Jayme Burdiek, lecturer in management for the School of Business at Washburn, has always enjoyed teaching about new perspectives and real work experience. Every day she strives to encourage students with knowledge and help them build a love for learning.

“Learning is so important … students have been trained to focus on testing and that’s temporary,” Burdiek said. “Learning is permanent. Taking that with you, not just understanding material in order to meet the requirements of a test, but integrating that into your own operations … because once the books close here, the points are the points.”

Recognizing Burdiek’s merit in teaching and dedication to students, the Dean’s Student Advisory Council awarded Burdiek with the 2022 Dicus Excellence in Teaching Award April 18.

The Dicus Excellence in Teaching Award is presented to professors who show outstanding promise in their work with students and is made possible by John C.and Betty Dicus.

Each year, the Dean’s Student Advisory Committee gathers nominations from the School of Business students. Then, they come together to select one professor for the award. Once a teacher wins the award, they have to wait five years to be nominated again.

The award was given to Burdiek during the annual School of Business scholarship luncheon, which is normally thrown for students who earned scholarships. Burdiek attended the luncheon to support her students when they surprised her with the award. She was honored to have received the award, especially since it was nominated by students.

“Receiving the award is confirmation that I’m making a difference for them,” Burdiek said. “It’s also a method of feedback; that they understand I value them. Also even on the academic side, that learning is happening and I’m making that available to them.”

Burdiek is one of many professors at Washburn considered for the award. Students value having talented professors as well as recognizing them. Ruby Howell, a freshman political science major, finds that having outstanding teachers is important.

“I think outstanding teachers are ones that actually care and help students learn things,” Howell said. “Having teachers that love what they do and are passionate about it is really important in actually helping students.”

Furthering her journey in teaching, Burdiek will continue to enforce the importance of learning and push her students to do their best. The one tip Burdiek hopes students and faculty to take from her is perseverance.

“Don’t give up. Keep trying. Life will knock you down, learn from it. If you’ve learned from it, then all is not lost,” Burdiek said. “Many times we learned more, carry forward learning. And just to persevere and keep going. It’s going togonna be okay.”

Edited by: Glorianna Noland, Kyle Manthe