Wiesen-Martin receives Wurtz Award for Teaching Excellence 

September 12, 2019 – Assistant Professor Desiree Wiesen-Martin has been named a recipient of the 2019 Dr. Keith G. Wurtz Award for Teaching Excellence at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

The Wurtz Award recognizes outstanding and innovative teachers who have made exceptional contributions to the university and to the community. Recipients demonstrate “trailblazing” innovative approaches to teaching, display scholarship of teaching and learning, innovative use of technology, curriculum development, assessment approaches and outreach and partnerships with collaborators on or off campus.   

Peers who nominated Wiesen-Martin described her record as an educator as being “beyond outstanding.” 

“I have seen her on a very steep trajectory of growth in just five years on our campus; student learning and student success have clearly been of central importance to Desiree’s approach. Never one to rest on what she did previously, she seeks out approaches that keep students engaged,” wrote one peer.  Another wrote “Dr. Wiesen-Martin is constantly looking to push her boundaries as a teacher, challenging herself to improve.”

Wiesen-Martin holds a Ph.D. from the University of New Hampshire. She earned her master’s degree in sociology and bachelor’s degree in political science from Minnesota State University, Mankato.

In congratulating Wiesen-Martin on her award, UW-River Falls Provost David Travis emphasized comments from colleagues who described Wiesen-Martin as a student-centered educator, a mentor, a trailblazer in the use of instructional strategies and an innovator in her approaches to assessment. 

“I appreciate the tremendous energy, creativity and thought Associate Professor Wiesen-Martin has invested in her work as a teacher and scholar at UW-River Falls,” said Travis. “She is making a significant difference in the academic success of our students.”

For more information about the Wurtz Award, email wes.chapin@uwrf.edu or call 715-425-0629.