Outstanding Full-Time and Adjunct Faculty Award
Each year one full-time faculty and one adjunct faculty member at Jackson College is selected to receive an Outstanding Faculty Award. The recipients are chosen on the qualities of excellence in teaching techniques, maintaining superlative rapport with students, use of innovative and interesting approaches; and complete sense of dedication consistent with the finest traditions of Jackson College.
Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Recipients
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2023 – Joe Shackelford
Joe Shackelford
2023
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2022 – Eddie Burkhead
Eddie Burkhead
2022
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2021 – Sara Main
Sara Main
2021
Sara Main was associate professor of mathematics and Foundation Studies Department chair. During her eight years with JC, she brought a love for mathematics and shared that with students. Mathematics can be a challenging subject for many, but Sara’s teaching style and personal caring make math much more attainable. Students found her to be a caring teacher who went out of her way to help.
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2020 – Tom McMillen Oakley
Tom McMillen-Oakley
2020
“I love my students, and I love being a teacher. I am so sad to be away from them now, as many of them thrive in the studio setting. Online is awesome, but it’s not the same,” he said. “It’s been a journey these past few years taking on the role of chair, but I have a great department that is supportive and a lot of fun to work with. I truly couldn’t have done this without them and all the help I get from Kris P., Heather W., Karen H. and Char F. I am both honored and humbled at the same time.”
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2019 – Larry Choate
Larry Choate
2019
Assistant Professor Larry Choate works hard to stay current in his teaching. Choate teaches computer networking and cybersecurity courses, fields that require him to continue taking classes, do online training and readings to master these fast-changing fields. Using a hands-on approach in the classroom, he offers students a problem or challenge and then they work together to solve it. He has guided students in Collegiate Cyber Defense Competitions, with teams performing well against both four-year and two-year colleges.
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2018 – Kristi Laird
2018
Kristi Laird
Kristi Laird has brought mathematics to life for students at Jackson College for 31 years. Working with students each day is a privilege for Laird, who enjoys finding new ways to approach her subject and help students experience success. “No matter what else I do at the college, the time I spend in the classroom working directly with my students is my favorite!” she said.
For several years, she co-chaired the Achieving the Dream program, helping to implement supplemental instruction in math and shortening the developmental math sequences. Teaching in the Prison Education Initiative, seeing students start to believe in themselves and their future possibilities is very rewarding. She appreciates her colleagues in the math department and their efforts to continuously improve curriculum and pedagogy. She has served on many committees over the years, including Assessment, Curriculum, Foundation Studies, Academic Council and Department Chairs.
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2017 – Diana Agy
2017
Diana Agy
Professor Diana Agy began teaching at Jackson College in 2006 and has taught all writing, literature and humanities courses. She created the Writing Fellows program, an advanced writing initiative. In 2017, she was named the Maher Endowed Chair for Regional History, recognizing her leadership of history projects that help students develop their research skills and learn about our local community.
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2016 – Kristin Stockbridge
2016
Dr. Kristin Stockbridge
Dr. Kristin Stockbridge, professor and program director, came to Jackson College in 2010 to teach and coordinate the medical assistant program. She also chairs the allied health department. In addition to teaching, she has created several programs, including health administration/insurance specialist, allied health general studies, medical office support, phlebotomy tech, EKG tech and Electronic Health Records specialist.
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2015 – Ted Miller
2015
Ted Miller
Professor Ted Miller has taught for the College since 2002, after teaching in Japan for 14 years. He teaches several reading and freshman seminar courses, helping students better prepare for their college experience. He also chairs the Foundation Studies Department and has been active in developing the pathways initiative. Ted is a very active member of our Jackson community.
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2014 – Amelia Gamel
2014
Amelia Gamel
Assistant Professor Amy Leighton Gamel began teaching part-time as an adjunct in 2001 and became full-time in 2010. She teaches college reading courses, and improving students’ reading ability is a focus of efforts. Amy has presented workshops to fellow faculty on reading across the curriculum. She is a published author, writing about how to develop college readers and retaining first-generation students.
