Executive Dean Karen Musa has been named the volunteer area manager for Dallas-Fort Worth by the National Council for Continuing Education and Training (NCCET) South Central Region. NCCET is organized to provide charitable, scientific, and educational services that include, but are not limited to providing leadership for professionals in areas such as continuing professional education and occupational training, community services programming, workforce and economic development, and the programs, organizational structures, and technologies that support lifelong learning.
Dr. Kerry Barnes-Loinette, Professor of Communications at Plano Campus, has been selected as the 2020 recipient of the National Communication Association’s Michael and Suzanne Osborn Community College Outstanding Educator Award. Awardees are members of the National Communication Association who have made outstanding contributions to education at community colleges and who exemplify excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service to the communication studies profession. Dr. Byrnes-Loinette’s dedication as a teacher has been rewarded in numerous ways including being named as an ECA Distinguished Teaching Fellow as well as being the recipient of West Virginia University’s Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant award and its Pat Kearney Teaching Award. Her Outstanding Educator award will be presented virtually on Nov. 21 at the NCA 106th Annual Convention.
Vice President/Provost Dr. Abe Johnson has been reappointed to the Plano ISD District-Based Improvement Committee. Dr. Johnson has served on the committee for the past two years and this is a continuation of his role.
Dean of Admissions and District Registrar Todd Fields has been appointed to the Apply Texas Advisory Committee (ATAC) by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board through May 31, 2022. The ATAC provides the board with advice and recommendations regarding common admission applications and the Apply Texas System, the state’s primary method for applying for admission to Texas public institutions of higher education. Please visit the ATAC webpage for additional information.
Jennifer Wright, Assistant Director of Purchasing, passed her National Institute of Governmental Purchasing-Certified Procurement Professional exam. She is one of the first 118 people to earn the new NIGP-CPP certification. With this certification, Wright has joined a prestigious group of mid- to executive-level leaders who successfully demonstrated the competencies anchored in the Public Procurement Competency Framework.
Collin College’s honorees for the 2020 National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence Awards include: Biology Professor Roberta Cravo, Criminal Justice Professor Leroy (Lee) DeBoer, Associate Registrar Debbie Dunn, Photography Lab Coordinator Anna Fritzel, Veterinary Assistant Program Manager Tiffany Heitz, Career Coach John Hines, Physics Professor Rajasree Kannampuzha, Nursing Professor Rebekah Larson, Writing Center Manager Joan Reese, Associate Dean Dawn Richardson, Developmental Math Professor Catherine Thurman, and Associate Dean Lupita Murillo Tinnen. NISOD Excellence Awards recognize individuals who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment and contribution to their students and colleagues. Each Excellence Award recipient receives a unique silver medallion engraved with The University of Texas and NISOD insignias and adorned with 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. You can see the booklet here.
Gov. Greg Abbott has reappointed Collin College graduate Debra E. Patrick to the Texas Board of Respiratory Care for a term through Feb. 1, 2025. The board advises the Texas Medical Board, adopts rules to establish the certification and permitting program for respiratory therapists and sets minimum qualifications for respiratory care practitioners, standards of conduct and grounds for disciplinary actions. In her most recent position, Patrick assumed the role Of Respiratory Care Specialist for Publicis Touchpoint Solutions. She is a member of the American Association for Respiratory Care and the Texas Society of Respiratory Care. Patrick, a McKinney resident, earned her Associate of Science in Respiratory Care from Collin College.