The Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities recognized faculty with Awards for Excellence at an awards ceremony on April 22, 2026.
These awards are conferred annually to college and university teaching faculty and university administrative service faculty to acknowledge and provide systemwide recognition for consistently superior professional achievement and to encourage the ongoing pursuit of excellence.
“Our dedicated teaching and service faculty empower students to succeed by providing exceptional education and support services. From academic programming to student services to residential life, their commitment ensures opportunities for all Minnesotans and fuels our state’s future growth and prosperity. The Board of Trustees Awards for Excellence honor their transformative contributions to our students, communities, and state,” George Soule, chair of the Board of Trustees, said.
2026 SERVICE FACULTY OF THE YEAR
This award is bestowed upon university service faculty to acknowledge and reward exceptional commitment to students and to encourage ongoing excellence in the key roles that service faculty fulfill at our system’s universities including advising and counseling students; recruitment, retention, and placement of students; residential life programming; facilitation of student groups and student leadership; and other involvement in university and community activities.
This year, the Service Faculty of the Year is:
Jean Clarke
Director of Learning Communities, Minnesota State University, Mankato
2026 EDUCATORS OF THE YEAR
These awards are bestowed upon faculty within Minnesota State to acknowledge and reward exceptional commitment to student learning, and to encourage ongoing excellence in teaching. The award proclaims, on behalf of the entire Minnesota State system, the Board of Trustees’ pride in the dedication and accomplishment of its faculty who provide instruction that prepares Minnesota State college and university students for their professional, scholarly, and civic lives.
This year, the Educators of the Year are:
Jason Cussler
Business Management, Minneapolis College
Anita Gaul
History, Minnesota West Community & Technical College
Cheng Thao
Computer Science and Cybersecurity, Metro State University
Outstanding Service Faculty
The following were recognized as Outstanding Service Faculty.
| 2026 Outstanding Service Faculty | School |
|---|---|
| Bev Hodgson | Bemidji State University |
| Julie Jaszkowiak | Metro State University |
| Michael Kurowski | Southwest Minnesota State University |
| Elizabeth Schwanke | Winona State University |
| Matt Trombley | St. Cloud State University |
Outstanding Educators
The following were recognized as Outstanding Educators.
| 2026 Outstanding Educators | School |
|---|---|
| Ania Antus | Central Lakes College |
| Scott Blankenbaker | Riverland Community College |
| Albert Brown | Century College |
| Kami Burgess | St. Cloud Technical & Community College |
| Jason Burrows | Hennepin Technical College |
| John Campfield-Huth | Minnesota State College Southeast |
| Lisa Cline | Dakota County Technical College |
| Kirstin Cronn-Mills | South Central College |
| Crystal Fashant | Metro State University |
| Thomas Hillstead | Saint Paul College |
| Mara Iesalnieks | Minnesota State Community and Technical College |
| Raquel Jarabek | Minneapolis College |
| Joel Jensen | North Hennepin Community College |
| Kathryn Klopfleisch | Inver Hills Community College |
| Marcus Lacher | Minnesota State Community and Technical College |
| Josh Marell | Anoka-Ramsey Community College |
| Corinne Morrow | Anoka-Ramsey Community College |
| Mike Mutschelknaus | Rochester Community and Technical College |
| Deann Ober | Ridgewater College |
| Gwen Oster | Northwest Technical College |
| Jennifer Robey | Century College |
| Monica Roth Day | Metro State University |
| Jody Sandberg | Anoka Technical College |
| Emil Towner | St. Cloud State University |
| Mindy Travers | Saint Paul College |
| Ron Ulseth | Minnesota North College |
Questions?
Catherine Ford, EdD
Program Director for Educational Development
BOTawards@MinnState.edu (preferred)
651-583-5901
Learn more at www.MinnState.edu/BOTawards.
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