Director of Advising Ryan Ringhand, left, received the Distinguished Staff Award and Professor Jo...
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Turns out that 2007 was a great hiring year for Carthage.

That’s the year both John Isham and Ryan Ringhand arrived. During the annual Spring Gathering on Monday, Feb. 2, the College announced them as the respective winners of the 2015 Distinguished Teaching and Distinguished Staff awards.

Distinguished Teaching Award

Last year’s faculty award recipient, Wayne Thompson, introduced Prof. Isham as a learned scholar who also possesses “a quick and easy style that makes him seem like the guy next door.” Besides directing the Western Heritage Program, he teaches a variety of courses as an associate professor of communication and digital media, Great Ideas, and modern languages.

In accepting the Distinguished Teaching Award, Prof. Isham said Carthage exceeded his expectations by allowing him to teach classes well outside of his narrow doctoral expertise: 18th century Russian literature. He prefers “learning alongside our students” to imparting a particular set of lessons.

“It’s eternally fresh for me,” he said. “It really is a mutual and dynamic process.”

Since the Board of Trustees created the award in 1967, one faculty member has been honored each year. A confidential committee reviews nominations from students to select the winner.

Before coming to Carthage, Prof. Isham taught for 10 years at Columbia and Drew universities. Fluent in Russian, he earned a Ph.D. in Russian literature from Columbia, the Ivy League school in New York.

A native of Akron, Ohio, he earned bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and the history of mathematics. Prof. Isham’s other advanced degrees came in international affairs, Russian language, and philosophy.

Distinguished Staff Award

Speakers praised Mr. Ringhand, the College’s director of advising, as a humble and positive person who shows “a constant willingness to improve the lives of students.”

“I’m overwhelmed and truly surprised,” he said in unscripted remarks to accept the Distinguished Staff Award. “… I don’t feel like I do anything more than what I’m required to do, than what I need to do, than what I should do.”

This is the second year the award has been given out. A committee representing many campus offices evaluates the nominees based on their performance in four categories: service, teamwork, attitude, and reliability.

Mr. Ringhand previously spent nine years in residence life, advising, Greek Life, and career services at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin. In 2008, he served as Carthage’s acting registrar.

Originally from Monroe, Wisconsin, he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at Carroll. He earned a master’s in student personnel administration from Concordia University Wisconsin in 2002.

He credited his parents for modeling the work ethic that he carries on. Mr. Ringhand sees the Carthage campus as “a really close-knit community that helps everyone to elevate their game.”

His wife, Jen, attended the luncheon in the Todd Wehr Center with him. The couple lives in Elkhorn with their two sons.