West Kentucky Community and Technical College honored five (5) faculty and staff at the 2013 Faculty and Staff Awards reception Friday, May 3.
Megan Dotson, the transitional education reading program coordinator at WKCTC, received the Phelps Award, named in memory of Finis SargentPhelps and Florence GrubbsPhelps that was established at the college in 1991. The purpose of this award is to emphasize quality, promote academic excellence, and reward competence in teaching in the Liberal Arts and Sciences disciplines. Dotson, a Benton resident, has been with the faculty since 2010. A Murray State University graduate, Dotson was instrumental in redesigning the college’s developmental reading program.
David Heflin, program coordinator of the radiography program, was presented the Paducah Junior College Faculty Award. This award also emphasizes quality, promotes academic excellence and rewards competence in teaching in disciplines other than liberal arts and science. Heflin, a Symsonia resident joined the college in 2008. He earned a master’s degree from Murray State University and is currently working on his doctorate from the University of Kentucky. Recently, Heflin was able to increase student success by providing input into student study skills and reading while also reducing cost by moving the radiography program to digital textbooks.
In addition, Deborah Smith of Paducah, JenniferStrout of Mayfield and Summer Holland of Benton were named WKCTC’s nominees for the Kentucky Community and Technical College System’s 2013 New Horizon Award.
Each KCTCS college nominates one administrative member, one faculty member, and one staff member for the award by their fellow college employees. One faculty member, one administrative member, and one staff member from the 48 people nominated will be chosen as the top staff and faculty representatives in the state at a special awards banquet to be held in May.
Strout, a business affairs specialist, was nominated in the administrative staff category. She has worked at the college for twelve years, having started as an account clerk. Nominated in the faculty category, Smith has worked at the college since 1984 when she was hired as a radiography instructor. She later was coordinator of the radiography program and allied health division chair. She is currently WKCTC’s director of advising and assessment. Holland, a student affairs assistant III in the Advising and Assessment Center, was nominated in the staff category. She has worked at the college since 2008.