McPherson College announces the recipients of the 2026-27 Teaching Awards. The awards are presented at the annual Honors Convocation held during Homecoming. This year’s recipients are Professors Cory Unruh and Dustin Wilgers.
Students and faculty submitted an overwhelming number of nominations that identified deserving faculty for the awards. A committee of students and last year’s teaching award recipients reviewed the nominations and selected one tenured faculty member and one non-tenured faculty member to receive the awards.
Cory Unruh
This year’s non-tenured award recipient, Professor Cory Unruh, is an assistant professor of automotive restoration technology, teaching courses in electrical and electronic systems. In his fourth year at the college, Unruh quickly established himself as an engaging and supportive faculty member. Students shared that he is the type of professor that goes well beyond to help them succeed.
Dustin Wilgers
Dustin Wilgers, professor of biology, received the tenured faculty teaching award. He was awarded the non-tenured faculty teaching award in 2016. Dr. Wilgers’ colleagues and students who supported his nomination noted his ability to connect between many different people and departments through his scholarship and teaching. He is described in nominations as thoughtful, supportive, helpful, and gracious. One nomination said of Wilgers, “he is someone who lives out the college’s mission every day to educate and support all students through scholarship, participation, and service.”