Dr. Anthony Perlinski

2020 Early Career Teaching Award 

The Range Science Education Council (RSEC) and the Society for Range Management (SRM) proudly present the 2020 Early Career Teaching Award to Dr. Anthony Perlinski, Assistant Professor in the Range Management Program at Chadron State College. The Early Career Teaching Award recognizes individuals in the early stages of their career who demonstrate excellence in teaching, advising, and mentoring undergraduate students.

Dr. Perlinski teaches an impressive number and diversity of courses from the freshman level to the graduate level. According to one of his colleagues, in his first 5 years at Chadron State, he “taught a career’s worth of courses” while holding “himself and his students to a high standard”. Dr. Perlinski has independently developed multiple courses and has transformed many other courses to better match his approach as “a facilitator of learning instead of a provider of knowledge”. His teaching philosophy has 2 main components. First, he is guided by a strong belief that students can and will learn and that his “job is to provide them with the opportunity and guidance” to do so. The second component – a lesson he learned from his father – is that “true character is revealed when one comes face to face with adversity”. This 2-part philosophy ensures that students take an active role in their education. Although they may find themselves outside of their comfort zones, they can be assured that their facilitator of learning will be there encouraging and supporting them because he truly believes in their ability to figure it out!

Students respond to Dr. Perlinski’s teaching and mentoring with tremendous appreciation. Student comments consistently highlight the rigor of Dr. Perlinski’s courses and that these are the courses in which they learned the most. Some highlights from their letters of support include:

“Dr. Perlinski…is perpetually dedicated to his position as an educator and works tirelessly to ensure the success of his students.”

“When I first met Dr. Perlinski, I was a senior at Chadron State College… I was hoping to coast through my last two semesters …but I quickly realized that some of the most important knowledge gained at CSC would be in Dr. Perlinski’s classes.”

“Dr. Perlinski will never give up on a student. As long as they are willing to put in the work, he will do whatever it takes for the student to understand the information presented.”

“I can say without a doubt that I have learned more from him than any other teacher.”

In addition to Dr. Perlinski’s impressive teaching record, he has served as a student club adviser, and maintains an impressive level of involvement in professional societies. He regularly takes students to both Nebraska Section and International Annual Meetings of the Society for Range Management. As one current student pointed out, “Dr. Perlinski leads by example…by actively being involved in both the Nebraska Section Society for Range Management and the Parent Society”.

Thus, for his outstanding contributions in the classroom and beyond, the Range Science Education Council and Society for Range Management are proud to recognize Dr. Anthony Perlinski with the 2020 Early Career Teaching Award.