2026 Excellence in Teaching Award honorees announced
Savannah Behrends
Copywriter and features editor | March 6, 2026
Metropolitan Community College (MCC) received a record number of nominations for the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development’s (NISOD) 2026 Excellence in Teaching Awards.
Six instructors — three full-time, two adjunct and one concurrent enrollment — were honored at the annual Academic Affairs Lunch at the Center for Advanced Manufacturing on the South Omaha Campus on Tuesday, March 3.
Honorees were selected for their professionalism, ability to inspire learning and the strong relationships they build with students and colleagues.
In addition to being recognized at MCC, honorees are invited to attend the Excellence Awards Dinner and Celebration at the NISOD Annual Conference in Austin, Texas.
Meet the Honorees
Edie Sample, psychology instructor
For more than two decades, Edie Sample has shared her passion for psychology as an instructor in the College’s psychology department. She strives to make subject material that might seem daunting feel approachable and accessible.
Nominator and fellow psychology faculty member Samantha Delagarza said Sample provides students with options “so students have agency and can choose assignments that are personally meaningful.”
Another nominator, psychology instructor Ryan Newton, said Sample’s dedication to student learning is clear in her work to make courses more inclusive and accessible.
“For example, her work in securing updated and cost-effective learning materials has significantly lowered textbook expenses in introductory psychology, reducing financial barriers for students,” Newton said.
For the past decade, she has also helped shape the department as subject coordinator, leading regular adjunct faculty meetings and Assessment and Curriculum Academies. Under Sample’s leadership, MCC Dean of Social Sciences Jane Franklin noted the creation of a new outcomes assessment program and expanded use of Open Educational Resources across six programs.
“Edie Sample is far more than a list of accomplishments — she embodies the very best of Metropolitan Community College’s teaching mission,” Franklin said.
Jeana Svoboda, horticulture instructor
Like the plants she teaches her students about, Jeana Svoboda is resilient, resourceful and reliable. Since joining MCC in 2015, she has helped the college’s horticulture program evolve with changing student and industry needs.
Svoboda helped redesign several courses to align with the MCC Path Forward initiative. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she also recorded lectures and created at-home lab activities that continue to support hybrid learning.
She encourages students to experience horticulture firsthand. Adjunct instructor Bernadine Cutsor said Svoboda views “the entire Fort Omaha Campus as a living classroom for plant identification courses, as most of the species students study are growing on-site.”
She has helped create several outdoor instructional spaces, including the pool garden, raised planter boxes and turf sample areas, which support learning while enhancing campus spaces for the broader community.
During the winter quarter, she coordinates a special hands-on opportunity with the St. Cecilia Cathedral Flower Festival, where students create and install a large display.
Cutsor added that Svoboda also works closely with students as they prepare for internships, even visiting sites to ensure expectations are met.
Former student-turned-instructor Holly Kempkes said Svoboda’s mentorship continues to shape her own teaching.
“I, as an instructor now, am still learning from her and see her as a mentor,” Kempkes said.
Lois Bartsch, biology instructor
Over the past decade, biology instructor Lois Bartsch has become a key member of the department. As departmental course scheduler, she works closely with college leadership to coordinate lecture and lab schedules for more than 40 sections across three campuses each quarter.
Fellow faculty member Bernadine Cutsor noted Bartsch’s role in preparing the department for the College’s new biotechnology program launching in fall 2026.
“Lois has done an excellent job staying on top of these changes and ensuring courses are scheduled to meet the needs of students in the program,” Cutsor said.
Bartsch also serves as BIOS 2150 course coordinator, working with faculty to integrate technology and activities into labs that reinforce lecture topics.
In her own classes, she frequently uses Kahoot! games and lab safety escape rooms to spark curiosity and increase student engagement.
“She always finds a way to ensure every student can learn effectively,” Cutsor said.
Stan Struble, adjunct sociology instructor
A lifelong learner and author, Stan Struble has shared his love of sociology as an MCC adjunct instructor for nearly two decades.
Longtime colleague and sociology instructor Mary Burbach said his contributions have been essential to the department.
“We would be lost without him,” Burbach said. “In addition, he travels to Mexico every summer to collect information for his creative writing and teaching.”
Former student Connie Taylor said Struble’s passion for both the subject and his students is evident in the feedback he provides.
She noted that his responses to assignments often include additional resources that encourage further exploration of course topics.
“It is very validating to an online student to see evidence that their instructor has read and responded specifically to their papers and posts when they could easily use generic comments,” Taylor said.
Franklin added that several faculty members have attended Struble’s classes to observe his teaching style.
“The faculty members sought out Stan’s courses and were deeply impressed by his subject-matter expertise, engaging teaching style and genuine passion,” Franklin said.
Joseph Koch, adjunct information technology instructor
Information technology adjunct instructor Joseph Koch is focused on preparing the next generation of IT professionals. Drawing on his experience as an information services manager at Mutual of Omaha, Koch frequently provides feedback on the MCC technology curriculum.
In a joint nomination, instructor Guillermo Rosas and Cloud Service Administration Program Coordinator Lian Ti highlighted Koch’s willingness to support program improvements.
Koch recently volunteered to evaluate a new software solution for documenting student work, “ensuring our students would have a quality curriculum experience.”
He is also an active contributor to the program’s Business and Industry Leadership Team (BILT), working with industry partners to ensure programs such as cloud, server administration and data center align with workforce needs.
“On multiple occasions, Joe has leveraged his industry expertise to provide professional feedback that guided critical updates for our data center and server administration curriculum,” they wrote. “This is unpaid, unseen labor that significantly elevates our program’s quality and ensures our graduates are marketable.”
Koch also supports students outside the classroom by offering mock interviews and encouraging them to apply for jobs early.
Student Marie Labedz said his guidance helped her develop professional skills, including writing a résumé and selecting references.
“His influence has forever changed the trajectory of my life and education. I recently got the job of a lifetime, one that I would not have applied for without his guidance,” she wrote.
Megan Han, math concurrent enrollment instructor
At Marian High School in Omaha, Megan Han teaches college-level mathematics for MCC concurrent enrollment students while cultivating excitement for the subject.
In a letter of support, one pre-calculus student wrote, “She is not only an amazing teacher but pushed me to keep going when things get hard … she is also the only teacher to ever write me a song about math!”
Another student wrote, “She makes learning feel like a privilege and not a chore.”
Marian High School Principal Susie Sullivan noted Han’s dedication to improving both her subject knowledge and teaching practice through professional development. Han recently completed her master’s degree in mathematics at the University of Nebraska Omaha.
“In my 11 years at Marian, I have accumulated more complimentary emails and notes from parents about Megan Han’s teaching ability and professionalism than any other teacher,” Sullivan wrote.