What others are saying about us.....
Our faculty and programs are nationally and internationally recognized for excellence.
The faculty and staff in IRIS represent exactly the type of innovative and outstanding teaching, recognized scholarship, significant community engagement, and excellent stewardship of resources for which Grand Valley is known.
We work hard to ensure our students succeed. And we have the awards to prove it.
Award Winning Faculty and Programs
Program-wide Awards
The Accelerated Leadership Program (ALP) in Integrative Studies won the 2019 Outstanding Adult Learner Program Award from NAPSA Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education!
The award is given in recognition of an outstanding program within a higher education institution that provides exceptional support—characterized by a collection of creative methods—to undergraduate adult learners. Nominees for this award are innovative in areas that break new ground in serving adult learners, raise substantial awareness in the surrounding community, and/or make an exceptional impact.
This is just one of the awards that our ALP and its faculty have received. In 2017, Professor Justin Pettibone (interim ALP coordinator and affiliate faculty of instruction) received Council for Accelerated Program's prestigious Excellence in Teaching Award.
Other recent nominations and awards received by faculty and staff in the ALP include:
- Ms. Kate VanderKolk (advisor, Adult and Continuing Studies) received GVSU's 2019 Outstanding Advising and Student Services Award
- Dr. Judy Whipps (professor and ALP founder) received GVSU's 2018 Outstanding Advising and Student Services Award
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Faculty Awards
Since 2011, our faculty have received at least one of the university's most prestigious awards in recognition of their teaching, scholarship, and student outreach every year in addition to winning national and international accolades and monetary awards.
Some recent examples include:
- 2019 CSCE Award for Scholarly and Creative Excellence: Distinguished Early Career Scholar Award, Dr. Cáel Keegan (assistant professor, IRIS and WGS)
- 2018 University Award for Excellence: Glenn A. Niemeyer Award, Dr. Sheldon Kopperl (emeritus professor, IRIS and Biomedical Sciences)
- 2018 University Award for Excellence: Outstanding Teacher Award, Dr. Azfar Hussain (associate professor, IRIS)
- 2018 CSCE Award for Scholarly and Creative Excellence: Distinguished Early Career Scholar Award, Dr. Kimberly McKee (assistant professor, IRIS)
- 2017 University Award for Excellence: Glenn A. Niemeyer Award, Dr. Wendy Burns-Ardolino (professor, IRIS)
- 2017 Pew Award for Excellence: Pew Teaching Excellence Award, Dr. Marilyn Preston (assistant professor, IRIS)
- 2017 CSCE Award for Scholarly and Creative Excellence: Distinguished Early Career Scholar Award, Dr. Danielle Lake (assistant professor, IRIS)
- 2016 Pew Award for Excellence: Pew Teaching with Technology Award, Ms. Maureen Wolverton (affiliate faculty, IRIS)
- 2015 Pew Award for Excellence: Burch, Jacobs, and Moore Diversity Teaching Excellence Award, Dr. Regina McClinton (associate professor, IRIS)
- 2014 Pew Award for Excellence: Burch, Jacobs, and Moore Diversity Teaching Excellence Award, Dr. Rachel Peterson (assistant professor, IRIS)
- 2013 Pew Award for Excellence: Pew Teaching Excellence Award, Ms. Maureen Wolverton (affiliate faculty, IRIS)
- 2012 Pew Award for Excellence: Pew Teaching Excellence Award for Part-time Faculty, Mr. Justin Pettibone (adjunct faculty, IRIS)
- 2010 University Award for Excellence: Outstanding Advising and Student Services Award, Ms. Christine Drewel (affiliate faculty, IRIS)
- 2009 University Award for Excellence: Outstanding Service Award, Dr. Milton Ford (professor, IRIS)