Collin College’s honorees for the 2018 National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence Awards 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. NISOD Excellence Awards recognize men and women who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment and contribution to their students and colleagues. 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 hung on a burnt-orange ribbon. The names, titles and colleges of all Excellence Award recipients are included in a special booklet that features congratulatory ads from many of the recipients’ colleges. In addition, presentations at the conference involving Excellence Award recipients are indicated in the conference program with a special icon. Congratulations to all the recipients.
Dr. Brenda Kihl was recognized as the 2018 Workforce Board Member of the Year by Workforce Solutions of North Central Texas. Dr. Kihl has served on the Board since 2014 and has been recognized for her dedication to the mission, support for programs, and assistance in creating partnerships that are beneficial to meeting the goals of the organization.
Several Collin College basketball players earned All-Region and All-Conference honors in the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference (NTJCAC), Region V of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). The players and their honors were: Tajzmel Sherman – All-Region Team, First Team All-Conference, Freshman of the Year; Jonathyn Washington – First Team All-Conference; Tyrick Bennett – Second Team All-Conference; Jackson Nobles – Second Team All-Conference; C.J. Obinwa – Honorable Mention All-Conference; Jalen Weber – Honorable Mention All-Conference; Jordynn Hernandez – All-Region Team, First Team All-Conference; Mya Johnson – All-Region Team, First Team All-Conference; Ashtyn Beal – First Team All-Conference, Defensive Player of the Year; Asia Davis – Honorable Mention All-Conference; Brianna Marshall – Honorable Mention All-Conference; Jasmin Taylor – Honorable Mention All-Conference, Newcomer of the Year; Jim Sigona – Men’s Co-Coach of the Year; and Jeff Allen – Women’s Co-Coach of the Year. The Lady Cougars basketball team finished with an 11-3 conference record, going 26-5 overall and winning an NTJCAC Conference Co-Championship. The Collin men’s basketball team finished second in the conference with an 8-4 record and went 21-10 overall, battling their way into the semi-final round of the NJCAA Region V Tournament. Congratulations to all the players and coaches on their great seasons.
Eight Collin College student athletes have been named to the North Texas Junior College Athletic Conference All-Academic Team. Each recipient completed three semesters of college work with a minimum of 36 hours of courses that lead to a degree all while maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 or higher. The student-athlete must have participated in a least one season on the varsity level and lettered in one or more sports. The college’s selections were: Jalen Weber (basketball); Bradley Mason (basketball); Ashtyn Beal (basketball); Tiffani Holman (tennis); Hannah Rey (tennis); Jayme Waites (tennis); Conner Golden (tennis); Akinori Wada (tennis). Congratulations to them all on their accomplishments.
The Collin College Health and Safety Fair drew an estimated 600 people to Central Park Campus, March 9. The fair provides free health screenings and presentations on healthy eating, exercise options and other wellness activities to Collin students, employees and the public. Representatives from dozens of local health care providers, wellness facilities and Collin College Health Sciences programs were on hand to answer questions and provide services like flu shots. Thank you to Central Park Campus Vice President/Provost Jon Hardesty, Dr. Linda Muysson, the Health and Safety Fair Committee and all the volunteers who helped put on the fair for their hard work and congratulations on a steadily growing tradition.
Campus Facilities Scheduling Coordinator Karen Knapp was honored as a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary Club of Dallas. Knapp was presented the award at a Rotary District 5810 Assembly on March 24. Paul Harris Fellows are people who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. The award was established in 1957 and shows appreciation for and encourages contributions to the foundation to serve its efforts in: conflict resolution and peace; disease prevention and treatment; water and sanitation; maternal and child health; basic education and literacy; and economic and community development. Congratulations to Karen for this honor.
Marti Miles-Rosenfield presented a three-hour pre-conference workshop at the National Association of Developmental Education (NADE) conference in Baltimore, Md., Feb. 21-24. She is donating the honorarium to the Collin College Foundation to go toward a scholarship.
English faculty members Ryan Fletcher, LaToya Watkins and Betty Bettacchi are going out into the Plano community with the Plano Reads with Collin College program. The trio will focus on the book in common selection, Take This Man.
The National Society of Collegiate Scholars hosted the annual Maroon and Gold Leadership Ball fundraiser Feb. 24 to raise awareness for Active Minds. Active Minds is the nation’s only non-profit organization dedicated to utilizing the student voice to raise mental health awareness among college students. More than 100 students brought donation items for the Samaritan Inn homeless shelter in McKinney for entrance into the ball. Students listened to speakers on topics of leadership and involvement, enjoyed a formal night of fun full of dancing, photo booths, buffet tables and other activities. Thank you to English instructors Helen McCourt and Lari Ranta for their work organizing the ball as faculty sponsors, and to all the volunteers and participants for making the event a success.
English associate faculty member Shamim Hunt’s paper, “Erich Fromm’s Theory of Love as Universal Consciousness,” was selected for presentation at the Third International Erich Fromm Seminar for doctoral students working on Fromm-related research projects. She is one of six doctoral students to be selected to present at this seminar which will be held at the International Psychoanalytic University (IPU) in Berlin in June.
Traci Ramsey presented “Kinesiology Earning a Place at the Academic Table” at the Texas Community College Teachers Association on March 2.
