The Dr. Noordewier Academic Achievement Award

Northwestern College Athletics

The Dr. Noordewier Academic Achievement Award was founded in 2023 in honor of long-time Northwestern College professor Dr. Byron Noordewier.

Dr. Noordewier taught in Northwestern’s biology department for 34 years and is one of the reasons Northwestern College is known for its strong science programs. Dr. Noordewier has served as Northwestern’s Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) for 30 years and as the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Eligibility Chair for 15 years. He has also served numerous long-standing appointments at the NAIA level. In 2013 he received the NAIA’s Wally Schwarz Faculty Athletics Representative of the Year Award, and in 2015 he received Northwestern’s Faculty Inspirational Service Award. Dr. Noordewier is known for academic excellence and rigor, attention to details, and a desire to serve students.

The award is given annually to a male and female athlete. It is awarded to juniors or seniors and looks primarily at the athlete's commitment to academic excellence, but also takes into consideration the athlete's overall contribution to the team's culture and success.

Year	Recipient
2025	Molly Schany (Women's Basketball)
	Trystin Voss (Football)
2024	Molly Schany (Women's Basketball)
	Jake Francksen-Small (Wrestling)
2023	Jennifer Boeve (Softball)
	Kip Cullinan (Baseball)