An award that honors one family’s commitment to higher education by supporting future academic achievement begins its third decade at Fresno Pacific University.
The Nickel Excellence in Teaching Award (NETA) was named in honor of the heritage of the Nickel family. Starting in 2004, the award has been presented during spring commencement to a member of the traditional undergraduate faculty selected by their peers for possessing strong teaching gifts and a bright future.
The Nickel name is well-known in Mennonite Brethren higher education. After serving as a professor and administrator at Tabor College, Ted W. Nickel came to FPU in 1986, first as dean of the graduate college, then as psychology professor, retiring in 2003. His father, T.R. Nickel, taught German and helped recruit students in the early 1960s after a career as a teacher and school superintendent in Reedley and Tulare County. Both men served on the FPU Board of Trustees.
In addition, Ted’s mother Neta (honored in the acronym), was born in Russia, where her father was a teacher. When the family came to the United States, he edited a German-language Mennonite newspaper. Ted’s paternal grandfather and great-grandfather, who came from Poland, were early donors to Tabor College.
Building on that heritage by honoring future generations of faculty at FPU is the goal of NETA. Winners have been:
2004
Richard Rawls, Ph.D., history/director of Hiebert Library
2005
Stacy Hammons, Ph.D., sociology/dean of the School of Humanities, Religion & Social Sciences
2006
Peng Wen, Ph.D., business administration/economics
2007
David Youngs, ScEd.D., mathematics/science education
2009
Richard Unruh, Ph.D., political science
2009
Michael Kunz, Ph.D., biology/environmental science
2010
Joseph Taylor, Ed.D., special education
Roy Klassen, D.M.A., music
2011
W. Marshall Johnston Jr., Ph.D., history/Latin
Pamela Johnston, Ph.D., history
2012
Billie Jean Wiebe, Ph.D., communication/English
2013
Quentin Kinnison, Ph.D., Christian ministry/leadership
2014
Ken Martens Friesen, Ph.D., political science/history
2015
Greg Camp, Ed.S., biblical & theological studies
2016
Jay Pope, Ph.D., psychology
2017
Jim Bryan, Ed.D., business administration/management
2018
Elizabeth Lake, Ph.D., psychology
2019
Annie Fujikawa, Ph.D., psychology
2020
Daniel Larson, Ph.D., English literature
2021
Melanie Howard, Ph.D., biblical & theological studies
2022
Ken Cheung, Ph.D., chemistry
2023
Sonia Pranger, M.S.W., social work
2025
Joanna Crocker, MSN, MBA, PSYM, nursing
Contribute to the endowment supporting the Nickel Excellence in Teaching Award (NETA) at Giving Opportunities | Fresno Pacific University
PHOTO: 2025 NETA winner Joanna Crocker (left) and FPU Provost Alison R. Noble at the commencement ceremony where the award was announced. (FPU photo by Cary Edmondson)