Dr. Kristopher Wright, professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, is being recognized with the 2023 Nimocks Family Faculty Appreciation Award. Created by Provost Emeritus Dr. Mittie Nimocks Den Herder, the Nimocks Family Faculty Appreciation Award honors and recognizes outstanding faculty at UW-Platteville who teach effectively, teach the value of diversity, teach the ability to argue sensitive issues with competence and civility, create opportunities for students to engage in high-impact practices and teach the importance of a liberal arts education.
Wright said he was incredibly honored yet humbled when he found out he was being recognized with the award.
“Obviously there is a sense of joy and pride when you are formally recognized for doing what you do,” said Wright. “I know Mittie, and I know how much Mittie contributed and meant to UW-Platteville, so, it’s a special honor to be recognized with this award. It’s also very humbling to consider all the other outstanding colleagues I have who also deserve such recognition.”
Wright earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his master’s and Ph.D. from Oregon State University. He began his career at UW-Platteville in 2001 and has taught a variety of courses over the years, but now primarily teaches Concepts of Biology lectures and labs, Ecology and Evolution, and Ecological Methods and Research.
“He has a passion for biology that he takes with him into the classroom,” said Dr. Amanda Trewin, professor and chair of biology, who nominated Wright. “I think his students enjoy the energy that he brings. He doesn’t hesitate to incorporate new teaching strategies into his curriculum, if they will foster learning, and consistently earns outstanding student and peer evaluations related to his teaching effectiveness.”
In 2007, when the biology department went through a major overhaul of the curriculum and developed new courses, Wright was responsible for building the course templates for four different courses and was part of colleague teams that developed and/or modified three different courses. Wright said there is a special sense of pride knowing such efforts have become part of his legacy as a faculty member at UW-Platteville.
“I believe it is my duty to help students learn how to learn, think critically, apply knowledge and skills to new situations and perhaps most importantly, effectively communicate their ideas,” said Wright, who wants his students to learn how everything in biology is connected and how to communicate those connections to others. “The best ideas may be lost in poor communication, just as the worst ideas can change history depending on how they are communicated.”
Wright says watching students have lightbulb moments is the fuel that keeps him teaching and that there are few more spirit-lifting experiences than having a student thank him and tell him they enjoyed his class. He will be recognized at the university’s annual faculty and staff convocation on Thursday, Aug. 31.