LC State Campus

News Release

Rampy is honored with LC State’s Outstanding Teacher Educator Award for 2020

LEWISTON, Idaho – Merrie Rampy, who serves as the Idaho State Science Fair director and has taught for 43 years, has been selected as this year’s winner of the Lewis-Clark State College Outstanding Teacher Educator Award by a unanimous vote of the LC State Teacher Education faculty.

Rampy graduated with biology and education degrees from the University of Montana in 1976 and began her teaching career the following year as a middle school science teacher at Brighton, Colo. Her career then took her to high school teaching stops in Helena and Missoula, Mont., and then to Las Vegas and Fernley in Nevada, before she became an earth and physical science teacher at the middle school in Craigmont, Idaho, for the Highland Joint School District in 2011. She spent five years there before she became an adjunct professor at LC State in 2016 where she has taught classes on elementary math and science teaching methods.

LC State Teacher Education Division chair Mark Haynal said Rampy’s students at LC appreciate her wealth of teaching experience. He said the student testimonials talked about her passion for teaching and how she encourages her students.

“Merrie has been an integral part of helping LC State produce quality teachers over the past four years,” Haynal said. “She is admired by both her peers and the students. We’re very thankful for all that she has done at the college.”

Rampy also has been the Idaho State Science Fair director since 2016 where she oversees science and engineering fairs across the state as well as professional development for teachers in those subjects.

The Outstanding Teacher Educator Award at LC State was created to recognize individuals for their contribution to the process of training new teachers. They are individuals who have provided outstanding service to the cause of teacher education through their dedication, creativity, initiative, service, inspiration, and mentoring.

This year’s award ceremony took place online and included LC State President Cynthia Pemberton presenting the award.

This is the seventh year the award has been presented.