PR2015 Nov 13
PHI THETA KAPPA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Melissa Mayer
melissa.mayer@ptk.org
601.984.3684
November 13, 2015
Phi Theta Kappa Announces 2016/2017 Faculty Scholars
Jackson, MS – Thirty community college instructors have been selected from among nearly 3,000 chapter advisers to serve as Phi Theta Kappa’s 2016/2017 Faculty Scholars.
Among those selected as Faculty Scholars are eight advisers who were chosen to serve on Phi Theta Kappa’s Honors Program Council. Members of the council serve four-year terms and help assess the Society’s honors programming. They have also been charged with developing the 2016/2017 Honors Study Topic, How The World Works: Global Perspectives.
The scholars were selected through a rigorous application process through which they demonstrated excellence in teaching or administration. The selection committee also considered where the applicant lives, the Phi Theta Kappa division in which they advise, the teaching or professional discipline and the variety in terms of the number of years the applicant has served as a chapter adviser. The result is a strong, diverse group of Faculty Scholars.
“We congratulate them for being selected to serve and for their willingness and desire to surpass the traditional duties of an advisor by contributing in this manner,” said Susan Edwards, Phi Theta Kappa’s Dean of Academic Affairs and Honors Programs.
The group will attend the annual Faculty Scholar Conference at Phi Theta Kappa’s Center for Excellence in Jackson, Mississippi, January 27-30, where they will study the 2016/2017 Honors Study Topic and prepare to serve as discussion facilitators for the 2016 Honors Institute at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The group will also serve as Faculty Scholars for the 2017 Honors Institute.
“The Faculty Scholar Conference is recognized internationally as one of the finest professional development programs available for community college faculty members,” Edwards said. “We are proud to once again offer this intense training experience to a new crop of Faculty Scholars as they prepare to serve as facilitators for Honors Institute.
“Approximately 450 Phi Theta Kappa members and chapter advisers from around the world will join us at Wake Forest University for Honors Institute next year, and our Faculty Scholars will be ready to guide them through this pinnacle of honors programming experiences.”
During Honors Institute, the Faculty Scholars will lead groups of 15 to 18 honor students in seminar discussions of the issues presented by experts on the Honors Study Topic throughout the week.
Karen McCall Dale is the 2016/2017 Parnell Scholar. This scholarship goes to the Faculty Scholar whose application was judged to be the most outstanding among the applicants who have never before participated in NerdNation or Honors Institute. The scholarship covers registration, airfare and hotel for NerdNation 2016.
Dr. Rebecca Tate is the 2016/2017 Mayfield Scholar. This scholarship goes to the Faculty Scholar whose application was judged to be the most outstanding among the applicants who have not been certified to teach Phi Theta Kappa’s Leadership Development Program. The scholarship covers registration for one of the summer certification sessions during Tate’s tenure as a Faculty Scholar.
The 2016/2017 Faculty Scholars, along with their community college, state and academic field, are
Dr. Gisela (Bennie) Ables
Houston Community College, Texas
History
Dr. Roxanna Anderson
Palm Beach State College, Florida
Psychology
Dr. Rosie Banks
Harold Washington College, Illinois
English
Michael Bauer
Leeward Community College, Hawaii
Information and Computer Sciences
Kevin Blackwell
Neosho County Community College, Kansas
History/Humanities
Cindy Carbone
Oakland Community College, Michigan
English
Justin Carvalho
Kaui Community College, Hawaii
Carpentry, Facilities Engineering and Maintenance
Dr. Lisa Draughon
Johnston Community College, North Carolina
Biology
Dr. Blake Ellis
Lone Star College-CyFair, Texas
History
Jo Fritts
Ozarks Technical Community College, Missouri
American Sign Language/Leadership/Adult Learning
Honors Program Council Member
Lori Garrett
Parkland College, Illinois
Biology
Cathy Gillis
Napa Valley College, California
English
Dr. Kari Kahler
Northwestern Michigan College, Michigan
Student Development, Higher Education and Adult Learning
Mary Linder
Grayson County College, Texas
Government/History
Karen McCall Dale
Cleveland State Community College, Tennessee
Music
Dr. Tomas Ramos
Tacoma Community College, Washington
Communications
Lara Roemer
Carl Sandburg College, Illinois
Political Science
Honors Program Council Member
Leila Rogers
Horry Georgetown Technical College, South Carolina
Sociology
Glenn Rohlfing
Pikes Peak Community College, Colorado
History
Honors Program Council Member
Paul Roscelli
Cañada College, California
Economics
Dr. Sauda Smith
H. Lavity Stoutt Community College, British Virgin Islands
English
Honors Program Council Member
Chris Solomon
Trident Technical College, South Carolina
Accounting
Honors Program Council Member
Dr. Leo Studach
Ivy Tech Community College, Indiana
Life and Physical Science
Dr. Rebecca Tate
Lone Star College-Tomball, Texas
English
Samuel Clay Wallace
Montgomery County Community College, Pennsylvania
Geography and Religious Studies
Dr. Melissa Weinbrenner
Northeast Texas Community College, Texas
History
Honors Program Council Member
Dr. Pat West
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Mississippi
Communications
Dr. Johannah Williams
Hinds Community College, Mississippi
Computer Science
Honors Program Council Member
Dr. Kevin Windham
Shelton State Community College, Alabama
History
Lisa York
Asheville-Buncombe Community College, North Carolina
English
Honors Program Council Member
Phi Theta Kappa is the is the largest honor society in higher education with 1,285 chapters on college campuses in all 50 of the United States, U.S. territorial possessions and eight sovereign nations. More than 3 million students have been inducted since its founding in 1918, with approximately 134,000 students inducted annually.