February 15, 2018 – Collin College is proud to announce its recipients of the annual NISOD (National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development) Excellence Awards. NISOD’s Excellence Awards recognize men and women who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment and contribution to their students and colleagues.
Collin College’s honorees for 2018 were selected among numerous nominees because of their contributions to student success, innovations in workforce education, continuous improvement or other contributions that demonstrate excellence. Recipients include: Brett Adams, professor of history; Francis Choy, instructional designer in the eCollin Learning Center; Tammi Gupta, biology lab instructor; Kimberly Head, director of health care programs – continuing education; Jeni Long, professor of nursing; Karrie Newby, professor of health science; Candace Thomas-Cooper, professor of integrated reading/writing; Dr. Meredith Wang, associate dean of academic affairs; Dr. Yiping Wang, professor of engineering; and William Whitney, professor of cybersecurity.
Excellence Award recipients will be celebrated at a special dinner during NISOD’s annual International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence, May 26-29, in Austin. Each Excellence Award recipient receives a specially-cast, pewter medallion. The name, title and college of all Excellence Award recipients are included in a special publication and presentations at the conference involving Excellence Award recipients are indicated in the conference program with a special icon.
“Recognizing those individuals who have contributed to student success and their college’s mission is something we look forward to doing each year,” said Dr. Edward J. Leach, NISOD’s executive director. “The extraordinary work of these men and women includes not only what they do for their students and colleagues, but what they do for the communities in which they live and work. We’re honored to be able to play a part in celebrating their achievements.”
“Collin College’s recipients of the 2018 NISOD Excellence Awards are truly deserving of the honor,” said Dr. Brenda Kihl, Collin College executive vice president. “They have each stepped up and contributed to initiatives that enhance the Collin College experience for students or faculty.”
This is the 29th year NISOD has honored Excellence Award recipients. The annual recognition ceremony has become the largest and most inspiring gathering that recognizes the contributions and achievements of community and technical college faculty, administrators and staff.
Collin College serves more than 53,000 credit and continuing education students annually and offers more than 100 degrees and certificates. The only public college in the county, Collin College is a partner to business, government and industry, providing customized training and work force development. In addition, the college operates the Collin Higher Education Center, which serves 3,200 additional students each year in partnership with The University of Texas at Dallas, Texas Woman’s University, Texas A&M Commerce, Texas Tech and the University of North Texas.
About NISOD
For community and technical colleges that want to make the most of their professional development dollars, NISOD provides budget-friendly, high-quality and faculty-focused programs and resources. For nearly 40 years, NISOD’s customer-focused approach has helped align our wide array of benefits with the needs of our members. For more information about NISOD, visit www.nisod.org.