2023: Dr. Vicki Sterling

Dr. Sterling researched the impact of technology on student writing and provided training to integrate technology into literacy learning. She also founded the first South Dakota Literacy Day. Sterling shared her passion and expertise at state conferences, presenting on the topics of reading, language arts, social studies, and computer software. She also took her knowledge around the globe, through her membership in the International Reading Association (IRA). She also traveled to Shanghai, China in 2007 to teach reading and language arts methods to approximately 200 teachers. She accompanied students on spring break trips to volunteer and teach at a school in Belize; in 2016 the group donated 1,100 pounds of books to the school. On campus, Sterling was well respected by her students. “She truly cared about preparing her students to be successful teachers,” and “painted a picture of what professionalism looked like,” Schneider stated. Sterling gained her peers’ respect, earning the 2007 DeWayne Mork Award for Excellence in Service, and the 2011 Ernest M. Teagarden Award for Excellence in Teaching.