July 16, 2007

Pellissippi State ’s top faculty and staff named for 2007

Nine faculty and staff members at Pellissippi State Technical Community College earned recognition recently at the college’s 2007 Employee Awards Ceremony.

All winners received a cash award, plaque and medallion provided by the Pellissippi State Foundation.

Roger Crowe, associate professor of management, earned the Excellence in Teaching Award, the college’s top honor.

To teach management skills, Crowe organizes students into teams so they can experience group dynamics in the workplace. He also uses case studies and major projects that involve students in management. Students learn what it’s like to manage a business meeting, engage colleagues in a mission and defend the student’s position against competing colleagues.

“It is immensely rewarding to watch students grow as they move from the introductory course through the curriculum and on to their capstone courses, and to know that I have been a part of their development,” said Crowe.

Crowe has been with Pellissippi State since 1984.

Carol Brenner, associate professor and program coordinator for English as a Second Language, and Mary Nietling, an associate professor of English, received the Innovations Award for hosting the Windows on the World exhibit each fall semester at the Division Street Campus.

The exhibit features booths displaying flags, artifacts, art, foods and books from various parts of the world, and each booth is hosted by international students dressed in traditional clothing.

In many cases, Windows on the World is the students’ first opportunity to experience a culture different from their own: to see the Koran, hear music from Peru or Thailand, learn about opportunities to study abroad.

“The exhibit enriches the lives of the exhibitors and all who participate,” said Brenner and Nietling. Brenner has worked at Pellissippi State since 1988, and Nietling began in 1989.

Leigh Anne Touzeau, director of Admissions and Enrollment Services, won the Gene Joyce Visionary Award. Touzeau was recognized for her role in increasing the number of students taking dual enrollment courses. Dual enrollment courses allow high school students to enroll in and earn credit for college-level classes.

The past two years, the Dual Enrollment program at Pellissippi State has seen an average enrollment increase of 95 percent. Also in that time, the number of high schools participating in the program has increased from five to 12. The college taught 18 dual enrollment courses in English, history, anatomy and physiology and Spanish during the fall 2006-spring 2007 school year.

Touzeau began at the college in 1998.

The Outstanding Full-time Faculty Award went to Teresa Fulcher, associate professor of biology. Fulcher has been teaching with the college since 1992. She helped develop a forensics course in 2006 and recently helped write and edit a laboratory manual used in classes at Pellissippi State.

Dave Walton, director of Facilities and Safety and Security, was named this year’s Outstanding Administrator. Walton began at the college in 1997.

“I enjoy my job at Pellissippi State because of the people I work with,” he said, “and I also enjoy being an integral part of the college’s growth and development.”

The Outstanding Support Professional is Karen Ghezawi, technical clerk for Facilities. Since Ghezawi began at the college in 1980, she has worked in a variety of offices.

“I enjoy helping co-workers in any way I can, whether it be reserving a vehicle or handling an emergency maintenance call.”

Diane Benson was chosen as Outstanding Adjunct Faculty. Benson, an adjunct faculty member in Natural and Behavioral Sciences, has been with the college since 2001. The award she received is based on several criteria, including performance in the classroom, dedication to students and service to the college.

Scott Bell, who works in Educational Technology Services, was named the Outstanding Technical, Service and Maintenance staff member. Bell assists faculty and staff with setting up, operating and maintaining audiovisual equipment; trains faculty on how to use technological equipment in the classroom; and keeps track of ETS inventory. He has been a Pellissippi State employee since 1998, and his award was based on such qualities as teamwork and professionalism.

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Pellissippi State Technical Community College
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