The Association for Career and Technical Education named Justin Nisbett, Precision Metal Fabrication Instructor at Meridian Technology Center, the Region IV New Teacher of the Year.

Nisbett won the Oklahoma New Teacher of the Year award in August 2015 after competing against other divisional new CareerTech teachers during the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology (CareerTech) Education’s annual Summer Conference. He advanced to the regional level and recently competed against other New Teachers of the Year from Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. With the regional title, Nisbett will advance and compete against other regional winners for the national title at CareerTech VISION, the national conference for the Association of Career and Technical Education.

Nisbett began his career teaching short-term welding classes at Canadian Valley Technology Center, where he was previously a high school student. He transitioned to a full-time instructor when he began his employment at Meridian in 2012. Since then, Nisbett has initiated several community service projects for his students including participating in the Stillwater Area United Way Day of Caring and partnering with News 9 to outfit the station’s tornado chase vehicle with custom fabrications. He was also instrumental in revamping Meridian’s short-term welding course to implement an open entry format, resulting in a 50 percent growth in enrollment over the past three years. In addition, Nisbett has partnered with Meridian’s Business and Industry Services division to provide customized training for local companies.