“During our first week (at the CSU Todos Santos Center), she took her free time to speak and personally check on each and every one of us. She is the only staff member at CSU that I trust with my whole heart and life. She genuinely cares for students and their well-being. Whether it be my course work or in my daily life, Dr. Purdy has made such an impact on my life in such a short amount of time. With Dr. Purdy, there are no wrong answers or mistakes – only opportunities to grow.”

—Kara Copeland (’20)

“Ben inspired me by showing that there are people working within the University who do their absolute best to provide the best environment and learning opportunities for their students. He has also inspired me to consider the academic side of chemistry by demonstrating that there are roles (in academia) that are not directly teaching students, (but still) impact students’ lives.”

—Jacob Neuwirth (’20)

“Dr. Geiss focuses on not only the intellectual development of his students but also their professional development. He helps them network to find jobs/positions and brings in community scientists from various industries to interface with the class. In this fashion, Dr. Geiss prepares his students to be well-rounded and effective members of the community that can give back. I’ve also seen students comment on how they want to continue the altruism that Dr. Geiss displays when they establish their careers. The fact that students want to emulate a teacher’s behavior/commitment is the ultimate ‘thank-you,’ in my opinion.”

—Dr. Jeffrey Wilusz, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology

“Dr. Mao always wants his students to succeed. He cares for their future not for himself, but because he believes his students have the ability to improve our world. I still think about some of the discussions and lectures Dr. Mao gave in his class. Almost all of them were about class material, but some of the most profound and memorable ones were about our futures. To call Dr. Mao inspirational is a severe understatement – he made me excited for my future.”

—Alexander Hall (’18)

“Maria was passionate about developing her students, not just as social work professionals but as community members and world citizens. Maria always encouraged us to look outside of our own immediate community to the world at large. She was an advocate for vulnerable populations, such as refugees, and always brought that experience to her classes.”

—Gina Myers (’08)

“Dr. Uchanski demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to CSU and his students, both undergraduate and graduate. He is the most passionate and engaging teacher I’ve had in my 20-plus years of education. He has a great ability to bring the real world into the classroom, which helps bring learning and education out into the real world. He has an open-door policy and makes sure to meet every student ‘where they are at’ in their journey.”

—Brian Mitchell (graduate student, ’22)

“Dr. Hanneman was a great mentor, role model, and educator. He worked hard to ensure his students left the classroom ready and equipped for the world outside. He did an amazing job of engaging students in discussions and giving them the confidence needed to be leaders in the classroom. We all left his classroom better people, well-versed scientific equals, and better prepared for life.”

—Mandy Gill (’19)