Students often stop by nursing faculty member Lin Rauch’s office just to say ‘hi’ or have a quick chat. One recent visitor, however, came with a more specific purpose in mind.

“I just want to say congratulations and give you a hug,” the student told her.

It was a very fitting tribute to Viterbo’s 2026 Teacher of the Year.

“I don’t feel I deserve any awards because I’m doing what I love to do,” said a humble Rauch when asked about receiving the honor at the university’s annual Rose Awards ceremony. “I can tell you our students are absolutely awesome, and Viterbo gives them the nursing heart and the nursing soul they need in their careers. Sometimes theirs is the only hand a patient will have to hold. Viterbo does a remarkable job stressing just how important that is. I love it here.”

Rauch brought a great deal of nursing practice and teaching experience to Viterbo when she started at the university in 2020. She had worked for years as an RN in post open-heart surgery, oncology, and critical care while teaching as an adjunct faculty member at different posts in Missouri and Tennessee.

“Working in oncology was a blessing,” she said. “I learned a lot about quality of life, living, and who I was as a nurse. It gave me a strong foundation to be the nurse I am today.”

In addition to nursing classes, Rauch teaches a VUSM Living in a Diverse World course that includes a study abroad component in Thailand. Students learn a great deal about the culture and history of their Hmong neighbors in La Crosse during the class.

“We watch the sunrise from one of the mountains overlooking the Mekong River where the Hmong crossed as they fled from Communist troops,” she said. “To look down and see the history and consider the lives lost in that flight is really a transformative moment. We want to use experiences like that to make humanity better. And Viterbo does that every day.”