UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls

Distinguished Teacher

2001 - Geoffrey Schuerman

Geoffrey ScheurmanGeoffrey Scheurman, associate professor of teacher education, has been named the Distinguished Teacher at UW-River Falls, the highest honor that can be bestowed by the University.

Scheurman becomes the 38th recipient of the most prestigious award presented by the University to recognize excellence in fulfilling the University¹s 126-year-old primary mission of undergraduate education.

His selection was announced on May 10 to coincide with the dedication ceremony for a Distinguished Teacher display at the Walker Wyman Education Building. The unveiling was in conjunction with a visit to UW-River Falls by the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents.

Selection for the honor is determined by polling of graduating seniors and recent graduates. With his selection, Scheurman will be invited to deliver the 2001 Fall Commencement address.

Scheurman received accolades from graduating seniors and recent graduates who nominated him for the award. Among the many comments were:"Dr. Scheurman was the most motivating teacher I ever had in my college career. He is passionate, knowledgeable and genuine. He helps his students look outside their normal way of thinking."

Another added, "He has a unique gift for making every student feel important. He helped students believe in themselves and in what they were doing. Best of all, he made learning fun!"

Chancellor Ann Lydecker noted of Scheurman¹s nomination, "At UW-River Falls our most important mission is teaching. We ask our faculty to become engaged in all aspects of a student¹s learning: in the classroom, through internships, in professional organizations and in contributing to the community and their professions. Professor Scheurman excels in all of these areas in teaching and in mentoring to his students so they realize their fullest potential as professionals and as individuals."

Karen Viechnicki, dean of the College of Education and Graduate Studies, said, "Dr. Scheurman is a highly dedicated teacher who models the kind of teaching and learning environment that undergraduate and graduate secondary education students can learn from. He brings high energy, enthusiasm and a sense of humor to the work in which he engages."

Scheurman is a frequent presenter at national conferences. He is widely published in scholarly journals, and he is actively engaged in helping teaching professionals to remain current in their field.

Among his professional associations are memberships in the National and Wisconsin Councils for Social Studies, the American Educational Research Association, Phi Delta Kappa and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and he serves on numerous College and University faculty committees.

Before joining the faculty at UW-River Falls in 1993, Scheurman taught middle school and high school in Douglas, Wyoming. He holds a doctorate in educational psychology with emphases in lifespan intellectual development, constructivist learning theory, and intrinsic motivation from the University of Iowa. His bachelor's and master's degrees are from the University of Wyoming.