Six professors earn 2015 WVU Foundation Award for Outstanding Teaching

Every year, the West Virginia University Foundation celebrates a special class of teacher:

The kind that nudges students toward their dreams. The kind that groggy-eyed underclassmen have no problem waking up for at 8 a.m. The kind that you remember and keep in touch with decades after graduating.

These professors leave a lasting impact, and are recipients of the WVU Foundation Award for Outstanding Teaching.

This year’s honorees are:

• Joshua Arthurs, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences ;
• Damien Clement, College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences ;
• Melissa Morris, Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources
• Mario Perhinschi, Statler College;
• Michael Strager, Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design ; and
• Elaine Wilson, College of Law.

“These six professors inspire students to achieve more than they themselves ever thought they could,” said Provost Joyce McConnell. “President Gee and I often publicly assert that West Virginia University offers an exceptional education – and we’re proud to be able to point to this kind of passionate, exciting teaching as the foundation of that education.”

The WVU Foundation established the awards in 1985 as a way to celebrate faculty who’ve established patterns of distinguished teaching and exceptional innovation in teaching methods, course and curriculum design, and instructional tools. A list of previous recipients is available here.

“We congratulate this year’s recipients who truly go above and beyond in their areas of expertise,” said Cindi Roth, WVU Foundation president and CEO. “WVU is fortunate to have such high caliber faculty inspiring our students. The Foundation is pleased to be able to fund these awards annually because of the tremendous generosity of our donors.”

Michael Strager
During his time as an educator at WVU, Strager, associate professor of spatial analysis, has developed eight new courses introducing students to cutting-edge technologies and methodologies like GPS, remote sensing, and GIS/spatial analysis.

“Many of the courses he has created have become academic requirements for undergraduate programs, and they have provided his students with an extremely marketable skill set, in addition to giving them a unique perspective on the resources and landscapes they plan to further study and manage during their careers,” said Davis College Dean Daniel J. Robison.

Strager teaches six to seven classes a year, dividing his focus between forestry and natural resources and agricultural and natural resource economics. While managing this high volume of students, he’s uniformly credited by them for providing far more than an average classroom experience. Instead of textbooks, he uses practical examples drawn from government and industry, and relating material to his students from his own research publications and interests.

“He inspires students and challenges them,” Robison said. “To talk with Mike is to understand his passion as an educator.”