The 2020-2021 recipient of the Kreider Prize for Teaching Excellence is Judy Beck Ericksen, Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy.
The Professional Development Committee chose Ericksen from nominations submitted by alumni, current students, faculty, and staff. In addition to receiving a monetary award, Ericksen will be publically recognized at a campus-wide event during which she will share remarks with the campus community.
“The Professional Development Committee is pleased to announce this year’s Kreider Prize recipient is Dr. Judy Beck Ericksen,” said Brenda Read-Daily, Chair of the Professional Development Committee. “Students, alumni, faculty, and staff deeply respect and admire her outstanding mentorship, service ethic, and classroom engagement.”
Nomination letters described Ericksen as a great listener who takes time to get to know her students holistically. She builds trust with her students, allowing them to feel “heard and valued.”
In addition to her patient listening, students and alumni described her support and encouragement and its impact on their lives, stating, “She sees the potential in students and knows exactly what to do and say to access that potential.”
Kreider Prize Background
Through the generosity of Thomas Conner ’72, professor of history at Hillsdale College, the annual award is made possible and awarded to a current Elizabethtown College faculty member for excellence in teaching and mentoring. The award is named in honor of J. Kenneth Kreider, professor of history emeritus, and Carroll L. Kreider, professor of business emerita, “for their inspirational service to countless students at Elizabethtown College.” The Kreiders were not only inspirational in the classroom but also were powerful mentors and role models.