Riverland biology instructor Alan Erdahl and nursing instructor Shirley Nelson have both received Excellence Awards from NISOD (National Institute of Staff and Organizational Development.) The Excellence Awards are given to community college faculty members and other leaders whom are recognized for their teaching and service excellence. Both instructors attended the 30th annual NISOD conference May 25 through 28 where they were recognized for their award.

Alan Erdahl has been a biology instructor for Riverland since 1994. Before that he taught at Anoka-Ramsey Community College and North Hennepin Community College, both in Minneapolis. He has also worked as in instructor at Lakeland Medical-Dental Academy in Minneapolis and Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Ark. Erdahl has a doctorate, master of science degree in physiology from the University of Minnesota. He also has a bachelor of science degree in fisheries and wildlife management from the University of Minnesota.

Shirley Nelson RN, BSN, MSN, C-FPN has been a nursing instructor at Riverland for nearly six years. She has 30 plus years of nursing experience, primarily in hospital-based nursing, at Owatonna and St. Mary's Hospitals. Nelson also has experience in home care nursing and maintains her nurse practitioner degree. She has a master’s degree from Minnesota State University, Mankato with a nurse practitioner focus, a bachelor of science degree from Winona State University, an associate degree from Rochester Community College and she graduated from the licensed practical nursing school at St. Mary’s Hospital.

Since 1978, the National Institute for Staff & Organizational Development (NISOD) has been dedicated to the professional development of faculty, administrators, and staff; and to the continued improvement of teaching and learning, with the ultimate goal of student success.

More than 700 community colleges around the world are NISOD-members, including almost every large community college district, the majority of urban and technical colleges in the United States and Canada, and more than 200 small, rural colleges around the world.