Imogene Wise Faculty Excellence Award
About the award
Initiated by a contribution from longtime NMC benefactors Harold and Imogene Wise in 1970 and first awarded to a full-time faculty member in 1971. Chosen by a student selection committee, award criteria includes teaching excellence, rapport with students, innovation in the classroom and a sense of dedication.
All recipients
- 2025: Becca Richardson
- 2024: Tammy Coleman
- 2023: Nick Roster
- 2022: Betsy Boris
- 2021: Lisa Balbach
- 2020: Scott Powell
- 2019: Nicole Speelman
- 2018: Steve Drake
- 2017: Mac Beeker
- 2016: Jim Press
- 2015: Jerry Dobek
- 2014: Lisa Blackford
- 2013: Sonja Olshove
- 2012: Kristy McDonald
- 2011: Dr. Blake Key
- 2010: Steve Drake
- 2009: Dr. Amjad Khan
- 2008: Connie Jason
- 2007: Dr. Keith Overbaugh
- 2006: Mark Nelson
- 2005: Johnathon Mauk
- 2004: Michael Jacobson
- 2003: Sean Ruane
- 2002: Mike Surgalski
- 2001: Sonja Olshove
- 2000: Doug Domine
- 1999: Mary Quinn
- 1998: James Press
- 1997: William Faulk
- 1996: Richard Cookman
- 1995: Adam Gahn
- 1994: Debra Pharo
- 1993: Martin Trapp
- 1992: James Coughlin
- 1991: John Tanner
- 1990: Allison Shumsky
- 1989: Walter Ross
- 1988: Jay Beery
- 1987: Eric Wildman
- 1986: Hettie Molvang
- 1985: Lyle Bradford
- 1984: Philip DeMarois
- 1983: Dick Minor
- 1982: Roy Terdal
- 1981: Robert Rudd
- 1980: Jim Spenceley
- 1979: Arlo Moss
- 1978: William Skinner
- 1977: Jerry Sullivan
- 1976: Ken Rose
- 1975: Walter Holland
- 1974: Larry Buys
- 1973: Kay Donnelly
- 1972: Jim Spenceley
- 1971: Bill Long
Nominate your instructor
Have you had instructors this semester who you feel really excelled?
NMC has a way for you to recognize those instructors: Nominate them for a Faculty Excellence Award! Tell us what makes your nominees so great using this nomination form.
2025 Recipient:
Becca Richardson, mathematics
Student nominators said of Richardson, an NMC alumna who began teaching at NMC as an adjunct in 2013 and became full-time faculty in 2018:
- “She lays out everything a student could possibly need to excel in her class.”
- “Becca uses several different learning styles to promote understanding of the material.... Applying the knowledge to the real world helped me truly understand and appreciate the math needed in these areas.”