Dr. Jessica deVega (left), Dr. Jackie (Brummond) Barber 1995 and Dr. David Elder

Morningside College has awarded its 2012 Sharon Walker  Faculty Excellence Awards to Dr. Jackie (Brummond) Barber 1995, professor of nursing  education; Dr. Jessica deVega, assistant professor of religious studies; and  Dr. David Elder, assistant professor of writing and rhetoric.

Morningside President John Reynders presented the awards  during the annual faculty banquet held December 15 at the Sioux City Country  Club. The recipients, selected from a field of nominees by a panel of three  outside evaluators, will each receive a $10,000 honorarium and $3,000 to use  for faculty development.

The Sharon Walker Faculty Excellence Awards are funded by a  gift from Morningside alumni Jim and Sharon Walker of Wayzata, Minn.

Criteria for selection include teaching excellence,  effective advising, scholarship and service to Morningside College. The awards  are based upon the accomplishments and activities of a faculty member during  the previous academic year.

Barber started teaching at Morningside in 1997. She has a  bachelor’s degree from Morningside College, a master’s degree from Creighton  University in Omaha, Neb., and a doctorate from the College of Saint Mary in  Omaha.  The Walker Award evaluators cited  Barber’s passion for teaching that manifests itself through effective and  innovative classroom work.

DeVega joined the Morningside faculty in 2007. She has a  bachelor’s degree from Eckerd College of St. Petersburg, Fla., a master’s  degree from United Theological Seminary and a doctorate from Florida State  University in Fort Lauderdale. The Walker Award evaluators noted that deVega’s  students and colleagues consistently praise her as a passionate, innovative and  excellent teacher.

Elder has been teaching at Morningside since 2010. He  received a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa,  and a doctorate from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. The Walker Award  evaluators commended Elder for his energetic and engaging teaching style that  captures the attention of students and involves them in class activities.

Evaluators for the 2012 Sharon Walker Faculty  Excellence Awards were Dr. Suzette Astley, professor of psychology, Cornell  College, Mount Vernon, Iowa; Dr. Christopher Gilbert, professor of political  science, Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minn.; and Dr. John Krebs,  professor of music, Hendrix College, Conway, Ark.