College of Education Announces 2026 Celebrating Excellence Award Recipients

Each year, the College of Education hosts an annual Celebrating Excellence event to honor deserving faculty, staff, alumni and partners of the College for their significant accomplishments and commitment to excellence in education. We are pleased to announce this year’s Celebrating Excellence Award winners.

Mahlet Asfaw, College of Education Staff Excellence Award
Mahlet Asfaw is an administrative assistant for the Office of Field Experience and the Kent Center for Student Success, with a background in customer service and insurance management. She specializes in administrative coordination, effective communication, and providing support to students, staff, and partners with professionalism and efficiency. Her experience has enabled her to develop strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and a service-oriented approach, contributing to a welcoming and well-managed academic environment. She holds a bachelor's degree in management from Unity University and an associate degree in insurance from the Ethiopian Institute of Banking and Insurance. Outside of work, she enjoys roasting coffee and preparing traditional Ethiopian foods for her family.

Kolby Cordingley, College of Education Faculty Excellence Award
Kolby Cordingley is a professor of practice in the Idaho State University Human Performance and Sport Studies Department.  He earned a bachelor's degree in physical education and a master’s degree in physical education with an emphasis in athletic administration. Cordingley has taught at ISU for the last 24 years and has taught a wide variety of courses, and is currently serving as the Be Fit activity courses program director and the Department of Human Performance and Sports Studies chair.  While teaching at ISU, he also coached wrestling for 20 plus years, including 12 years as the head coach at Highland High School, where he was twice named the 5A Idaho Coach of the Year and earned seven 5th/6th District Coach of the Year awards as well.  His proudest accomplishment while serving as the head coach of Highland was being a part of nine 5A State Academic championships, which is awarded to the team with the highest cumulative GPA. Cordingley believes that his greatest achievements in his coaching and teaching career have been creating meaningful relationships where athletes and students feel safe and valued. He feels grateful every day for the opportunity he has to work in the College of Education with amazing people, including the faculty, staff, and students of Idaho State University.

Rachelle Gilbert, College of Education Alumni Teaching Excellence Award
After completing her bachelor’s degree in secondary education at ISU, Rachelle Gilbert has gone on to teach English classes for 18 years at Marsh Valley High School, where she also serves as the high school and district’s librarian. During her time she has conceptualized a book study group for teachers at her school to collaborate and improve teaching pedagogy, and assists students in every aspect of their learning, whether it is as a mentor for senior projects, student council advisor, a teacher of research and online literacy, book recommender, IDLA site coordinator, or as the former director of her school’s German exchange through the Goethe Institute for ten years. In addition to teaching, she coached for 15 years to build the Marsh Valley Girls Soccer team into a consistent state contender. Education has been the unexpected calling of her life. 

While waffling about which career to choose, her mother wisely told her she was a born teacher. However, her teaching journey has not been idyllic. After significant burnout, she almost quit after her sixth year of teaching. A book about Hypatia changed her trajectory, and she enrolled in the University of Idaho through the Grace Nixon Institute scholarship to pursue a Master of Teaching in English, which she completed in 2015. Her educational path was not over. She completed a Master of Library Sciences and is currently striving for a PhD in English while teaching full-time. 

During the Fall 2026 semester, she will be attending the University of Essex in England thanks to the study abroad opportunities provided by ISU. While her love of education in the classroom has always been keen, she cannot wait to embark into the world to learn through experience and a change of perspective, and to combine these two educational outlooks to enrich the learning experience of her students.

Ashley Schaffner, College of Education Alumni Leadership Excellence Award
Ashley Schaffner is a proud Idaho State University alumna, graduating in 2012 with an Honors Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education. Over the past 14 years, she has built a career defined by leadership, innovation, and a deep commitment to advancing STEM education across Idaho.

Ashley began her career as an elementary educator, where she served as a mentor teacher, team lead, and computer science educator, developing curriculum to introduce young learners to coding and technology. She now serves as a regional hub coordinator for the Idaho STEM Ecosystem, leading efforts to connect schools, industry, and community partners to expand STEM opportunities across southeastern Idaho.

Through her work, Ashley has supported large-scale STEM outreach, trained educators across the state, secured and distributed grant funding, and founded She Can STEM, an initiative designed to inspire young women to explore STEM pathways.

Her leadership also extends beyond her professional role through service on non-profit and school boards, statewide committees, and national presentations. Her recent capstone work focused on strengthening coordination of STEM outreach at Idaho State University, further demonstrating her commitment to building sustainable, collaborative systems that benefit students and communities.

Justin Dayley, College of Education Bengal Partner Award
Justin Dayley is the director of the Outdoor Adventure Center at Idaho State University, where he leads outdoor recreation programming and student leadership development. His work includes overseeing adventure trips, instructional programs, risk management practices, and experiential learning opportunities for students. With a background in outdoor education and backcountry leadership, he is committed to helping participants build skills, resilience, and confidence through meaningful experiences in the outdoors. He especially values programs that create connection, personal growth, and access to adventure for new participants.

Scott Snell, College of Education Kole-McGuffey Award for Excellence in Educational Research
Scott Snell, EdD, MSN, RN, CNE, is a certified nurse educator and emerging scholar with over 19 years of experience in higher education. He recently earned his Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Idaho State University, where he also served as a graduate teaching assistant in the Department of School Psychology and Educational Leadership. During his time at ISU, he contributed to graduate education and scholarly work, including serving as an editorial contributor for New Directions for Community Colleges, supporting manuscript review and publication processes.

Snell’s professional background is rooted in academic nursing, where he previously served as an associate professor and registered nursing program manager at the College of Southern Idaho. His work has focused on curriculum development, student learning, and the integration of high-fidelity simulation in nursing education. He currently serves as simulation clinical lab supervisor at Coastal Alabama Community College and as adjunct faculty in the Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing program at the University of West Florida, where he teaches in simulation-based and graduate-level courses.

His research centers on leadership development and role transition in higher education, with a particular focus on academic nurse administrators. His dissertation explored the lived experiences of nurse faculty transitioning into administrative roles, highlighting the importance of mentorship, leadership preparation, and institutional support in shaping successful transitions. His work aims to inform leadership development practices and strengthen administrative pathways within higher education. 

To learn more about the College of Education’s Celebrating Excellence event, please visit our website.