Four Clark State Community College faculty have been named recipients of the 2015 Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) Faculty Excellence Award.
This year, more than 70 faculty recipients from 10 area colleges and universities will receive the award. Academic officers from SOCHE member colleges and universities have selected recipients for outstanding contributions in teaching, service and scholarship throughout the academic year.
Assistant Professor Pamela Ball has been teaching in the Management-Human Resources program at Clark State for six years. Aimee Belanger-Haas, dean of business and applied technologies at Clark State nominated her for the SOCHE award.
“Pam is an outstanding faculty member who utilizes a combination of academic and professional work experiences to create and enhance each student’s learning environment,” said Belanger-Haas. “She is known to be an outstanding and energetic faculty member with excellent communication skills and a willingness to serve.”
Likewise, Industrial and Engineering Assistant Professor Nora Hatem was also nominated by Belanger-Haas. “Nora is a ball of energy,” said Belanger-Haas. “She has demonstrated such devotion and exuberance with the $2.5 million TAACCCT grant.”
Dana Matt is an assistant professor in the Physical Therapist Assistant program. She teaches and serves as the program’s academic coordinator of clinical education. She has been teaching at Clark State for seven years and said the most rewarding part of teaching is watching the students develop the knowledge and skills to become physical therapist assistants, “They learn so much in two years!”
Professor Fabian Novello teaches Introduction to Psychology and Abnormal Psychology. He has taught at Clark State for 14 years and will also receive a SOCHE Award for his dedication to education. “The most rewarding part of teaching at Clark State is attending graduation,” said Novello. “I see the happiness and excitement of students who persevered and overcame all of the obstacles to receive their degree.” Novello was also nominated for a National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence Award in the spring of this year.
All four Clark State SOCHE award recipients were honored at a banquet at the Dayton Art Institute on October 30.
Founded in 1967, SOCHE is the collaborative infrastructure for higher education, helping colleges and universities transform their communities and economies through the education, employment, and engagement of more than 155,000 students in southwest Ohio. For more information about SOCHE, visit http://www.soche.org/.