Professors recognized, honored by peers

By Kirk Helm News Writing Student

Eight OCCC professors will receive teaching awards at a ceremony in Austin, which also will recognize top professors from more than 700 community colleges around the world.

The National Institute for Staff and Organized Development awards have been given to professors at two-year colleges for their excellence in teaching since 1989. The awards conference will take place May 20.

Thomas Ashby, computer science professor; Tamara Carter, mathematics professor; Carlotta Hill, learning skills professor; Thomas Jones, psychology professor; Steve Kamm, physics professor; Mark Schne-berger, learning skills professor; Gary Tucker, business professor; and Terri Walker, nursing professor, will receive the awards.

”I was in disbelief at first, but overall, I am very honored to have won the award,” Walker said.

Like Walker, many other professors were shocked and thrilled that they had been chosen for the award.

“I was really floored when I had heard I was to receive a NISOD award,” Schneberger said. “I read the letter twice and then checked the name on the paper to make sure it was really mine.”

The dean of each division gives the award to one professor. This year, however, the Arts and Humanities division was allowed to recognize two professors.

“We are awarding two professors this year for their excellence and creativity in the classroom,” said Susan VanSchuyver, former Arts and Humanities dean.

Hill was nominated for her outstanding, consistent teaching, she said. Schne-berger was nominated for his idea to make his lectures available online.

“It is hard to get enrolled in Schneberger’s classes because they fill up so fast,” VanSchuyver said. “Students just love him.”

The process by which a professor is recognized for the award differs in each division. VanSchuyver said she talks to the department chairs about the professors in their department.

“The faculty in that department would then nominate a few candidates and give those names to me,” she said.

“I would then converse with the department chairs about the nominees and choose one.”

Many honorees are more excited about the conference than the award itself.

“I am really looking forward to meeting faculty from across the country so that I can learn new teaching ideas and techniques to apply in my classrooms,” Tucker said.

Schneberger agreed.

“I would like to get some new ideas on improving our cross discipline,” he said. “In other words, form alliances between science and math in one class.”