Dr. Randy Bertolas Honored for Service to Geography Education

Published: 10-19-2011 2:10 pm

Dr. Randy Bertolas, Wayne State College professor of geography, received the Gildersleeve-Stoddard-Stone Award on Oct. 15 for service to the cause of geography education in Nebraska.

"I am pleased to see that Dr. Bertolas has been recognized for his hard work on behalf of geography education in Nebraska,'' Dr. Jon Dalager, dean of the School of Natural and Social Sciences said. "Not only is he an excellent educator in his own right, he has built an outstanding geography program for a school of our size and has done a great deal to fulfill Wayne State College's mission of public service to Northeast Nebraska."

The award is given by the Geographic Educators of Nebraska in conjunction with the annual convention of the Nebraska State Council for the Social Studies (NSCSS).  The 2011 NSCSS convention was hosted at Alice Buffet Magnet Middle School in Omaha.

Bertolas was nominated for the award by one of his students, Tom Warzywak, who is a WSC social sciences education major and a student teacher in Pierce.

"Recognition by your peers is one thing, but to be nominated for an award by one of your students is a truly great honor.  Nothing gives me a greater sense of satisfaction in my career than to help teachers at any level develop into the best educators they are capable of becoming," Bertolas said.

"It has been my very great pleasure to serve as coordinator of the Geographic Educators of Nebraska for the past seven years," Bertolas said. "These folks are a grassroots organization of teachers and administrators from across the state. They fervently believe in raising the standard of geography education taught at all levels. The fact is, social studies in general and geography in particular are under attack in school systems across the country as narrowly delineated, high-stakes standardized testing threatens the heart and soul of our educational system."