The Wyoming Distance Education Consortium (WyDEC) has named Jeff Walter, a full-time Sheridan College math faculty member, the 2023 Innovative Educator of the Year for Northern Wyoming Community College District. Walter will be honored at the seventh annual Wyoming Innovations in Learning Conference, which will be held November 2-3, 2023.
WyDEC, an advisory committee for the council of Academic Vice Presidents of the Wyoming Community College Commission, awards one faculty member nominated by each of the seven community colleges and the University of Wyoming each year. The Innovative Educator Award recognizes exemplary educators who demonstrate a commitment to education by bringing innovative learning experiences to their students. Recipients have worked hard to create a collaborative, student-centered, active learning experience, which further demonstrates connectedness with students and their learning.
“It is heartwarming to see Mr. Walter be recognized for the innovation he has been bringing to the classroom and the teaching and learning process for years at Sheridan College, said SC President Walter Tribley. “He is a great example of the confluence of how caring and technology can make a difference in higher education.”
Walter, who is originally from Brockport, New York, teaches a variety of in-person and virtual math classes at Sheridan College and has been recognized for his ability to make the difficult subjects easier to understand. As a fellow instructor noted, Walter goes above and beyond to help his students, both in person and online.
“He is teaching a hard course but makes it easy to follow along and comprehend,” one student commented in the spring 2023 annual student survey. “He makes coming to class enjoyable.”
Walter earned bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and secondary education from SUNY Brockport (NY) and a master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Arizona. He has taught at Sheridan College since 2016.
