CSC math professor is teacher of the year

Stack, who serves as chairman of CSC’s math department, was chosen by the Nebraska State Colleges Board of Trustees for the George Rebensdorf Teaching Excellence Award. The $3,000 award is presented annually.

Stack was nominated by Dr. Monty Fickel, long-time CSC math professor and former dean of the School of Math and Science. Fickel said that Stack is “an excellent practitioner of the art and science of undergraduate instruction, the first priority of the system.”

He said Stack is popular with students, blending several strategies of instruction in courses and maintaining student involvement in each.

Dr. Joyce Hardy, CSC vice president for academic and student affairs, said Stack’s technological skills have helped make Chadron State’s online math program – which is one of just a few such undergraduate programs in the nation -- successful. “It’s highly interactive, and the students love it,” she said. “He is very supportive of student learning, and does his best to make sure students finish his courses with the information they need to be productive.”

Stack is involved in numerous activities on- and off-campus. He has presented research papers and workshops at state, regional and national math education conferences. He is president-elect of the Nebraska Association of Teachers of Mathematics and has served on the state’s PreK-16 articulation panel. He also serves the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics as a folio reader, evaluting mathematics programs for accreditation by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.

Fickel noted that Stack’s interests “transcend departmental lines.” He is Chadron State’s faculty athletic representative for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and NCAA, teaches a coaching techniques course for softball and baseball, and was formerly Chadron’s American Legion baseball coach.

Before coming to Chadron State in 1998, Stack was an instructor in the math department at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion for four years. He earned all three of his degrees from USD – a doctorate in 1998, master’s degree in 1991 and a bachelor’s degree in 1990. He also was the school’s head baseball coach from 1994-1998.

Stack and his wife, Jill, have six children. They are Kiya, 12, Riley, 10, Caston, 7, Jayden, 6, Brooklyn, 4, and Kennady, 1.

Stack received a standing ovation during a Chadron State faculty and staff meeting Thursday when CSC President Dr. Tom Krepel announced that he had won. Stack is the sixth Chadron State faculty member to win the award since it was created in 1984. Other recipients include Dr. George Watson, 1989, Dr. Lois Veath, 1993, Dr. Charollene Coates, 1994, Dr. Patricia Cruzeiro, 1998 and Dr. Barbara Limbach, 1999.

The cash award derives from an endowment established by FirsTier Bank in memory of Rebensdorf, who was a long-time member of the Nebraska State Colleges Board of Trustees and a FirsTier officer. Each of the Nebraska State Colleges – CSC, Wayne State and Peru State – nominates one candidate for the award.

Audio Files:

Dr. Stack's reaction to winning the award, thoughts about teaching and community involvement.