SPC instructional designer receives 2026 Blackboard Impact Award

Heather Medley, South Plains College instructional designer, was awarded a 2026 Blackboard Impact Award for her work implementing open educational resources and other innovative initiatives across the College.

The award honors individuals and institutions whose contributions span multiple Catalyst Award categories and have meaningful influence on their educational communities. Blackboard recognized Medley during a ceremony at the Building Blackboard Together conference on July 14 in Dallas.

“One of the greatest privileges of my career has been connecting with educators who freely share their knowledge and learn from one another,” Medley said. “I'm honored to receive this award, and I'm grateful to South Plains College and the Blackboard community for creating opportunities to make a meaningful impact together.”

The nomination for the Impact Award highlighted many of the initiatives that SPC’s teams have worked on, including OER adoption and development across multiple disciplines, faculty professional development and the Fast Forward Challenge, accessibility initiatives using Blackboard Ally and more.

“Heather has been instrumental in the success of Blackboard’s community through her leadership, commitment and dedication,” Katherine Houseman, Blackboard vice president of customer success - North America, said. “She has exhibited impactful leadership through the Texas Blackboard User Group, driven engagement among her peers and offered herself as a resource to many in the Blackboard community.”

To learn more about SPC’s use of OER, visit the College’s Instructional Technology webpage.

(Photo courtesy of Blackboard)