ABERDEEN, S.D. – Northern State University proudly announces the recipients of its 2025 outstanding faculty awards, recognizing two exceptional faculty members at Northern for their dedication to teaching, research and service. Dr. Amy Dolan, associate professor of biology and STEM outreach coordinator, has been awarded the NSU Foundation Faculty Excellence Award. Dr. Salvador Villegas, assistant professor of management, has received the NSU Outstanding Early Career Faculty Award.
The awards were announced at Northern’s spring commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 10.
Dr. Amy Dolan: NSU Foundation Faculty Excellence Award
Dr. Amy Dolan is recognized with the NSU Foundation Faculty Excellence Award for her sustained and exceptional contributions to teaching, scholarly activity and service. Having been with NSU since 2013 and serving in her current role since 2019 (promoted to associate professor in 2024), Dolan has made a significant impact on the Department of Science and Mathematics and the wider community.
Colleagues and students alike praise Dolan for her engaging and rigorous teaching style across a wide array of biology courses, including human anatomy and physiology, gross anatomy and bioethics. She is noted for her phenomenal student opinion of instruction ratings and her willingness to go above and beyond, often teaching significant overloads and developing new course formats to enhance student learning, such as redesigning the anatomy and physiology curriculum. Dolan is deeply committed to her students, fostering a supportive environment and pushing them to think critically, which prepares them exceptionally well for professional and graduate studies.
Beyond the classroom, Dolan is a prolific researcher, focusing on areas such as the hematological and genetic analyses of western painted turtles, often involving undergraduate students in her work. Her most visible contribution to service is her role as the STEM outreach coordinator. In this capacity, she has developed and delivered STEM activities and kits to thousands of elementary students in the region, significantly enhancing science education and Northern's community engagement. As one nominator stated, "Dr. Dolan is simply an outstanding faculty member and acknowledgement of this is long overdue."
Dolan expressed her gratitude, stating,?"I am truly humbled to receive this award amongst such a phenomenal group of faculty colleagues. Northern is a special place - one where the students are at the center of everything we do. I've really enjoyed getting to know so many great Northern students in and out of the classroom."?
Dr. Salvador Villegas: NSU Outstanding Early Career Faculty Award
Dr. Salvador Villegas receives the NSU Outstanding Early Career Faculty Award, which honors faculty members who have demonstrated a strong record of commitment to excellence in teaching, research and service early in their careers at NSU. Since joining the School of Business in 2020, Villegas has quickly become an invaluable asset.
Villegas is lauded for his unparalleled enthusiasm and dedication to teaching and mentorship. He brings nearly two decades of banking and finance experience into his classrooms, providing students with practical, real-world insights. He is known for his personalized approach, including meeting individually with every student in his classes each term. This commitment yields remarkable results: his students have achieved global recognition, ranking as high as first in the world in the GLO-BUS business strategy simulation, and have consistently earned top awards at the Governor's Giant Vision competition.
In addition to his teaching prowess, Villegas has taken on significant leadership roles. He now leads NSU’s banking and financial services program, working to align curriculum with industry needs. He also is playing a key role in NSU’s upcoming HLC reaccreditation efforts and serves as chair of the School of Business assessment committee. Villegas maintains an active research agenda, with numerous publications including impactful work on "A Modern Framework for Leading Autistic Adults in the Workplace." As a nominator noted, "Northern State University is fortunate to have such a dynamic and engaged faculty member."
Upon receiving the award, Villegas said,?“Earning the Outstanding Early Career Faculty Award is both humbling and energizing. It affirms that student-centered teaching, experiential learning, and authentic engagement are critical in higher education. I’m proud to be part of a university that values innovation and impact from day one. Winning this award was only possible due to the constant support of my loving family, outstanding colleagues, and phenomenal students who motivate me to be a better educator. Thank you to the entire Northern community for your inspiration and constant support.”
Past Award Recipients
A list of past award winners is provided below:
NSU Foundation Faculty Excellence Award/Outstanding Faculty Member Award
- 2024 Art Marmorstein
- 2023 Hannah Walters
- 2022 Elizabeth Haller
- 2021 Kristi Bockorny
- 2020 Jon Mitchell
- 2019 Greg Blair
- 2018 Peter Ramey
- 2017 Courtney Wald-Lindberg
- 2016 Anthony Wachs
- 2015 Sara Schmidt
- 2014 Sara Christensen Blair
- 2013 Alyssa Kiesow
- 2012 Daniel Yurgaitis
- 2011 Erin Fouberg
- 2010 Robin Rosenthal
- 2009 Peter Kilian
- 2008 Gayle Bortnem
- 2007 Paul Everson
- 2006 William Wieland
- 2005 Jon Schaff
- 2004 Jon Lim
- 2003 Jeff Jay
- 2002 Grant Manhart
- 2001 Lysbeth Benkert-Rasmussen
- 2000 Ken Blanchard
- 1999 Connie Golar
- 1998 Ric Dias
- 1997 Abid Elkhader
- 1996 David Grettler
NSU Outstanding Early Career Faculty Award
- 2024 Chelsee Shortt
- 2023 Shalini Mathew
- 2022 Ben Harley
- 2021 Anna Schwan
- 2020 Kristi Brownfield
About the Awards
The NSU Foundation Faculty Excellence Award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated sustained excellence in teaching, contributions to their discipline through scholarly and creative activity and impactful service to the university, community or profession.
The Outstanding Early Career Faculty Award acknowledges faculty members within their first few years at NSU who exhibit exceptional promise and a strong commitment to outstanding teaching, research or creative activity and service.