Nau–yuma’s 2024 Teachers of the Year: Kristie Leigh Wright & Rose Lichtenfels
With the Education Foundation of Yuma County’s 37th annual Teacher of the Year Award Banquet occurring this Thursday, NAU–YUMA has announced its full-time and part-time picks: Kristie Leigh Wright and Rose Lichtenfels, respectively.
Wright began teaching at the college in 2014 before accepting a full-time position in 2016, and she currently serves as an Associate Clinical Professor in the School of Nursing. She earned her associate’s degree in nursing from Arizona Western College,
as well as her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from Grand Canyon University.
While her specialty is in maternal-newborn nursing, Wright has taught classes on everything from health assessment and pathophysiology to pharmacology and pediatrics.
Having previously served as the president and VP of the Rio Colorado Yuma Chapter 7 of the Arizona Nurses Association, Wright notably chairs the Student Awards and Recognition and Annual Review committees for the NAU–YUMA College of Nursing. In 2022, she received the March of Dimes Heroes in Action Award for Education and Research.
As for Rose Lichtenfels, she has been an adjunct social work professor at the college since 2014. She possesses a bachelor’s degree in management and sociology from the University of Maryland, an MSW from Arizona State University, and a master’s degree in psychology from Northcentral University.
Lichtenfels served in the U.S. Air Force for 12 years, earning the Air Force Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service in 1984. She also worked at the Gilbert Police Department for 18 years, which she hails as an “extremely meaningful” experience in which she “responded to crisis situations and worked with victims of crimes,” per an NAU–YUMA press release.
During her time at the college, she has taught courses including High Stress Border Occupations, Social Justice and Diversity, and Social Work Values and Ethics.
Stay tuned for to learn more about this year’s Teacher of the Year honorees.