Dr. Donald Gerbig, associate professor of biological sciences at Kent State University at Tuscarawas, recently received the 2016 Distinguished Teaching Award. Sponsored by the Kent State Alumni Association, the Distinguished Teaching Award is the university’s most prestigious faculty honor. Gerbig was one of three recipients selected from 10 finalists.
“I have been privileged to teach and mentor students at Kent State Tuscarawas the past 14 years,” Gerbig said. “Guiding students to success is a reward by itself. Receiving the DTA this year is an honor and high point in my career at Kent State University.”
The award is presented annually to three full-time faculty members who demonstrate extraordinary teaching in the classroom and a devotion to touching the lives of students. Qualified nominees must be tenure track faculty who have taught on any Kent State campus for a minimum of seven years.
“We are proud Dr. Gerbig has been selected for this notable award for the entire Kent State eight-campus system,” said Dr. Brad Bielski, dean and chief administrative officer of Kent State Tuscarawas. “Dr. Gerbig is an outstanding, well respected professor and dedicated member of our campus community. He is actively involved in campus committees, making significant contributions to numerous initiatives.”
Employed by Kent State University since 1996, Gerbig has taught the last 14 years at Kent State Tuscarawas. He teaches several courses, including anatomy for Physical and Occupational Therapy, Structure and Function, Basic Microbiology, Basic Microbiology Laboratory, and Biological Foundations, to name a few. He has had numerous articles published in scholarly journals.
Other awards Gerbig has received include the Kent State Tuscarawas Full Time Distinguished Teaching Award in 2003 and 2015, the Phi Sigma Alpha National Honor Society and the Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society.
Gerbig earned his Ph.D. in Comparative and Experimental Medicine, and a Master of Science in Microbiology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology, cum laude from the University of Akron.
He and his wife, Fran have three daughters and reside in Dover.
The Kent State University Distinguished Teaching award was also presented to Kent Campus faculty members Colleen Novak, associate professor of biological sciences, and Jan Leach, associate professor of journalism and mass communications.