School of Nursing Professor Surprised with U-M’s Golden Apple Award

The honor is the only student-selected teaching award on campus.

Dr. Stephen Strobbe’s Wednesday morning was off to a routine start when a student presentation in his “Mental Health & Illness Across the Lifespan” class took an unexpected twist. Instead of talking about the material, the students began sharing their appreciation for Dr. Strobbe. Before he knew what was happening, the Golden Apple committee, complete with apple costumes, balloons, flowers, and even Dr. Strobbe’s favorite doughnuts, paraded into the class and announced the news.

• “He truly inspires the students to do their best work, not just for the grade, but for the experience and knowledge.”
• "Dr. Strobbe brings vast knowledge and understanding of the intricacies of [mental health and illness] to every lecture but perhaps more importantly, he brings humanity and empathy to both his teaching style and nursing practice.”
• “The sensitivity and respect with which he handles extremely challenging topics such as sexual assault, suicide, addiction, abuse, and mental illness sets such an excellent example for us nursing students as future healthcare leaders.”
• “He strives to do everything in his power to help each student learn and succeed.”
• “The way he structures his course really illustrates that he wants us to truly explore the material and use it in a meaningful way.”