LANSING, Mich. – Kalamazoo resident Marisa Wier, an instructional design manager at Michigan Virtual, has won the national 2025 Outstanding Impact by a K-12 Individual award from Quality Matters (QM), the global organization leading quality assurance in online and innovative digital teaching and learning environments.
“This award is a powerful affirmation of the work Michigan Virtual has done and the values we stand for,” said Wier. “It reflects our vision to be Michigan’s leader in innovation and education by providing a thoughtfully designed, outstanding online learning experience.”
Wier’s work has demonstrated real impacts on students’ outcomes and made significant contributions to their experiences. As a result of her efforts, Michigan Virtual students benefit from courses with measurable objectives, well-organized course design and opportunities for both active and interactive learning. She also created a process for updating these courses that are repeatable and standardized, allowing Michigan Virtual to offer the best education possible. Wier was nominated for the award by her colleague, Emily Sicilia, Director of Professional Learning, for Michigan Virtual.
“The Outstanding Impact by a K-12 Individual award is given to recipients whose success has demonstrated clear, positive outcomes for students,” said Jamey Fitzpatrick, president and CEO of Michigan Virtual. “Marisa Wier exemplifies the spirit of innovation in education and demonstrates how important quality assurance is in assessing outcomes for students.”
Wier joined the Michigan Virtual team in 2021 after a career as an instructional designer and instructor in higher education. She holds a B.S. in secondary English education, an M.A. in literature, and an M.A. in learning, design, and technology.
QM is an international nonprofit organization that supports online education’s quality assurance goals. They’ve worked with Michigan Virtual to improve learner outcomes, course consistency and instructional design excellence since 2015. Each year, QM recognizes a K-12 organization or individual that has implemented QM Standards and processes, demonstrated impacts on learner outcomes and/or made significant contributions to learners’ experiences through instructional design, faculty professional development or related initiatives.
To learn more about Wier’s work, visit youtube.com/watch?v=
