Three faculty honored with Outstanding Teaching Awards

Three Bloomsburg faculty members, Kerrie DeVries, Christian Grandzol, and Scott Inch were named the University's 2021-22 Outstanding Teaching Award recipients by the Teaching and Learning Enhancement (TALE) Center.

DeVries is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology; Christian Grandzol, is a professor in the Department of Management and International Business; and Inch is a professor in the Department of Mathematical and Digital Sciences. The faculty were nominated by graduating seniors from the class of 2021-22 and selected by TALE's Outstanding Teaching Award Committee.

"Congratulations to this year's TALE Outstanding Teacher Award recipients," said Bloomsburg University president Bashar Hanna. "I am grateful to Kerrie DeVries, Christian Grandzol, and Scott Inch and all our outstanding faculty members who go above and beyond in support of our students and their success."

Dr. Kerrie DeVries creates an inclusive learning environment for students. She is fearless, inspiring, and uplifting. One nominee writes, "Dr. DeVries dives into one of the toughest issues in the nation today [racism] with grace, understanding, and pragmatism. She encourages tough but eye-opening conversations." Her teaching methods compel students to explore their world and discover how they can make a difference. She is applauded for her ability to "relate, analyze, and execute a very challenging curriculum" with composure and humility. DeVries' courses explore race from a psychological perspective and the role of both cultural and social psychology in group and identity formation. Her research examines psychological factors leading to college retention for diverse student populations.

Dr. Christian Grandzol receives high praise for the job-ready skills that he teaches through class discussions and assignments. Students value the high levels of preparation that Dr. Grandzol puts into his course content which he makes timely and relevant. He is selflessly dedicated to student learning and success. Of special note is Dr. Grandzol's use of team projects that replicate real-world business practices. Adjectives to describe Dr. Grandzol are "knowledgeable," "brilliant," "caring," "amazing," and "engaging." Dr. Grandzol's scholarly work integrates with his teaching in a variety of ways including the development of Harvard-style case studies on a variety of supply chain management topics and innovative pedagogy. Dr. Grandzol also received the Outstanding Teaching Award in 2011.

Dr. Scott Inch earns accolades for the real-world examples he brings into the classroom. One student described his digital forensics course as the most challenging and "exemplary [because] it provided a fantastic benchmark for what I - as a student - am capable of in my major." His teaching creates a space for students to be uniquely "clever and inquisitive." Always caring and approachable, Dr. Inch facilitates students in their career pursuits. The digital forensics curriculum taught by Dr. Inch includes file systems, traditional hard disk forensics, mobile devices, and e-discovery. His renowned expertise has been called for in criminal and civil investigations in the shape of expert reports, depositions, and court testimony.

All recipients will be acknowledged at the Spring 2022 commencement ceremonies on Sunday, May 15, and be awarded a plaque by the Provost Diana Rogers-Adkinson at a future date. In addition, recipients are awarded a professional development stipend through the BU Foundation.

The 2021-22 Outstanding Teaching Award Committee is comprised of Victoria Geyfman, finance; Michael Hickey, history; Denise Davidson, teaching and learning; David Fazzino, anthropology; Abby Hare-Harris, biological and allied health sciences; and committee chair, L.M. Stallbaumer-Beishline, TALE Director.