NISOD Excellence Awards honor Lamar State College Port Arthur faculty

Three faculty members from Lamar State College Port Arthur were recently honored with selection as recipients of the annual NISOD Excellence Awards. Honorees for 2020 include English professor Dr. Michelle Judice, Software Developer and Game Design Program Coordinator Sarita Medhekar and Surgical Technology instructor Truman Hare.

The National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) presents its Excellence Awards to recognize men and women each year who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment and contribution to their students and colleagues. In 1989, in connection with a University of Texas at Austin national study of teaching excellence, NISOD hosted its first ceremony honoring NISOD Excellence Award recipients. The response to that ceremony was so positive that NISOD began what has become the largest and most inspiring gathering that recognizes the contributions and achievements of community and technical college faculty, administrators, and staff.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 conference was cancelled with award recipients being given their awards by individual campus leadership. LSCPA President Dr. Betty Reynard presented the NISOD Excellence Awards during an informal get-together on Tuesday, August 4.

“We are aware of the excellence exhibited by our instructors and professors at Lamar State College Port Arthur,”Dr. Reynard. “To see them recognized beyond our campus is truly satisfying. These instructors deserve every bit of credit they receive for doing such a wonderful job for our students.”

Excellence Award recipients are typically celebrated during NISOD’s annual International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence in Austin, Texas. During the Excellence Awards Dinner and Celebration, held in conjunction with NISOD’s annual conference, each Excellence Award recipient receives a specially cast, pewter medallion hung on a burnt-orange ribbon. The names, titles, and colleges of all Excellence Award recipients are included in a special booklet that features congratulatory ads from many of the recipients’ colleges. In addition, presentations at the conference involving Excellence Award recipients are indicated in the Conference Program with a special icon.

“Recognizing those individuals who have contributed to student success and their colleges’ mission is something we look forward to doing each year,” said Dr. Edward J. Leach, NISOD’s Executive Director. “The extraordinary work of these men and women includes not only what they do for their students and colleagues, but what they do for the communities in which they live and work. We’re honored to be able to play a part in celebrating their achievements.”

About NISOD

The National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) is a membership organization committed to promoting and celebrating excellence in teaching, learning, and leadership at community and technical colleges. For community and technical colleges that want to make the most of their professional development dollars, NISOD provides budget-friendly, high-quality, and faculty-focused programs and resources. For over 40 years, NISOD’s customer-focused approach has helped align our wide array of benefits with the needs of our members, which explains why the American Association of Community Colleges named NISOD, “The country’s leading provider of professional development for community college faculty, staff, and administrators.” For more information about NISOD, visit www.nisod.org.