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Faculty and Staff

Night or Day, Nicola Corbin Makes a Difference

It’s late evening. Associate professor of communication Nicola Corbin receives an email from a former student, asking for advice on how to improve a job acceptance letter. Instead of waiting to address the email the next morning, Corbin happily responds, suggesting revisions that, ultimately, help the student negotiate a higher salary. “At 10 p.m. her time!” the student emphasized in a letter nominating Corbin for a 2019 Crystal Crest Master Teacher award.

Corbin’s authenticity, passion, enthusiasm and genuine concern for the success of each student guide all of her interactions, inside and outside the classroom. These qualities led to her winning the Master Teacher award at the Crystal Crest ceremony on April 13.

As a teacher, Corbin engages students in enriching experiences and discussions. As an adviser for Ogden Peak Communications, WSU’s student-run public relations firm, Corbin builds connections between students and the community. Within the context of learning, Corbin says she listens to students. She allows for questions, particularly the politically incorrect ones, and is honest in her responses. 

“My students learn from me, and I continue to learn from my students,” Corbin said. “It is truly a symbiotic relationship, and it is why I absolutely adore my career. By motivating and supporting my students, I reap the same benefits they do — widening of perspective, the challenge of always engaging in critical thinking and of seeing each person as an individual with different needs.”


Teaching Excellence

WSU honors faculty throughout the year through a variety of programs, the newest of which is the Presidential Teaching Excellence Award, created with a $1 million gift commitment from Ogden philanthropists Bob and Marcia Harris.  The inaugural group of recipients, who were honored in fall 2018, includes: 

  • Anthony Allred, Business Administration
  • Tim Border, Professional Sales
  • Carie Frantz, Earth and Environmental Sciences
  • Matthew Gnagey, Economics
  • Catherine Harmston, Nursing
  • Lisa Hopkins, Accounting & Taxation
  • Emily Petersen, English
  • Elizabeth Rocha, Nursing
  • Sarah Steimel, Communication
  • Natalie Williams, Teacher Education
  • Stephanie Wolfe, Political Science
  • James Zagrodnik, Health Promotion & Human Performance

CCEL Selects a New Director 

Becky Jo Gesteland has been selected as the new executive director for the Center for Community Engaged Learning. Gesteland brings more than a decade of community engaged learning experience to the role as a practitioner and a scholar.

 

Wildcat Welcome

Following a national search, Betsy Mennell has been named vice president of University Advancement at Weber State. Mennell comes to WSU from Regis University in Denver. No stranger to the Big Sky Conference, she spent 18 years in a variety of roles at Northern Arizona University, including vice president for Development and Alumni Engagement.

Mennell said she was impressed by WSU’s commitment to student success and its outstanding reputation as a dual-mission university. She is especially proud of her philanthropic work to provide opportunities for underserved populations.