College of Southern Idaho Professor Receives Pearson Excellence in Higher Education Award

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — College of Southern Idaho (CSI) Professor of Music Serena Jenkins Clark has been announced as a winner of the 2023 Pearson Excellence in Higher Education Award for Community Advancement. Clark was selected from hundreds of nominations that were submitted and is the only community college faculty member to be chosen this year.

According to the Pearson team, Clark’s work as an educator stood out among her peers. Clark was chosen by the faculty at CSI to be nominated for the award, and her nomination application included several comments from her students.

“I’m honored that my colleagues selected me and nominated me in the first place, that’s always just exciting to know that your colleagues notice what you’re doing and appreciate what you’re doing,” Clark told KMVT. “Then I was honored and surprised to find out I was a finalist, and so to find out I was a national winner, it was really overwhelming.”

Professor Clark has been a teacher of music at CSI since 2003. She started her role as the Director of Choral Activities in Spring of 2004. Some of the musicals she has directed at CSI includes Legally Blonde, Oliver!, and Sweeny Todd.

“I’ve carefully tried to curate experiences for my choirs through the years that would have impact on the community through what we do, which is sing and make music,” said Clark. “So, its lovely to know that folks have noticed that.”

Professor Clark was also awarded the College of Southern Idaho Academic Faculty of the Year Award for 2023, and in 2020 she was honored by the Idaho State Board of Education with the GEM Innovative Educator in Humanistic and Artistic Ways of Knowing Award.

Congratulations to Professor Serena Jenkins Clark for receiving her most recent honor.

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