Thursday, June 22, 2023

PORTLAND, Ore. – In recognition of his longtime support to student-athletes at Montana State University Billings, Dr. Alex Shafer has been selected as the recipient of the 2022-23 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Faculty Mentor Award.

A member of the faculty at Montana State Billings since 2015, Shafer, who is an associate professor of health and human performance, was singled out by members of the GNAC SAAC for his ability to connect with students on a personal level.

“Dr. Shafer is an excellent professor because of his dedication to teaching students in his classes,” said MSUB track and field student-athlete Aspen Tolman, who produced the nomination on behalf of the MSUB SAAC. “He makes students feel seen beyond grades on a test and provides an engaging and safe environment to grow. Athletes within his class also develop confidence in their identity outside of athletics through applications of learning. He facilitates students as they explore options after graduation and prepare for their next steps in life.”

Shafer is active as a volunteer both within the MSUB and the greater community. On campus, Shafer is a member of the university’s Sabbatical Committee and Honors Council and chairs the university’s Institutional Review Board. He works as a facilitator in MSUB’s Wellness Initiative.

In the community, Shafer is active in youth sports in addition to science-based programs. He has served as an assistant coach for the Laurel Flag Football and Laurel Little League baseball programs. He is currently a board member and coach for the Laurel Matburners Wrestling Club.

Shafer received the Faculty Excellence Award from MSUB in February. He received the Walter & Charlotte Pippenger Excellence in Innovation Award from MSUB in 2002 and received an Outstanding Faculty Award from the Associated Students of MSUB in 2017.

The awards reflect Shafer’s ability to connect with and work for the best of his students.

“One of the most remarkable things about Dr. Shafer is that he holds students to a higher standard of success and growth,” Tolman said in the nomination for the Faculty Mentor Award. “His classes are definitely challenging but arguably are some of the most beneficial for students within the Health and Human Performance program.”

Tolman also noted Shafer’s ability to work the demands on student-athletes to balance academics with their passion for athletics. “Many of the students that attend his classes are student-athletes, which can be hard to manage with varying travel schedules, personalities and needs,” Tolman said. “He ensures that each student receives the appropriate resources and provides appropriate extensions and help.”

Shafer is a 2008 graduate of Slippery Rock University with a degree in exercise science. He earned a master’s degree in health, physical activity and chronic disease in 2009 and a doctorate in exercise physiology in 2012, both from the University of Pittsburgh.

Presented annually by the GNAC SAAC, the Faculty Mentor Award honors faculty members at member institutions that demonstrate exemplary support to student-athletes both on and off the field of competition while representing the NCAA Division II core values of learning, passion, service, resourcefulness, sportsmanship and balance. Award recipients should have a strong commitment to preparing student-athletes to excel in their endeavors after their athletic careers have ended.

Past recipients of the GNAC SAAC Faculty Mentor Award include Laura Reid of Simon Fraser University, Amy Cooper of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Kevin Bartlett of Seattle Pacific University, Emily Vela-Haynes of Western Oregon University, Scott Harris of Montana State University Billings, Dr. Peter Ruben of Simon Fraser University, Dr. T.H. “Butch” Kamena of Western Washington University and Nick Zentner of Central Washington University.