Recent Teaching Award Winners

2008 Distinguished Teacher Award Winner
This year’s award winner is one of those people who came to Simpson knowing the ins and outs of academic experience and of professional experience. He got a bachelor of arts degree, worked for several years, got his master’s degree, worked at a university for a while, began teaching at Simpson in 1989, and then balanced teaching and studying as he worked on and attained his doctorate. He has reached a level of professionalism that is due to his development of high standards and his ability to not only educate, but to also interact with his students. He has always been committed to finding innovative ways to enrich his students’ learning experiences. His professional involvement has led him to establish and serve as president of the Iowa College Media Association, he initiated and then became an advisor for a chapter of the Society for Collegiate Journalists, and he is a member of many other groups in his discipline. He is known throughout campus as an advisor who is helpful and congenial, and always willing to spend time to counsel or give an opinion. He has impacted the Simpson community in numerous ways. He is a teacher who is dedicated to his students, and one who devotes time and effort to continually improve his courses and his teaching style. He maintains an openness with people that is refreshing and stimulating in discussions, thoughts and actions. He has served on a number of campus committees, mentored new faculty, and led several international May Term trips. He is an active participant in his church and his children’s school. That this will be the second time within a six-year period that he was voted to receive the Distinguished Teaching Award by the entire graduating class is testimony to how much of an influence he is to our students. The 2008 Distinguished Teaching Award recipient is Professor of Communication Studies, Brian J. Steffen. Our heartiest congratulations to Brian!

2008 Distinguished Research Award Winner
David Wolf came to Simpson’s faculty in 2000. Not only has he undertaken more and more each year for the college, but for the past seven years, he has continuously shared his wonderful aptitude in his discipline. His work is synonymous with “talent,” something of which, fortunately for us, he has a great abundance. He has contributed to and judged literary works, conducted workshops, served as guest critic, and promoted events in his discipline, all the while continuing to create and write. His forte is poetry, and his compositions are written works of art. Besides teaching, advising, participating in various faculty committees, volunteering community services in Des Moines and Indianola, and performing with The Sonny Humbucker Band (a rock/folk/blues group that includes several fellow faculty members), his accomplishments include publication of two books in 2006, a revised second edition of a book originally published in 1999, and the appearance of many of his poems in other publications. As the requirements for winning this award state, the work he has done recently, as always, has been deemed to be of the highest professional quality, and has brought acclaim to him and to the college. In 2006, he received the Distinguished Junior Faculty Award, and it is an honor for Simpson College that he is being presented Simpson College’s Distinguished Research Award – Congratulations, Associate Professor of English David L. Wolf.

2008 Distinguished Junior Faculty Award Winner
This year’s recipient came to Simpson in 2005 from Michigan, and after only one year earned a tribute from his division head who wrote in an evaluation that he had, in the division head’s judgment, “demonstrated that he is one of the strongest new faculty we have hired in a number of years.” (Epperson, 11/9/06 evaluation). This observation was prophetic. This year’s Distinguished Junior Faculty added new courses to the departmental offerings and helped revise the major. In compliance with the criteria to win this award, this junior member of the faculty has not only demonstrated fine teaching abilities, but has committed his time, effort and generosity in dealing with students that goes above and beyond the academic welfare of his students. He sets goals for his students, sparking their interest in the world around them with the intent of producing civic-minded citizens. Especially so during this politically-charged year, he is exposing his students to not only the politics that surround us, but the information, literacy and communication that abounds in the various media. He is acutely aware of the challenge of overloaded stimulation that can cause many of us to retreat from the world’s news and the challenge of viewing political information in a cynical or skeptical manner. Our award winner is not only making an impact through his teaching methods, but he is an active advisor, is working on a manuscript about public funding for state legislative elections, is designing a survey to analyze the theology and politics of pastors and leaders in the emerging church movement in the United States, and has focused on service learning through the Conference for the Theological Exploration of Vocation. His service to the campus includes active participation in the strategic thinking groups, academic structure working groups, and as a member of the Education Policy and Curriculum faculty committee, to name a few. It is a pleasure to announce that the winner of the 2008 Simpson College Distinguished Junior Faculty Award is Assistant Professor of Political Science, Kedron Bardwell.

