PORT ANGELES — Five Peninsula College faculty members have received the John and Suanne Roueche Excellence Award.
Awards were presented in March in Chicago.
Tanya Knight, Renne Brock-Richmond, Tara Martin Lopez, Michael Mills and Eve Wallis received the honor, which recognizes innovators in their respective academic fields through the League for Innovation in the Community College.
Recipients are faculty members at colleges throughout the nation.
“I am lucky to work at an institution that was innovative long before I arrived,” said Mills, associate professor in English and art.
“With a background in creative writing and art, I know how important it is to work hard, pursue excellence and be innovative in both creative endeavors and in education.
“I’m proud of my students, who earned two Best Small Budget Literary Magazine awards in three years because of their own creativity and their pursuit of excellence.”
Wallis, who is currently a graduate student in the master’s in mathematics program at the University of Houston, received an associate degree from Peninsula College and a bachelor’s degree in math and English from the University of Washington.
She has taught traditional, online, hybrid, flipped and emporium classes, and has developed curriculum materials for math, English and student success, including more than 40 videos and assignments and some programming of math homework algorithms.
“I believe a good teacher must be humble and always willing to learn new things and adapt as necessary,” she said.
“To me, this award is recognition that I am doing something good and I should keep doing it.”
‘Superhero’ students
Said Brock-Richmond, multimedia communications instructor: “My students are superheroes.
“In class, I apply my research of color communication to express one’s mission and strengths through actual superpowers.”
Developing a branding palette teaches students how to express integrity and their best selves by using color and the corresponding verbs to define what they contribute to a team, she said.
Her team-building color exercises cultivate innovation, opportunity and creative expression by recognizing what makes each student a unique catalyst on a united team.
“In the classroom and beyond, I aim to create what sociologist Les Back describes as a ‘community of thought and space for dialogue and reflection,’ ” said Martin Lopez, a sociology professor.
“Therefore, I seek to promote student success that cultivates critical thinking through interactive lectures, discussion and service learning projects.”
Each League Alliance college or system determines its own eligibility criteria, procedures and selection protocol for the Excellence Awards.
Only faculty, staff and administrators at League Alliance member institutions are eligible.
Upon verification by the president’s office at each college, individuals whose names are submitted by the deadline will be recognized as John and Suanne Roueche Excellence Awards recipients.
‘Aha’ moments
Knight, who works as a professor of information technology, said her greatest reward is witnessing the light go on when the “aha” moment occurs for her students.
“I would do whatever it takes to help my students succeed,” Knight said.
For more information, contact Kelly Griffith at kgriffith@pencol.edu.