Collin hosted the State Academic Decathlon for small and medium sized schools at Preston Ridge Campus, Feb. 23- 25. Forty teams (about 360 competitors) and their friends and family attended. There were about 600 people there for the Super Quiz part of the competition on Saturday afternoon, and more than 680 people at the banquet at the Omni on Sunday. Thank you to Preston Ridge Campus Provost Dr. Abe Johnson, Dean Wendy Gunderson, Professor of Government Bryan Rasmussen, and all of the volunteers from the college, who, with the help of Peggy Akers, Renee Long and Robyn Eichorn, organized the event.
Dr. Cheryl Wiltse, Professor of English at the Preston Ridge Campus was recognized at the Conference of College Teachers of English (CCTE) Annual Meeting held in Stephenville, March 2-4. Dr. Wiltse was awarded the organization’s World Literature Award for her paper entitled “Memoria, Alexievich, and a New Genre: A Collage of Human Voices.” Dr. Wiltse’s work was a product of her research from a Collin College study grant, and it will be published in the 2018 journal CCTE Studies. Congratulations to Dr. Wiltse.
Collin College’s Alpha Mu Tau Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa was nominated for the “Inspired to Serve Award” of Volunteer McKinney, and was a finalist for the award. The college is very proud of Alpha Mu Tau’s Chapter Officers and Advisors Professor Brandy Jumper and Dr. Jessica Hargis for their hard work, dedication and commitment to service.
Collin College’s Alpha Mu Tau Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa attended the Texas Regional Convention March 8-11 in Houston. The chapter campaigned for regional office and was elected to the position of Texas Regional President for the 2018-19 academic calendar year. Chapter Secretary Fadi Istelinides spearheaded the campaign and will proudly represent Alpha Mu Tau as president for the Texas Region. The chapter also received the following awards at regionals:
- Five Star Rating in the Chapter Development Plan (the highest rating available)
- Five Star Competitive Edge Completion, Fadi Istelinides
- District II Hall of Honor Students: Fadi Istelinides, Monique Spence, James Carter, David Parker, Adriana Solis, Adi Weissfield, Jessica Dressler, Jessica Myron, Vanessa Storaci, and Professor Brandy S. Jumper
- Horizon Award for Chapter Advisors, Dr. Jessica Hargis
- Certificate of Appreciation for service to the Texas Region, Dr. Jessica Hargis
- Texas Phi Theta Kappa (five years of service pin), Dr. Jessica Hargis
- Hall of Honor for Officers, Monique Spence
- ‘Tejas’ Outstanding Friend of Texas Award, Dr. Jennifer Blalock
- College Project Award of Merit
- Honors in Action and College Project Participation Award, Alpha Mu Tau
- Honors in Action Award of Distinction-Theme 1: Myth & Reality (top scoring project for Theme 1 in the Region, ranked No. 1 out of 92 chapters)
- First Finalist, Most Distinguished Chapter (second highest scoring chapter in the Region, ranked No. 2 out of 92 chapters)
The chapter also participated in the Poster Project Competition, and members of the chapter attended educational forums on the Honors in Action project, social media/branding, successful fundraising and leading a diverse team. Alpha Mu Tau members will travel to Kansas City, Mo., to attend the 100th Annual Phi Theta Kappa International Convention (ΦΘK Catalyst Centennial Celebration) from April 18-22. At the convention, Alpha Mu Tau Chapter President David Parker will campaign for international office seeking to be elected as the Division II International Vice President.
Dr. Jason Morgan, Professor of History has submitted a book chapter titled, “Challenging the System: The South West Africa Question at the United Nations Trusteeship Council, 1946-1951,” publisher TBD.
Dr. Lauryn Angel, Professor of English, presented “Daddy’s Lil Monster: The Problems of Harley Quinn” at the Southwest Popular/American Culture Association 39th Annual Conference, Feb. 9 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Brett Adams, Professor of History presented his study grant lecture “High, Low, and Everything in Between” at Preston Ridge Campus Jan. 26. The focus was a history of popular culture in the United States, specifically from the Gilded Age onward.
Four students and one faculty member from Collin College’s Respiratory Care program participated in the Fight for Air Climb, Feb. 24. The group raised $642 for the American Lung Association by finding sponsors to support their climb up the stair wells of the Renaissance Tower in downtown Dallas. The team climbed a total of 54 flight of stairs. Thank you to Respiratory Care Director Araceli Solis, Team Captain Julie Boganwright and to the students for representing the college well in this important effort.
Collaborations, the Associate Faculty Conference, experienced record attendance on Feb. 24, with about 120 associate faculty, faculty, staff and administrators participating. New this year, four associate faculty members, Kaycee Washington, Amanda Oswalt, Shipra Batra and Haiyan Li, provided breakout sessions. Breakfast with the associate deans was also new this year and provided a venue for associate faculty to meet their associate deans.
Regina Hughes, Professor of Psychology presented “Engage, Inspire, Enlighten: Instructional Strategies to Motivate & Engage Student Learning,” at Collaborations, the Associate Faculty Conference on Feb. 24.
Mary Nguyen, the first Health Science Academy student to also graduate with an associate of science degree this past spring, has earned another great distinction. She was one of only 150 applicants out of more than 1,000 who applied to the Texas Tech Nursing Program to be selected for admission. Ms. Nguyen was an excellent student and was part of the EMT program while she was at the Health Science Academy. Congratulations to her on this achievement.
Congratulations to Preston Ridge Math Lab Instructor Brandon Barnhart, who completed his Master’s in Educational Psychology with a specialization in Research, Measurement and Program Evaluation at the University of North Texas.