Sara Netzley wins Paul B. Snider Award for Teaching Excellence

09/19/2011 5:30 PM

Excellence in Communication honor recognizes achievement in teaching and advising.

Dr. Sara Baker Netzley is this year’s recipient of the Paul B. Snider Award for Teaching Excellence in Communication. Netzley is currently the associate chairperson of the Department of Communication and an assistant professor of journalism.

The award was presented to Netzley on Sept. 12 at Communication Majors Night.

“It was a big surprise! I had no idea I would receive the award,” Netzley said.

The award was put in place to recognize outstanding professors among the communication faculty. Nominations are taken every other year and are accepted from current communication majors and alumni. Candidates must have completed at least three years as tenured or tenure-track faculty and must be academic advisors.

“I have no idea who it was that nominated me. I’m really touched and it has all been a very humbling experience,” Netzley said 

Paul Snider, the namesake of the award, was a journalism professor at Bradley, but he and Netzley had no overlap in their teaching careers.

“He was an amazing educator. It makes the award more special for me since he also taught journalism,” Netzley said.

Netzley began working at Bradley in 2004. Before that she was a reporter for the Peoria Journal Star. She admitted that although it was hard to leave her reporting job, she hasn’t looked back.

“Teaching is such a joy for me. I love to see where the students that I teach end up after graduation. I’m so blessed to be where I am today,” Netzley said.

Pictured are Dean Jeffrey Huberman, Mrs. Paul Snider, Dr. Paul Gullifor

By Ivy Hillman ’12