Roger & Alice Mangan Excellence in Teaching Award
About the Roger & Alice Mangan Excellence in Teaching Award
Annually UIU acknowledges the outstanding efforts of faculty members who go above and beyond in teaching. Named after Roger and Alice Mangan, The Roger & Alice Mangan Excellence in Teaching Award is presented to as many as three faculty members (one adjunct faculty; one tenure-track faculty, instructor, or lecturer, and one tenured faculty).
UIU Alumni, Roger and Alice Mangan established the fund to recognize the outstanding teaching of UIU faculty members. A native of Chicago, IL, Roger Mangan graduated from UIU in 1962, with a Bachelor’s Degree in History. He was a wrestler and a 2014 Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, and currently serves on the UIU Board of Trustees. Alice (DeLong) originally from Maynard, IA, graduated from UIU in 1961, with a Physical Education degree in education; she helped organize UIU’s first drill team.
2024-2025 Roger & Alice Mangan Excellence in Teaching Award Honorees
Tenured Faculty - Jennifer Stoffel, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, Fox Professor of Science
Dr. Jennifer Stoffel joined the university in 2009, bringing her enthusiasm for ecosystems, teaching, and assessment with her. Since then, she has taught general education science and biology courses for various majors, including Conservation Management and Biology. She enjoys seeing students grow in their skills as they progress through their majors, helping them grow their professional skill sets for their chosen profession. Jennifer also enjoys communicating with alumni, serving as a support network for early-career professionals if needed, and continuing to learn how to stay relevant in the changing career landscapes with the students and alumni.
Jennifer earned her MS in Forestry and PH.D. in Forestry with a minor in Soil Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Tenure-Track/Lecturer - Panagiotis Markopoulos, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Counseling
Dr. Markopoulos holds a doctorate in Counselor Education from the University of New Orleans and has served as the Counseling Program Director for the online Master of Science in Counseling program at UIU since 2019. He also earned a Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling from Eastern Kentucky University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Western Kentucky University. Prior to joining UIU, Panagiotis worked as a Clinical Lab Coordinator in the Counselor Education program at the University of New Orleans. He brings over a decade of graduate-level teaching and research experience in counselor education.
Adjunct/Online/Center Faculty - Michelle Jacobsen, Adjunct Instructor
Michelle Jacobsen has served as an adjunct faculty member at Upper Iowa University since 2015. Throughout this time, she has instilled her passion for teaching and learning to students enrolled in UIU’s Teacher Education Program. She has also had the pleasure of serving as a mentor to new adjunct faculty at UIU.
A true Peacock at heart, Jacobsen graduated from Upper Iowa University in 2003 with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and in 2008 with a Master’s degree in Instructional Classroom Leadership. She received her Administration certification from Western Illinois University and is currently completing her Doctor of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Northern Iowa.
Jacobsen taught for ten years at Northeast Elementary in Goose Lake, IA and has worked as a School Improvement Consultant for the past twelve years at the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency. She recently accepted a new position and will serve as principal at Central DeWitt Intermediate School starting in July 2025.
“I am beyond grateful for the people I have met and the experiences I have shared both as a student and as an adjunct faculty member at Upper Iowa University. I will forever be Peacock Proud!”
