Congratulations to College of Western Idaho (CWI) Associate Professor of Biology, Andy Jensen, who has been named Idaho's 2026 GEM Innovative Educator of the Year in Scientific Ways of Knowing for his instruction in Anatomy and Physiology.
The statewide award recognizes faculty who use creative approaches to general education instruction and help students connect classroom learning to their lives and future careers.
"It's nice to be recognized for the things I do in class and for my students," Jensen said. "I'm constantly thinking of different things to try to convey concepts to students and make those ideas easier to understand but was very surprised to be recognized at the state level."
Jensen began teaching as an Adjunct Faculty member at CWI in 2010 after stepping away from his chiropractic practice. What started as an unexpected career change quickly became a passion. He joined CWI as a full-time Faculty member in 2012 and has spent more than a decade sharing his knowledge of the human body with students.
With 10 years of experience as a chiropractor, Jensen brings real-world knowledge into his Anatomy and Physiology classroom. He strives to make learning engaging and fun by finding new ways to explain challenging concepts, including sharing stories from his clinical practice to help students better understand the material and its real-world applications.
Jensen also arranges for students to visit the Treasure Valley Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory once each term, giving them an opportunity to see what they are studying firsthand.
One of his favorite parts of teaching at CWI is meeting students from different backgrounds and learning about the experiences they bring to his classroom.
"I love sharing my passion for anatomy and physiology with CWI's diverse student population," Jensen said. "The variety of backgrounds and experience of my students continuously astonish me."
Jensen was recognized alongside four other statewide GEM award recipients during the annual General Education Summit on Thursday, Oct. 1, in Boise. He also participated in a faculty panel where award winners shared their teaching experiences and discussed different approaches to student learning with educators from across Idaho.
Congratulations to Jensen on this statewide recognition!
