Professors earn prestigious award for ‘teaching excellence’ at Weber State

OGDEN, Utah — Twelve of the year’s top professors at Weber State University received the 2025 Presidential Teaching Excellence Award after being nominated by students, staff and fellow faculty members. 

WSU President Brad Mortensen called this year’s recipients “truly outstanding teachers that make a difference at the university.” 

The president personally delivered the news to each professor via surprise visits to their classrooms and other spaces on campus, and read aloud some of the most touching excerpts from nomination letters written by students. 

The award was presented to the following faculty:

  • Katarina Anderson, teacher education

  • Tamara Berghout, nursing

  • Randall Boyle, management information systems

  • Sam Bryson, music

  • Ryan Evans, English

  • Sarah Herrmann, psychological science

  • Scott Holland, automotive technology

  • Rieneke Holman, nursing

  • Michelle Jeffs, criminal justice

  • Joshua Jensen, computer science

  • Demetrios Pagonis, chemistry

  • Hannah Stedge, athletic training

This year’s winners join an elite group of more than 70 recipients since the awards launched in 2018 thanks to a generous endowment gift from Bob and Marcia Harris.

Additional funding for the annual recognition includes support from the Lawrence T. Dee and Janet T. Dee Foundation, the Management and Training Corporation along with members of the Robert L. Marquardt family, and Brad and Jeni Wilson, who created the Brian T. Davis Outstanding Teacher Award.

Nursing faculty Berghout and Holman are the 2025 Annie Taylor Dee Teaching Excellence Award recipients.

Boyle is the recipient of the 2025 Brian T. Davis Outstanding Teacher Award, honoring a faculty member in the John B. Goddard School of Business & Economics.

Michelle Jeffs, assistant professor of criminal justice and this year’s Robert L. Marquardt Award recipient, said she’s honored to be one of the teachers recognized, having prioritized personal connections with her students. 

“It’s really rewarding to know that my efforts have had an impact on students,” Jeffs said. “Working here is such a great experience, helping students see a future for themselves and realizing the difference they can make in the world.” 

As a Weber State alum, Jeffs said she has built on the teaching strategies of the “amazing professors” who taught her at WSU, and acknowledged how many other professors across the university deserve this same award. 

“I’m trying to constantly learn new techniques so that students are getting the best educational experience,” Jeffs said. “It’s really important to build those connections and help them see the real-world application of the things they’re learning in the classroom.”

 

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Marketing & Communications

Contact:

Bryan Magaña, public relations director
801-626-7948, bryanmagana@weber.edu