Big Bend instructors win state awards
Tyler Wallace and Jody Bortz, both with Big Bend Community College, were recognized for their contributions to education by the Washington Association of College Trustees.
COURTESY PHOTOS/BBCC
MOSES LAKE — Big Bend Community College math/science division chair Tyler Wallace and Basic Education for Adults Director Jody Bortz will be recognized for their work by Washington Association of College Trustees.
Both will receive awards at the annual spring conference of the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges on May 2 in Yakima.
Wallace will be recognized as Teacher of the Year for his innovations in instruction and using the tools available to support and reach students, according to a nomination statement from BBCC’s board of trustees.
“Accessibility to education has been the cornerstone of Wallace’s approach to teaching,” the statement said. “Tyler Wallace has been a transformative leader in mathematics education, implementing initiatives that have significantly improved student success.”
Wallace and his fellow instructors have increased the success rate of students in pre-college math by about 30%, the statement said. Wallace also has pioneered the use of social media, and he has about 300,000 followers. His goal is to make math concepts more relatable to students, according to a BBCC press release.
Bortz received the Professional Staff Member award for her work in expanding BBCC’s adult basic education program. The results showed in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 academic years.
Class offerings in adult basic ed went from 21 in three towns in BBCC’s service area to 40 classes in six towns in that time period. The program grew by 233%, the highest growth in the state, the press release said.
“She is both a visionary and an achiever,” the trustees’ nomination letter said. “She is dedicated to individuals who have very little access to education and she directly addresses their barriers and challenges.”