHS 4250 from Professor Stedge. She changed my perspective of my degree from just understanding concepts to realizing just how fun and interesting what I'm learning really is."

Michael Stevens

"I am writing to enthusiastically nominate Professor Michael Stevens for the Best Professor Award. Having been a student in his course, I have been consistently impressed by his exceptional teaching style, dedication, and overall impact on the learning experience.

Professor Stevens stands out for his dynamic approach to teaching. His lectures are not only engaging but also thoughtfully organized, and those are important criteria when it comes to virtual courses. The wealth of materials, documents, and resources he provides has greatly enriched the course, creating an environment conducive to comprehensive learning.

One of the aspects that make Professor Stevens deserving of this award is his commitment to fostering meaningful discussions in the classroom. He encourages students to participate actively, creating an atmosphere that promotes critical thinking and collaborative learning.

Moreover, Professor Stevens demonstrates a remarkable level of empathy towards his students. His genuine concern for their well-being and academic success is evident in his approachable nature and willingness to provide support beyond the classroom. This empathic quality contributes significantly to the positive learning environment he cultivates. Adding to his impressive teaching qualities, Professor Stevens possesses a wonderful sense of humor. This makes the learning experience enjoyable and helps create a connection with students, making the material more relatable.

In summary, Professor Stevens embodies the qualities of an outstanding educator – dynamic teaching methods, organization, a rich array of resources, active class participation, empathy, and a delightful sense of humor. I am confident that recognizing his contributions with the Best Professor Award would be a fitting tribute to his dedication and the positive impact he has on his students.

Thank you for considering my nomination. I believe Professor Stevens is truly deserving of this honor."

Taylor Ward

"She is one of the best professors I’ve ever had, and is always so willing to help students. she responds so fast to emails and always comes to class with such a good attitude. AND she even had a baby during her time with my radiography program and still was able to make us all feel seen and heard with any of our concerns."

Jordan West

"I had no faith that I could do well in this class and other students and professors alluded to the fact that it would be very difficult. Instead of focusing on that, Jordan found ways to bring the information to life. I remember going to his office the first week and by the time I walked out, I had no doubt that I would do well in this class. He is so energetic and full of life. He also encourages his students and makes them believe that they can do whatever they put their mind to. He is very approachable and being an international student, I was afraid of what my experience here would be like. I don't know if he knows this but Jordan's words basically got me through the semester with A's in all my classes! Hands down one of the best teachers I've encountered in my life. Also, did I mention that his door is always open? Literally. Always. Open. And emailing him? No need to put down your phone because I guarantee that you'll have a response within 10 minutes if the time is appropriate. It doesn't matter if you need him to explain 2 +2 = 4. He will do it, and he will do it with so much patience, understanding, and as many times as you need! I'm sure there are other great teachers who deserve this award, but Jordan? Unbelievable.

Hope he sees this. Thank you, Jordan."

James Zagrodnik

"Dr. Z puts his students first and has the perfect balance between wanting us to succeed and pushing us/challenging us to be the best version of ourselves. He has high expectations, yet makes these expectations manageable through his teaching and feedback. He does a great job of engaging his students in their learning and challenging us to always get out of our comfort zone. He is easily approachable and has made a tremendous difference on my education and my teaching."