Faculty of the Month
September 2026 Winner
Dr. Beth RozEma
Congratulations to Dr. Rozema, the September Faculty of the Month. Beth has been teaching at the Rolla Campus for 20 years and has taught Biology to countless students. Those of us who know Beth admire her commitment to students at ECC, as well as her service to the college. Beth has a B.A. in Biology from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology from Iowa State University and conducted research at the University of Nebraska before coming to ECC.
Beth has admirable rapport with students and makes a point to learn their names and know them personally. She is committed to enhancing the biology curriculum and providing students with rigor and quality in her classes. Taking Beth’s Biology classes ensures that students are prepared for further advanced classes and are ready to continue their education in health care and science. Her excellence in teaching extends to her online classes, and she has pioneered techniques for teaching Life Sciences and Biology online. She can teach complex topics online in ways that students can successfully learn.
Beth has also served as Phi Theta Kappa advisor for the Rolla campus for several years. She works diligently to recruit students and guide them through their projects. She has been nominated and received awards for her work. Her students’ projects have won multiple awards at PTK conferences. As her fellow Biology instructor noted, “She successfully has met the challenges of working with small numbers of members, shepherding through the challenges of programming that is often directed toward larger groups that have more available resources.”
Beth is also a reliable colleague, and as one faculty member put it, Beth is one co-worker you can always depend on. Many of you have worked with Beth on committees and know that she will get things done. She served as Chair of the Assessment Committee for several years, laying a strong foundation for our Assessment process. She has served on the Executive Council of the ECC NEA for many years and helped negotiate our current contract.
Beth also has an amazing sense of humor and is frequently making everyone laugh with her sarcastic wit. She loves donuts, vanilla cake, and coffee. Entering the faculty office suite in Rolla, one is sure to find a recently brewed pot of coffee. She is proud of her son Ben, whom she has raised, as she puts, to be “a self-aware, smart kid.” After school and on weekends, she is busy attending one of Ben’s many clubs, sports, or activities. She says her special talent is being able to follow 15 conversations at once, while grading a pre-lab quiz in Canvas, and still remember things from those conversations. (And this is not exaggeration; many of us have seen her do it.) She also has a remarkable ability to remember song lyrics and sings soprano in her church choir.
I am pleased to see Beth recognized as our Faculty of the Month. This recognition is well earned and richly deserved!
Previous Winners
April 2026
Dr. Clarissa Brown
March 2026
Dr. Wendy Pecka
February 2026
Shaun Roberson
November 2025
Megan VanBibber
October 2025
Trista Elias
September 2025
Josh Stroup
April 2025
Joannie Blakely
March 2025
Dr. Rachel Howard
February 2025
Nathan Esbeck
November 2024
Julie Chirban
October 2024
Dr. Parvadha Acosta
September 2024
Aaron Bounds
April 2024
Bobby Bland
March 2024
Judy Bieker
February 2024
Dr. Reg Brigham
