COST Faculty Award Winners

The College of Science and Technology is proud to announce the faculty award winners for excellence in teaching, scholarly activity and service.

Dr. Diane Barrett (teaching), Dr. Rebecca Toothaker (service), Dr. Kimberly Olszewski (scholarly activity), Dr. Nathaniel Greene (teaching), Dr. Matthew Ricker (scholarly activity)

Dr. Diane M. Barrett was recognized for excellence in teaching. Dr. Barrett joined the Department of Mathematical and Digital Sciences in 2013. She is an expert digital forensics professional who has developed five new courses and provided her students with a vast range of opportunities to apply classroom knowledge to outside projects. She single-handedly created the Center of Excellence application to the National Security Agency (NSA), which resulted in the program being one of only seven in the nation that is recognized by the NSA and Department of Homeland Security as a Center of Excellence in Digital Forensics Education. Dr. Barrett leverages industry contacts to provide many opportunities for students. Dr. Barrett earns high marks for her ability to engage students in educational experiences outside the classroom and has earned glowing reviews from fellow faculty and students.

Dr. Rebecca Dawn Toothaker was recognized for excellence in service. Dr. Toothaker joined the Department of Nursing in 2015. She has provided knowledge and skill to enhance the foundational sophomore level for the nursing program. She has gone above, and beyond, to reorganize and obtain information for the departmental accreditation with the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. She dedicates her time and service to her profession through membership and leadership in Sigma Theta Tau, the International Honor Society for Nursing. Additionally, Dr. Toothaker is a Girl Scout Troop leader in her community. She recently guided troop members to write a grant assisting the fire department, and received regional televised news recognition.

Dr. Kimberly A. Olszewski was recognized for excellence in scholarly activity. Dr. Olszewski joined the Deparment of Nursing in 2010. She is the Director of the Nurse Practitioner Program and maintains her practice as a Nurse Practitioner and Occupational Health Consultant for Mid-State Occupational Health Services in Williamsport, PA. She focuses her scholarly work in occupational health with a specialty in social media and workplace safety. Within the last three years, she has completed three publications and eighteen presentations. Dr. Olszewski has completed six Webinars at the state and national level for the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, an organization where she is distinguished as a Fellow.

Dr. Nathaniel R. Greene was recognized for excellence in teaching. Dr. Greene joined the Department of Physics and Engineering in 1996. For many years, he has been the principal instructor of General Physics II, Statics, and Dynamics and recently took on Quantum Mechanics, CAD, and Electrical Machines. A significant teaching innovation has come from the design and implementation of the custom, interactive energy education kiosk, located near the Ben Franklin building. Dr. Greene published an article in The Physics Teacher in 2016 (with a student coauthor) and another in Physics Education in 2017 (with Dr. Brunskill). Dr. Greene puts significant effort into his preparation for classes, as exemplified by his “Just-in-time” teaching. Dr. Greene has been especially commended for the quality of his explanations and the way students are actively engaged in the learning process. Peer and chair evaluations describe his teaching as exceptional.

 Dr. Matthew C. Ricker was recognized for excellence in scholarly activity. Dr. Ricker joined the Department of Environmental, Geographical, and Geological Sciences in 2014. He is a well-known authority in environmental science, with a specific mastery of soil science. In his three years in the EGGS department, he has been lead author on four papers in leading peer-reviewed journals, coauthor on four others, and lead author of a technical report. In the past two years, Dr. Ricker has mentored six research students, two of which won awards for Most Outstanding Undergraduate Poster Presentation.