Sociology professor receives NWC Teaching Excellence Award

Dr. Scott Monsma, professor of sociology at Northwestern College, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Northwestern Teaching Excellence Award. He was honored during the college’s commencement ceremony on May 10. 

The award honors full-time faculty who embody the college’s Vision for Learning in their classroom teaching. Recipients are those who have distinguished themselves in their ability to lead their students to trust, love and worship God; to engage ideas; to connect knowledge and experience; and to respond to God’s call.

Monsma, a member of Northwestern’s faculty since 1999, also received the Teaching Excellence Award in 2014. Students who nominated him for this year’s award described him as organized, consistent, fair, intentional and compassionate.

“He has by far been the most formative professor for how I think about life and the many questions that come with it,” wrote one student. Said another, “Dr. Monsma loves having conversations with students that help us expand our thinking and help make us better people afterward.”

“Dr. Monsma is one of the best teachers I have had,” said a nominator. “He is talented in helping students to learn on their own but will also help them find the answer. He has pushed me to think much deeper about systemic issues and the way our world is today. I have learned invaluable skills from Dr. Monsma, and I am grateful.”

Known for his unabashed use of puns, Monsma is adept at engaging students in the material. Students also commend his accessibility and his commitment to their success.

“Professor Monsma truly cares about his students,” wrote another nominator. “This is evident in everything from his tests to his conversations.”

Monsma earned doctoral and master’s degrees in sociology at the University of Pittsburgh and a bachelor’s degree from Geneva College. Northwestern’s assessment director, he has led students on study abroad trips to Taiwan and Oman. A former president of the Christian Sociological Association, Monsma has been published in the Journal of Sociology and Christianity and the Journal for the Sociological Integration of Religion and Society.