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2013 – Colleen Chadderton
2013
Colleen Chadderton
Professor Colleen Chadderton joined the nursing faculty in 1982 and taught for 32 years before retiring in 2014. She taught in the Practical Nurse Certificate program, the Transition Bridge program and the Associate in Applied Science-Nursing program at the College. In the community, she was affiliated with Head Start for more than 20 years, helping to provide physicals to children.
Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Recipients
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2023 – Cynthia Cummings
Cynthia Cummings
2023
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2022 – Crystal Miller
Crystal Miller
2022
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2021 – Marcy Bowers
Marcy Bowers
2021
Marcy Bowers taught radiography for more than 16 years. Her students appreciate her helpful nature and kindness, as well as sharing areas for improvement. Monday Q & A sessions would go a long way in helping her students prepare for the week. She took the time to answer everyone’s questions, and even if the same question was asked several times, she would not hesitate to answer it again.
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2020 – Vincent Maltese
Vincent Maltese
2020
“When I was told that I had won the award I was surprised and humbled. Surprised since I was expecting a typical Zoom meeting with mathematics faculty, and humbled since I have met so very many outstanding adjunct faculty members during my time at Jackson College. The two things I enjoy most about my job are making a positive difference in the lives of students and working as an integral part of an outstanding faculty, staff and administration.”
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2019 – Morton Cohn
Morton Cohn
2019
Teaching gives adjunct instructor Morton Cohn the opportunity to feel useful and to make a difference in students’ lives. An adjunct instructor for 10 years, he teaches primarily composition and literature courses but has also taught humanities, first-year seminar, political science and history. He appreciates the opportunity to reach students who, for perhaps very good reasons, were hard to reach. He continues to work to reach and relate to today’s students. He enjoys his time in the classroom and the opportunity to continue helping students.
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2018 – Jean Davis
2018
Jean Davis
Jean Davis has taught in the medical assistant program since 2014. She enjoys helping students develop the skills needed to succeed, to develop confidence in their skills and enter the medical field. Seeing students become successful healthcare professional in the community, become Certified Medical Assistants, and even return to the classroom after graduation to tell current students all the hard work is worth it, makes the job very meaningful. She also receives the 2018 Trends in Occupational Studies Adjunct Outstanding Educator Award.
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2017 – Greg Meschke
2017
Greg Meschke
Instructor Greg Meschke has taught English and communications classes at Jackson College for 32 years. Though he’s been teaching three decades, his students continue to teach and inspire him. During his experience at the College, he’s taught under three presidents and with many faculty, all progressing the institution forward. New campus locations and new facilities continue to make each day exciting, but he says the bottom line is about what happens in class.
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2016 – Cynthia Valentine
2016
Cynthia Valentine
Cynthia Valentine began teaching music classes at Jackson College in 2013. She has been a public school teacher and traveled as a jazz singer, recording three CDs. After completing her bachelor’s degree and teaching certificate at The Ohio State University, she taught for 10 years in the public schools. Cynthia teaches Understanding Music and History of American Popular Music, and she makes her classes fun through activities like Jazz Jeopardy so students leave with a new appreciation for styles of music.
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2015 – Mary Jo Kennedy
2015
Mary Jo Kennedy
Mary Jo Kennedy spent 30 years as a police officer, and began teaching as an adjunct instructor in 2007. She teaches police administration, introduction to criminal justice, introduction to corrections, and crime and delinquency. She has helped to coordinate corrections training and also serves as student conduct officer. In the classroom, she enjoys seeing students learn and helping them see the world in a different light. She has written many references for students and celebrates each time one is hired.
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2014 – Gedy Love
2014
Gedy Love
Instructor Gedy Love began her career teaching middle school students, and in her retirement is teaching college students. She has taught a variety of courses, including technical communications, developmental psychology, introduction to psychology, education and early childhood, math, basic writing courses, stress management and wellness. Knowing what students really need and can benefit from, even if it goes beyond the textbook lesson, is important. She has also served as a college dean and chief academic officer.
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2013 – Patti Benson
2013
Patti Benson
Patti Benson began teaching business courses at Jackson College in 2000. Like the path of many of students, Patti once found herself in a job where she wasn’t happy, retail management, and decided to go back to college to do something about it. As an instructor, she taught a variety of business courses – leadership, management, human relations in business, contemporary business and more. She loves watching students achieve their goals.
