Mimi Rappley Larson, social work associate professor, receives UW System's Teaching Excellence Award.
M imi Rappley Larson, UW-Superior associate professor of social work, has a unique ability to make people feel seen, heard and valued. She listens … really listens. She remembers names, asks questions and genuinely gets to know people. In a word, Larson emanates empathy in every interaction. This is no accident – it is a skill she has honed for
decades, first as a social worker and now as a professor at UW-Superior since 1997 who has studied and authored on the concept of empathy. This year, Larson received UW System’s Teaching Excellence Award, the highest recognition for faculty
and instructional staff, and was honored at the Board of Regents meeting in April. As she enters her final year of teaching before retiring at the end of the 2022- 23 academic year, the award is befitting for Larson, who has touched countless lives. “Mimi is the best educator I’ve ever interacted with,” said alum Howard Huber ’19. “She forms a personal connection with every student and is passionate about the social work profession. She’s had an impressive career, but she never brags about it. In my current role as Assistant Fire Chief in Superior, I use what she taught me every day. When I’m faced with a challenging situation and not sure what to do, I ask myself, ‘What would Mimi do?’ She is one of the people who has had the most positive impact in my life.”
12 2022-23 � SUPERIOR VOICE
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