Belbas Larson Awards for Excellence in Teaching
The Belbas-Larson Award for Excellence in Teaching is the highest honor USD bestows upon its educators.
The annual award recognizes one tenured and one non-tenured faculty member at the spring commencement with a $5,000 tribute.
The Belbas-Larson Awards were established by a 1956 graduate of USD, Dean Belbas of Edina, Minnesota, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, a former vice president of General Mills and former chairman of the board of the USD Foundation, and his close friends, Harold W. and Kathryn Larson of Scottsdale, Arizona.
Award Criteria (in rank order):
- Demands rigor and high standards of performance for her/himself and for students
- Inspires students to greater achievement
- Ensures course content represents the highest standards in the field
- Maintains involvement with students outside the classroom
- Receives highly positive evaluations by current or former students
- Shows evidence of continuing professional development, and
- Demonstrates improved teaching technique.
2024 Award Winners
Dr. Andrea Liebl, honored in the tenured category, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology, in the College of Arts & Sciences. Liebl received her Ph.D. in Behavior and Physiology of Range Expansion from the University of South Florida in 2013, her M.S. in Ecotoxicology of New Orleans post-Katrina from the University of New Orleans in 2007, and her B.S. in Psychobiology from Southampton College in 2005. Her teaching and research interests include Molecular Biology, Animal Behavior, Field Ecology Kenya, and how the environment influences phonotypes beyond the scope of genotype, specifically the effects of developmental and current (adult) environment on behavioral and physiological phenotypes.
Dr. Saige Kelmelis, honored in the non-tenured category, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology, in the College of Arts & Sciences. She received her Ph.D. in Anthropology and Demography from Pennsylvania State University in 2019, her M.S. in Forensic Anthropology from Boston University School of Medicine in 2014, and her B.A. in Anthropology from Franklin Pierce University in 2011. Her teaching and research interests include Biological Anthropology, Forensic Anthropology, Bioarchaeology, Past Health and Epidemics, Anthropological Demography, Evolution, Paleodemography, Hazard Analyses and Bayesian Statistics in Human Demography, Cementochronology and Human Life Histories in Bangladesh, Effects of Urbanization, Climate Change, Agricultural Growth on Health and Disease in Medieval Denmark, Paleodemography and Health in Ancient Maya, and Tattooing and Health.
Past Award Winners
Year | Tenured | Non-Tenured |
---|---|---|
2023 | Hannah Haksgaard Knudson School of Law |
Lauren Freese College of Fine Arts Department of Art |
2022 | Joseph Tinguely College of Arts & Sciences Department of History/Philosophy Program |
Anthony Krus College of Arts & Sciences Department of Anthropology and Sociology |
2021 | Angela Helmer College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Modern Languages and Linguistics |
Julia Hellwege College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Political Science |
2020 | Shane Nordyke College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Political Science |
Lisa Ann Robertson College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of English |
2019 | Christopher Meyer College of Fine Arts Dept. of Art |
Prentiss Clark College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of English |
2018 | Chaya Gordon-Bland College of Fine Arts Dept. of Theatre |
Paul Lombardi College of Fine Arts Dept. of Music |
2017 | Jason Porter Beacom School of Business Div. of Accounting and Finance |
David Lane College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Anthropology and Sociology |
2016 | Cassandra McKeown College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Political Science/Criminal Justice |
Kathryn Birkeland Beacom School of Business Div. of Economics and Decision Sciences |
2015 |
Tracelyn Gesteland College of Fine Arts Dept. of Music |
Sarah Sik College of Fine Arts Dept. of Art |
2014 |
Jacob Kerby College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Biology |
David Holdhusen College of Fine Arts Dept. of Music |
2013 | Angeline Lavin Beacom School of Business Dept. of Finance |
Thomas Horton School of Law |
2012 | Cliff Summers College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Biology |
David Hulac School of Education Div. of Counseling & Psychology in Education |
2011 | Joseph Vitt College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Chemistry |
Michael Allgrunn Beacom School of Business Div. of Economics, Decision Sciences & Statistics |
2010 | De Vee Dykstra Beacom School of Business Div. of Marketing, Management & Business Law |
Candace Walton College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Contemporary Media & Journalism |
2009 | Thomas Davies Beacom School of Business Div. of Accounting |
David Carr Beacom School of Business Div. of Economics |
2008 | Chris Hutton School of Law |
Amy Schweinle School of Education Div. of Counseling & Psychology in Education |
2007 | Michael Roche College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Political Science |
David Moskowitz College of Fine Arts Dept. of Music |
2006 | Christina Keller College of Arts & Sciences |
Gregory Huckabee School of Business Dept. of Marketing |
2005 | Susan Gray College of Fine Arts Dept. of Music |
Elizabeth Smith College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Political Science |
2004 | John M. Banasiak College of Fine Arts Dept. of Music |
Terry A. Robertson College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Communication Studies |
2003 | Judith Sebesta College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of History |
Harry Freeman School of Education Div. of Counseling & Psychology in Education |
2002 | Charles Thatcher School of Law |
Douglas A. Peterson College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Psychology |
2001 | Steven J. Bucklin College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of History |
Norma C. Wilson College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of English |
2000 | Angeline Lavin School of Business Div. of Economics |
Barbara Yutrzenka College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Psychology |
1999 | Paul Cherry College of Fine Arts Dept. of Music |
Laura Horton School of Education Alcohol & Drug Abuse Studies |
1998 | Frank Pommersheim School of Law |
Susan Swan College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Speech Communication |
1997 | Lana Danielson School of Education Div. of Curriculum and Instruction |
Jack Sumner School of Education Div. of Educational Administration |
1996 | Bruce May School of Business Div. of Business Law |
Robert Wood School of Education Div. of Curriculum and Instruction |
1995 | David H. Moen School of Business Div. of Economics, Decision Sciences & MIS |
Cliff Summers College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Biology |
1994 | Frank J. Aiello College of Fine Arts Dept. of Music |
Linda A. Good School of Education Div. of Curriculum and Instruction |
1993 | Thomas A. Holme College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Chemistry |
Andrew Karantinos College of Arts & Sciences Dept. of Mathematical Sciences |
1992 | Dennis A. Johnson School of Business Div. of Economics, Decision Sciences & MIS |
Timothy Case College of Fine Arts Dept. of Theatre |
1991 | Diane B. Hoadley School of Business Div. of Accounting & Business Law |
Linda J. Reetz School of Education Div. of Curriculum & Instruction |