Jolene Harris, instructor of anatomy at Northwestern College, has been named the 2024 recipient of the Northwestern Teaching Excellence Award. She was honored during the colleges commencement ceremony on May 11.

The award honors full-time faculty who embody the colleges Vision for Learningin their classroom teaching. Recipients are those who have distinguished themselves in their ability to lead their students to trust, love and worship God; to engage ideas; to connect knowledge and experience; and to respond to Gods call.

Harris has taught anatomy for Northwesterns undergraduate biologydepartment and graduate physician assistant program since 2020.

She can effectively explain material to freshmen all the way up to graduate-level studentsthats a sign of a great teacher, wrotea student who nominated Harris for the award. Added another, Her ability to connect the course material with real-world examples facilitates learning and makes discussion more interesting.

Student nominators spoke of Harris care for both them and their learning. Jolene is the most dedicated professor I have ever had, said one. She truly cares that every student in her courses does well, and she puts in extra effort to achieve this. In addition, in her lab courses, she does an outstanding job outlining the incredible beauty of Gods human creation. Another wrote, She is so positive, kind and relatable. I looked forward to her class every day.

Harris earned a masters degree in clinical anatomy and a bachelors degree in biology from Creighton University. She previously lectured in anatomy for the Ross University School of Medicine in the Caribbean and the University of Illinois Medical School in Peoria, as well as for the undergraduate and graduate programs of the University of Nebraska Omaha and Creighton University, respectively.

More:
Anatomy professor receives NWC Teaching Excellence Award - Northwestern College