Sheryl Ribbing receives state community college faculty teaching honor

Shawnee Community College announces that the 2017 Illinois Community College Trustees Association Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Member is Sheryl Ribbing of Anna.

The award recognizes the high achievement of Illinois Community College instructors.

Ribbing received her bachelor of science degree in biochemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Ribbing earned a master’s degree in medical microbiology and immunology at the Chicago Medical School, which is part of the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. 

Her teaching career started at John A. Logan College in Carterville as a part time instructor from 1991-1992. 

Ribbing began teaching part time at Shawnee Community College in 2002 and became a full-time instructor in 2004. She currently teaches biology and chemistry at Shawnee Community College. 

Ribbing and her husband, Bill, have been married 32 years and have three children: Laura, Jacob, and Jenna. 

In an interview with Shawnee Community College marketing coordinator Katie Armstrong, Ribbing identified her strong background in medicine from working at a pharmaceutical company as valuable experience while instructing her students.

Ribbing also credited being “open-minded and willing to try new approaches in the classroom” as personal strengths in teaching.

“The most rewarding part of my job is seeing students reach their own personal goals,” she said.