2008 Campus Leader Award Winner
Jennifer Ross Nostrala enrolled at Simpson as a freshman in 1981. She received a master of fine arts from the University of Texas at Austin and luckily for us, returned to Simpson – this time as a faculty member in 1990. This professor’s excellence in teaching is evidenced by the enthusiasm in which she teaches and the success of her students. Her civility and concern for students and colleagues can be clearly seen in the many services she performs in committees and the time she spends with her students. She serves as chair of the division of visual and performing arts, has served on almost every faculty committee, been an integral member of the First-Year Program, Diversity Days, Women’s Studies Program and the V-Day campaign. In 2003, she helped students organize their own V-Day campaign which culminated in nearly $7,000 being raised for the Warren County Domestic Violence Coalition. Our award winner is a member of Epsilon Sigma and of Phi Kappa Phi. She received Simpson’s Distinguished Junior Faculty Award in 1998, and in 2003 received the Distinguished Teaching Award, two of the college’s most prestigious awards. She has also received Omicron Delta Kappa’s leadership honorary award, The American College Theatre Festival’s meritorious achievement award for directing, and the Humanities Iowa Grant for “Empowering Silenced Voices: A Celebration of Women’s History Month.” She is an active member in her church and a volunteer at charity and ethical events. Her enthusiasm, hard work and intellectual liveliness has been a real asset to her students, her colleagues and the entire Simpson College community. She is constantly seeking new ways to improve her teaching and is eager and grateful for opportunities to attend conferences that help her accomplish those ways. She is a highly motivated person with a passion for her discipline and a love for the Simpson and Indianola communities. A former chair of her division once wrote that she “provides a model of how things should be done to the community.” With qualities like that, it is no surprise that she was selected to be the 2008 Faculty Leadership award winner. Congratulations, Professor of Theatre Arts, Dr. Jennifer Ross Nostrala!


