Faculty, Staff Excellence Winners for 2018

Employees provided superior instruction, service during 2018 academic year

Parkland College employees were honored with campus and regional awards for superior instruction and service during the school's 2018 academic year. Most were nominated through Parkland College's Professional Development Subcommittees for Faculty and Staff.

Kaizad Irani, Horticulture and Agriculture
2018 Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Award, Illinois Community College Trustees Association

• A Champaign County Master Gardener, Irani has taught at Parkland College since 2002

• Has led teams that designed healing gardens locally at Carle Hospital and at St. Jude's Children's Hospital in Memphis

• His team's design was chosen for the World Trade Center Heroes Park that will be built near Ground Zero in New York

• Described as a creative force and an enthusiastic, generous, and purposeful professor who instills confidence in every student

• Expert on topics as varied as Transforming Chaos and Conflict, Mind Mapping, and changing negative thought patterns

• Has served on the college's Curriculum Committee and Sustainable Campus Committee

Tracy Dotson, Composition
2018 Outstanding Part-Time Faculty Award for Parkland College, Illinois Community College Trustees Association

• Described as a deeply caring and committed teacher

• Has established an engaging curriculum and productive classroom community in which students learn from her and from their classmates

• Valued contributor in departmental meetings, grant-funded assessments, and developmental composition meetings

• Well-regarded mentor who acclimates new part-time faculty to policies, procedures, expectations, and culture of Parkland College

Chris Warren, Kinesiology
2018 Parkland College Teaching Excellence Award

• Associate professor and program director of the Kinesiology program, Warren oversaw the development of Parkland College's state-of-the-art training and athletics facility

• Helped develop the college's Certified Personal Fitness Training program

• Expanded the Kinesiology curriculum to include four transfer pathways

• Known as a dedicated and encouraging teacher; students say he creates a fun and engaging classroom environment

• Assists trainers and clients at Parkland's Fitness Center and monitors many Parkland athletes' training 

Kendra McClure, Communications
2018 Online Teaching Excellence Award

• Associate professor of communication, McClure has served at Parkland College since 2010

• Her online courses stand out because of her attention to detail, clear expectations, and personal interactions with her students

• Uses feedback from anonymous surveys to make adjustments and continually improve student learning

• A founder and faculty advisor for Applied Media Promotions (AMP), a student-staffed strategic communication firm on campus

Manuel Rodriguez, Chemistry
Dr. Joseph Cipfl Faculty Workshop and Research Grant Winner

• Associate professor of chemistry, Rodriguez has served Parkland College since 2010

• The Illinois Community College Faculty Association (ICCFA) Executive Committee has awarded him one of its four $2,500 competitive faculty grants for 2018

• His research project is "Introduction to Undergraduate Research for Community College Students"

• ICCFA, an advisory body to the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB), endeavors to promote excellence in teaching and learning in Illinois community colleges