SSCC faculty honored by higher education council

The Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) recently recognized three Southern State Community College faculty members for excellence in teaching.

Each year, SOCHE hosts a faculty awards banquet honoring excellence in teaching by faculty at the member institutions. Southern State instructors Chyane Collins, David Garippa and Ken Holliday were honored at the 2012 Teaching and Learning Conference during SOCHE's 45th anniversary celebration.

Academic officers at each institution nominate faculty members with special consideration of demonstrated excellence and awards received throughout the past academic year.

"Collins is a tireless individual who is always pleasant and puts students and excellence first," read the nomination for Chyane Collins, director of Southern State's respiratory care program.

"She has taken a new program-Respiratory Care-in 2005, and built it into a quality degree with students competing for limited spaces. She has done this by personally advising each student, demanding high pass rates but receiving high ratings on evaluations from students, and being accessible to students, as well as serving on committees and starting programs on campus."

"Dr. Garippa utilized a Perkins mini-grant to promote bio-technology," read the nomination for David Garippa, Ph.D., SSCC faculty in biology.

"Efforts provided free training in the following areas: performing polymerase chain reaction; using a thermal cycler (including Edvotek Mega Cycler); performing electrophoresis; utilizing vertical protein electrophoresis (Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis); and blotting (southern or western blot). Dr. Garippa also coordinated student visits to an ethanol plant, helping students connect instruction to the workplace. He is one of the most appreciative and humble individuals I've ever met."

"A faculty member for over 20 years, Ken has not only taught English, but also health and physical education," read the nomination for Ken Holliday, SSCC assistant professor of English. "Ken is polite and professional in his teaching, advising, grading and following up. He is respected by his peers and is willing to work and achieve beyond expectations. He can be counted upon to respond to students and peers in a timely manner. He takes great care in encouraging students to be the best they can be. Students indicate they have had quality learning experiences in Ken's classes."

To learn more about the quality programming at Southern State Community College, please visit www.sscc.edu/academics<http://www.sscc.edu/academics>. Registration for spring semester is now open and classes begin Jan. 7. Call 1-800-628-7722 and get connected.