GVSU Education Programs News
Faculty receives Glenn A. Niemeyer Award
February 18, 2025
Ellen Schiller, Professor of Teaching and Learning, received a distinguished Glenn A. Niemeyer Award recognizing her outstanding contributions. The award was presented at the Faculty Awards Convocation on February 18, 2025.
The Glenn A. Niemeyer Awards, named for the first Provost of Grand Valley State University, honor faculty and students who strive for excellence in all aspects of a well-rounded academic experience and are GVSU’s most distinguished award.
Faculty selected are honored for their excellence, enthusiasm, and loyalty to teaching, scholarship, and service. Recipients possess a superior student-centered approach to teaching with continued development of excellence in the classroom. They instill in their students a love of learning. They create new knowledge and explore its applications through scholarly activity. Recipients also contribute their expertise and service to the University, professional organizations, and the community.
Ellen Schiller, Ph.D., is a passionate mathematics
and science educator with a flair for making learning engaging and
relatable. Her innovative approach fosters a love for math and
science, and also creates a warm, inclusive learning environment.
During the pandemic, she was highly motivated to replicate the
hands-on, interactive pedagogy in her in-person classes in an online
environment. Schiller turned to her family for inspiration, creating
demonstration videos of her family playing math games to replicate
in-class activities.
She was recently recognized by the National
Science Teaching Association for her service of writing 40 reviews of
published science education content. Schiller has been a prolific
grant writer and principal investigator in the areas of math and
science professional development. She has been awarded six federal
grants which have provided sustained professional development in
teaching science or math to local teachers in the Wyoming, Grand
Rapids, Muskegon, Muskegon Heights, and Kentwood school districts.
Schiller is a professor and serves as the Chair of the Teaching and
Learning department in the College of Education and Community Innovation.