Alumni Educator and Nursing Awards

Alumni recognized

Alumni educators

The Regional Center for Teaching and Learning at Morningside College recognized the 2011 National Alumni Educator of the Year and the Siouxland Alumni Teacher of the Year during a special banquet held in March. To be considered for the awards, candidates had to exemplify the qualities of an effective educator, have made a significant contribution to the field of education and have had a positive impact on students and their families. Morningside founded the Regional Center for Teaching and Learning in 2001 to work collaboratively with other institutions and agencies to improve education in the tri-state region.

National Alumni Educator of the Year

Dr. Bruce Borchers 1993 was named the 2011 National Alumni Educator of the Year. He is superintendent of the Rockwood School District in Eureka, Mo. This is the largest school district in St. Louis County with more than 22,300 students. Borchers started his career as an elementary physical education teacher in the Sioux City Community School District. He also has worked as an interim assistant principal and guidance counselor in Iowa City, Iowa; an assistant principal and principal in Mankato, Minn.; and an associate superintendent of secondary schools for the Anoka-Hennepin School District, which is the largest school district in the state of Minnesota. He was named Rockwood School District superintendent in 2010. Borchers has master’s degrees from Wayne State College in Nebraska and the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. He earned his doctorate in education from the University of Minnesota.

Siouxland Alumni Teacher of the Year

Crista Limoges 2004 was named the Siouxland Alumni Teacher of the Year. She is an advanced placement language arts and psychology instructor at Sioux City North High School. Limoges has taught at North High School for seven years. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Limoges is the founder of the Friends of Rachel Club, which sponsors a variety of service activities for North High School students and staff. She serves as a member of the language arts curriculum committee and the faculty leadership team. Limoges has a master’s degree in education administration from Wayne State College in Nebraska. Other nominees for the Siouxland Alumni Teacher of the Year award were Lynne (Erickson) Boulden 1974, Lisa (Cunningham)

d’Auguste 2007, Rochelle (Coffman) Greigg 2002, Lonnie Hill 2009, Karla Lichty 1993, Rebecca (Dreager) Mahlberg 2007, Erin (Barham) Pinney 2003, Billie (Eastling) Pomerenke 1983, Kari (Altena) Rea 1997, Maria Ruelas 2004, Shelly (McQuade) Sadler 1992,

Julie (Henderson) Sweeney 1993 and Robin (Brower) Wilmesherr 1994, Sioux City Community School District; Chuck Prior 1986, Lawton-Bronson Community School District; Rosemary Andrews 1992, South Sioux City Community School District; Cindi Byrne 1978, West Monona Community School District; and Julie (Watson) Murphy 1993, Westwood Community School District.

Nursing Alumna of the Year

The Morningside College Department of Nursing and the Morningside Student Nurses’ Association recognized Sheila (Peuse) Jennebach 1995 of Zumbrota, Minn., as the 2011 Nursing Alumna of the Year during the Maud Adams Nursing Research Day, which took place in April. Jennebach is a native of Sioux Center, Iowa. She works in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Mayo Clinic’s Saint Marys Hospital in Rochester, Minn. Jennebach has worked at Mayo Clinic for all 15 years of her nursing career. From 1995 to 1999, she was a staff nurse on an adult medical floor with patients facing diverse medical needs, including acute and chronic renal failure. She was selected to serve as nurse liaison from 1997 to 1999, representing nursing on a team to facilitate communication, continuity of care and discharge planning for adult medical patients. In 1999, Jennebach transferred to the NICU, where she now serves as a breastfeeding resource advocate and bereavement coordinator. Her leadership role in the NICU has included responsibilities as charge nurse and as NICU magnet champion for the 2010 Mayo Clinic Magnet Recognition Redesignation Program. She also serves as a member of the planning committee for the Mayo Eugenio Litta Children’s Hospital Remembrance Celebration. The Nursing Alumni Scholarship was presented in Jennebach’s honor to Leslie Pfeifer of Juniata, Neb. The scholarship is presented each year to a student who shows potential for outstanding professionalism in nursing. Pfeifer graduated this spring from Adams Central Junior-Senior High School in Juniata, and she plans to enroll at Morningside this fall to pursue a Bachelor of Science in nursing. The nursing research day started in 1983 as a tribute to the late Maud Adams, a former chair of the Morningside nursing department. Before she came to Morningside, Adams served as a staff nurse, instructor and administrator in various public health agencies and nursing programs.