Beth Blankers Honored for Excellence in Teaching

May 23, 2016

Beth Blankers, associate professor of accounting, was named the 30th recipient of the George Wythe Award, Buena Vista University's highest honor for excellence in teaching, at the annual Faculty and Staff Recognition Dinner on May 20.

Blankers has been a member of the faculty since 2005. She earned her bachelor's degree in business administration from Drake University and earned her juris doctorate from the University of Minnesota in 2003. She is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Management Accountant and a member of the Iowa State Bar Association.

Blankers said, "I'm so very honored to have been selected as the Wythe Award winner, especially in a field of such impressive finalists by an institution that puts teaching and learning at its heart. It's extraordinarily meaningful to be named among past recipients of the award, so many I can count as colleagues, mentors and friends."

The Wythe Award includes a $30,000 stipend and a sabbatical for the recipient to pursue professional development and/or research. Blankers has some specific plans for the award and is currently investigating options, which will add to the rigor she offers in her courses.

Blankers did not begin her career teaching; instead, she started her accounting career with Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, Ohio, and, after attending law school, practiced with a law firm in Spirit Lake, Iowa. "I never dreamed of being a teacher and sort of fell into it, but now I can't imagine doing anything else," says Blankers. "I'm fortunate to work with bright, highly-motivated students who allow me to push them farther than they thought they could go."

Blankers was nominated for the Wythe Award by fellow professors, professional colleagues, alumni and current students. The other finalists for the 2016 Wythe Award were Dr. Gwen Hart, assistant professor of English composition; Dr. Kristy McClellan, associate professor of biology; and Dr. Steven Mills, assistant professor of Spanish.

In announcing the recipient, Dr. Annamaria Formichella Elsden, noted that, "the professional coaching she provides to each of her students is hands-down the best on campus. Beth works with Career and Personal Development staff on providing special resume and interview sessions focused on employment success. Last year all of her students were employed within 6 months of graduation."

Blankers acknowledged the award's intent to reward good teaching and, more importantly, inspire recipients to raise the standards of teaching. "Receiving this award is not just recognition of past work, but an incentive to do more, and I'll do my very best to live up to that."

The Wythe Award is endowed through a gift from the late BVU Life Trustee Drs. Paul and Vivian McCorkle (Class of 1958). The award is named for George Wythe, the educator whose students included Thomas Jefferson John Marshall, James Monroe and Henry Clay.