Dr. Marcia Anderson
Marcia Peitzmeier Anderson is a native of Bloomfield, Nebraska. She completed the first nine years of her education in a one-room school several miles from town and graduated as valedictorian of her Bloomfield High School class. One of her high school teachers inspired her to become a high school business education teacher.
A first-generation college student, she graduated from Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, Nebraska. Her first teaching position was in Stromsburg, Nebraska (Swede Capital of Nebraska) where she taught business and French. She then taught business at Millard Lefler Middle School in Lincoln, Nebraska, and completed a Master of Science in Education Degree majoring in business education at the University of Nebraska Lincoln.
A career opportunity allowed her to accept a position as instructor of business education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 1970 and to enroll in the doctoral program in occupational education. She received the Ph.D. in Education in 1975 and became coordinator of Business Education Programs in the Department of Vocational Education Studies in the College of Education at SIUC.
The Department’s name ultimately changed to Workforce Education and Development, and she held numerous positions during her 32 years in the Department—coordinator of career and technical education teacher certification programs, department chair, and director of graduate programs. She chaired doctoral committees for over 60 students. Her assignments included teaching in the Department’s Off-Campus programs located at various military bases across the country.
Dr. Anderson was recipient of several awards during her career: SIU-C Alumni Association Great Teacher Award, 1981; University Teacher of the Year Award, National Business Education Association, 1995; Alumni Achievement Award, Midland Lutheran College, Fremont, Nebraska, 1983; Outstanding Teacher Award, Illinois Vocational Association, 1980 – 1981; John Robert Gregg Award, Highest National Recognition in Business Education, 2004.
In her spare time, she enjoys time with her daughter and her family, church work, volunteering, gardening, gourmet cooking, travel, and returning to Nebraska to visit family and friends.
Dr. Anderson retired from Southern Illinois University after 40 years of service and wanted to show appreciation for the wonderful career opportunities that were afforded her through the institution. It was this opportunity that she wishes to pass on to students in the Department of Workforce Education and Development by founding the Marcia Peitzmeier Anderson Workforce Education and Development Award Fund.