Finalists named for BVU’s 2022 George Wythe Award
The recipient of the award, which was endowed by the late Paul and Vivian McCorkle, receives a sabbatical and a $30,000 stipend for faculty development.
The following four faculty members have been named finalists for the 2022 George Wythe Award for Excellence in Teaching at Buena Vista University:
- Mr. Jeremy Lawson, Instructor of Developmental Mathematics;
- Dr. Lisa Mellmann, Professor of Chemistry and Biomedical Sciences;
- Dr. Richard Riner, Assistant Professor of Criminology/Criminal Justice; and
- Ms. Marian Riner, Field Director and Assistant Professor of Social Work.
Lawson, who is in his third year at BVU, taught math at the collegiate level in Minneapolis for seven years before transitioning to teaching middle school math in West Virginia for three years. Along the way, Lawson also worked in areas of youth development where he coauthored a grant that provided $172,000 for STEM educational opportunities to children in rural Appalachia. The career arc required Lawson to adopt more hands-on activities over traditional lecture methods.
Mellmann, who has been at BVU for 13 years, serves as principal investigator on a prestigious National Science Foundation S-STEM grant that has helped attract low-income, high-achieving students into STEM while preparing them to flourish in related fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. Mellmann also serves as a mentor for six first-generation college students through BVU’s landmark Clausen Family Education for Service Scholars program, striving to build students’ capacity while making an impact through service to the community.
Dr. Richard Riner, a five-year BVU professional, directs the University’s Center for Criminal Justice Studies (CCJS), the brainchild of Riner and Dr. Stephanie Hays-Angstrom, Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice. The CCJS bridges the gap between what Riner, a former police officer, and his colleagues cover in the classroom with the skills students will need as they begin careers in any number of law enforcement settings. They achieve this by placing students in real-world situations through the use of live simulators and crime scene rooms in the CCJS, a safe, controlled environment.
Ms. Marian Riner, in her third year at BVU, worked with the University’s Student Association of Social Workers to develop, build, and open Jane’s Closet in Swope Hall. The student-run site contains thousands of pieces of clothing as well as personal care items for foster care children. Riner’s 24 years of experience in social work revealed that foster parents may not have the resources they need for every child placed in their home. Foster care families may obtain items from Jane’s Closet free of charge.
Dr. Nathan Backman, Associate Professor of Computer Science, chairs the 2022 Wythe Award Selection Committee. Backman is joined by: Dr. Amy Barth, Associate Professor of Education and Director of the Honors Institute; Beth Blankers, Professor of Accounting and Assistant Dean, Harold Walter Siebens School of Business; Dr. Stephanie Hays-Angstrom, Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice; and Dr. Michelle Metzger, Assistant Professor of Education-STEM & Mathematics.
The recipient of the George Wythe Award, which was endowed by the late Paul and Vivian McCorkle ’59, receives a sabbatical and a $30,000 stipend for faculty development. The winner will be announced at BVU’s Annual Faculty and Staff Recognition Celebration in May.
More information about the award, as well as a complete list of past winners, can be found at bvu.edu/wythe.