The 2026 Professor Emeritus Award was presented to Mr. Rollie Nye, Jr., who taught business and transfer courses at WCC from 1968 until his retirement in 2002. During his 34-year career, Nye became known for connecting classroom instruction with real-world experiences and for his innovative use of instructional technology.
Throughout his tenure, Mr. Nye made a concerted effort to link instruction to real world experiences for WCC students. He accomplished this through many different means including having business law students sit in on actual trials at the Wythe County Courthouse. Another example was taking students to visit the Federal Reserve Building in Richmond for a tour of operations and discussion with a federal reserve officer.
Mr. Nye promoted WCC’s business program by visiting high schools in the service region to meet with prospective business students and share information with teachers. He also developed a business management program brochure utilizing input from students, faculty, and administrators and promoted the business management program on the local radio station, WYVE.
In addition to teaching, Nye advised student organizations including Phi Beta Lambda, Phi Theta Kappa, and the WYCOCO yearbook staff. The WCC Adjunct Faculty Staff Award originated from Mr. Nye’s motion and once approved by the College Board, has been awarded since then. He also actively promoted WCC’s business programs throughout the region and earned several honors during his career, including the 1999 WCC Improvement of Instruction Award and the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Teaching Excellence Award in 2020.
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Pictured: L-R, Dr. Dean Sprinkle, WCC President and Mr. Rollie Nye, Jr., 2026 WCC Professor Emeritus Award recipient.