Teresa Rich has been selected as College of Western Idaho’s (CWI) Faculty of Distinction for June.
Rich earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Microbiology from Brigham Young University. She has worked in a wide range of microbiology labs following graduation. In 2010, Rich joined the CWI Biology Department where she shares her love of microbiology with students. She is known for being patient and even tempered. She is always available to her students – never considering them an interruption. Nothing ever ruffles her feathers and she has a remarkable way of relating and helping people feel comfortable expressing themselves.
Her nomination said, “How is it possible to make germs and Ebola interesting? Well, Teresa does it! One of the ways she engages her students is with short introductory videos. She has this wonderfully silly collection of stuffed toys representing various germs and she uses them to create minute long videos for her students that are informative and fun and get you thinking. You can tell she enjoys it and her enthusiasm is (pun intended) ‘infectious’.”
In her spare time, Rich enjoys hiking, writing, and photography; especially if she can get a nice, in focus photo of wildlife.
Please join in congratulating Teresa for this well-deserved recognition.