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Recent Teaching Award Winners 2008 Distinguished Teacher Award Winner This year’s award winner is one of those people who came to Simpson knowing the ins and outs of academic experience and of professional experience. He got a bachelor of arts degree, worked for several years, got his master’s degree, worked at a university for a while, began teaching at Simpson in 1989, and then balanced teaching and studying as he worked on and attained his doctorate. He has reached a level of professionalism that is due to his development of high standards and his ability to not only educate, but to also interact with his students. He has always been committed to finding innovative ways to enrich his students’ learning experiences. His professional involvement has led him to establish and serve as president of the Iowa College Media Association, he initiated and then became an advisor for a chapter of the Society for Collegiate Journalists, and he is a member of many other groups in his discipline. He is known throughout campus as an advisor who is helpful and congenial, and always willing to spend time to counsel or give an opinion. He has impacted the Simpson community in numerous ways. He is a teacher who is dedicated to his students, and one who devotes time and effort to continually improve his courses and his teaching style. He maintains an openness with people that is refreshing and stimulating in discussions, thoughts and actions. He has served on a number of campus committees, mentored new faculty, and led several international May Term trips. He is an active participant in his church and his children’s school. That this will be the second time within a six-year period that he was voted to receive the Distinguished Teaching Award by the entire graduating class is testimony to how much of an influence he is to our students. The 2008 Distinguished Teaching Award recipient is Professor of Communication Studies, Brian J. Steffen. Our heartiest congratulations to Brian! 2008 Distinguished Research Award Winner David Wolf came to Simpson’s faculty in 2000. Not only has he undertaken more and more each year for the college, but for the past seven years, he has continuously shared his wonderful aptitude in his discipline. His work is synonymous with “talent,” something of which, fortunately for us, he has a great abundance. He has contributed to and judged literary works, conducted workshops, served as guest critic, and promoted events in his discipline, all the while continuing to create and write. His forte is poetry, and his compositions are written works of art. Besides teaching, advising, participating in various faculty committees, volunteering community services in Des Moines and Indianola, and performing with The Sonny Humbucker Band (a rock/folk/blues group that includes several fellow faculty members), his accomplishments include publication of two books in 2006, a revised second edition of a book originally published in 1999, and the appearance of many of his poems in other publications. As the requirements for winning this award state, the work he has done recently, as always, has been deemed to be of the highest professional quality, and has brought acclaim to him and to the college. In 2006, he received the Distinguished Junior Faculty Award, and it is an honor for Simpson College that he is being presented Simpson College’s Distinguished Research Award – Congratulations, Associate Professor of English David L. Wolf. 2008 Distinguished Junior Faculty Award Winner This year’s recipient came to Simpson in 2005 from Michigan, and after only one year earned a tribute from his division head who wrote in an evaluation that he had, in the division head’s judgment, “demonstrated that he is one of the strongest new faculty we have hired in a number of years.” (Epperson, 11/9/06 evaluation). This observation was prophetic. This year’s Distinguished Junior Faculty added new courses to the departmental offerings and helped revise the major. In compliance with the criteria to win this award, this junior member of the faculty has not only demonstrated fine teaching abilities, but has committed his time, effort and generosity in dealing with students that goes above and beyond the academic welfare of his students. He sets goals for his students, sparking their interest in the world around them with the intent of producing civic-minded citizens. Especially so during this politically-charged year, he is exposing his students to not only the politics that surround us, but the information, literacy and communication that abounds in the various media. He is acutely aware of the challenge of overloaded stimulation that can cause many of us to retreat from the world’s news and the challenge of viewing political information in a cynical or skeptical manner. Our award winner is not only making an impact through his teaching methods, but he is an active advisor, is working on a manuscript about public funding for state legislative elections, is designing a survey to analyze the theology and politics of pastors and leaders in the emerging church movement in the United States, and has focused on service learning through the Conference for the Theological Exploration of Vocation. His service to the campus includes active participation in the strategic thinking groups, academic structure working groups, and as a member of the Education Policy and Curriculum faculty committee, to name a few. It is a pleasure to announce that the winner of the 2008 Simpson College Distinguished Junior Faculty Award is Assistant Professor of Political Science, Kedron Bardwell. 2008 Campus Leader Award Winner Jennifer Ross Nostrala enrolled at Simpson as a freshman in 1981. She received a master of fine arts from the University of Texas at Austin and luckily for us, returned to Simpson – this time as a faculty member in 1990. This professor’s excellence in teaching is evidenced by the enthusiasm in which she teaches and the success of her students. Her civility and concern for students and colleagues can be clearly seen in the many services she performs in committees and the time she spends with her students. She serves as chair of the division of visual and performing arts, has served on almost every faculty committee, been an integral member of the First-Year Program, Diversity Days, Women’s Studies Program and the V-Day campaign. In 2003, she helped students organize their own V-Day campaign which culminated in nearly $7,000 being raised for the Warren County Domestic Violence Coalition. Our award winner is a member of Epsilon Sigma and of Phi Kappa Phi. She received Simpson’s Distinguished Junior Faculty Award in 1998, and in 2003 received the Distinguished Teaching Award, two of the college’s most prestigious awards. She has also received Omicron Delta Kappa’s leadership honorary award, The American College Theatre Festival’s meritorious achievement award for directing, and the Humanities Iowa Grant for “Empowering Silenced Voices: A Celebration of Women’s History Month.” She is an active member in her church and a volunteer at charity and ethical events. Her enthusiasm, hard work and intellectual liveliness has been a real asset to her students, her colleagues and the entire Simpson College community. She is constantly seeking new ways to improve her teaching and is eager and grateful for opportunities to attend conferences that help her accomplish those ways. She is a highly motivated person with a passion for her discipline and a love for the Simpson and Indianola communities. A former chair of her division once wrote that she “provides a model of how things should be done to the community.” With qualities like that, it is no surprise that she was selected to be the 2008 Faculty Leadership award winner. Congratulations, Professor of Theatre Arts, Dr. Jennifer Ross Nostrala!
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