Dr. Michael Rogers, and associate professor in the School of Computer Science and Information Systems, accepts the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education from Missouri first lady Teresa Parson during a ceremony Thursday in Jefferson City, Missouri. (Missouri Council on Public Higher Education photo)

April 5, 2019

Rogers receives Governor’s Award for Excellence

Dr. Michael Rogers

Dr. Michael Rogers, an associate professor in the School of Computer Science and Information Systems, received the 2019 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education Thursday during a ceremony with Missouri first lady Teresa Parson in Jefferson City, Missouri.

The Governor’s Award is sponsored by the Missouri Council on Public Higher Education and presented annually to an outstanding faculty member at each of Missouri’s four-year higher education institutions. Northwest’s recipient is chosen from faculty members who receive the University’s Faculty Excellence Award for teaching. Northwest announced Rogers as its recipient of the Governor’s Award last August.

Rogers, who joined the Northwest faculty in 2009, is respected by faculty and students for his innovation, teaching methodologies, work ethic and investment of time with students outside of class. Based on his research of new technology, knowledge gained from attending national conferences and from relationships with industry professionals, he has implemented bleeding-edge technology in four classes. Students are highly motivated to enroll in his courses, usually filling all available seats.

Outside the classroom, Rogers established a makerspace to provide students hands-on experience with new technology. He also collaborated with colleagues to obtain a Google grant to provide online and face-to-face training and support to K-12 educators teaching computer science concepts.

Rogers has a Ph.D. in statistics from Iowa State University, a master’s degree in applied computer science from Illinois State University and a bachelor’s degree in statistics from the University of Winnipeg. His academic interests include computer science education, game development, app development, and virtual and augmented reality.