GAINESVILLE STATE COLLEGE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: SLOAN JONES, 678-717-3836
Gainesville, GA., August 6, 2012 –Gainesville State College (GSC) held its annual Welcome Back Luncheon for faculty and staff, where it also recognized award winners and acknowledged years of service, on Monday, August 6, 2012.
Wanda Aldridge was named the Gainesville honoree for the Eleanor Crawford Award. Aldridge began her career at GSC in 2004 and currently serves as the Interim Vice-President of Business and Finance. She supports initiatives and special projects such as grants, accreditation, and facilities and serves on various committees across campus. She genuinely loves GSC and demonstrates integrity when making decisions on behalf of the College.
Erin Williams Benson was chosen as the Oconee honoree for the Eleanor Crawford Award. Benson has a true passion for our students and their success. A member of the GSC staff since 2006, she currently serves as the Coordinator of Testing. Benson is one of the first contact points for new students prior to enrollment, and she expertly answers a myriad of question and explains the possible next steps in a kind and non-threatening way. Her work has a great impact on whether a student continues his higher education path or not and has a direct correlation to student enrollment. She is a perfect fit for this award, as her deep commitment to GSC’s access mission and our students’ success is a true testament to Ms. Crawford’s legacy.
Dale Crandall, Monique Kluczykowski, Amy Reeder and Brad Strickland were recognized for 25 years of service to the institution. Other longevity awards included –
20 years: Lisa Beck, Tina Carter, Joy Evans, Delbert Greear, Donna Grizzle, Mary Hamby, Sloan Jones, Brenda Perry
15 years: Sabine Davis, Linnea Haag, Martha T. Nesbitt, Debbra Pilgrim, Patricia Worrall
10 years: Paula Arckivy, Philip Branyon, Alicia Caudill, Mercer E. Crook, Deidre DeLaughter, James Howard, Kelly Manley, Vickie Poole, Molly Potts, Eleanor Schut, Anita Turlington, Brian Wesnofske, Laura Beth Wheeler
5 years: Melanie Allen, Shelley Aikman, Alla Balueva, Karen Banks, Charles Bell, Beth Bellamy, Gloria Bennett, Ezekiel Black, Martin Blackwell, Casey Bowman, Clara Bryant, Betsy Cantrell, Tonya Butler Collins, Mary Carney, Pamela Elfenbein, Dawn Drumtra, Mary Fifer, Donna Foster, Shannon Gilstrap, Yong Seung Han, Valarie Havill, Julia Hewell, Lance Hundt, Hieu Huynh, John Mark Jones, Katherine Kipp, Nancy Leizear, Earl Lundy, Matias Perez-Minambres, Heather Mitchell, Adam Lance Murphy, Heather Murray, Christy Orr, Al Panu, Erin Parrish, Derek Powers, Johanna Rickman, Patricia Short, Emily Sparrow, Renee Thompson, Mary Transue, Lisa Walker, Veronica Walker, John Williams, Leslie Worthington, Carly Womack-Wynne, Corey Young
Two teams, one each from the Gainesville and Oconee Campuses, were also recognized for “Best Practices” at the College. The Best Practices Award, given annually, honors strategies, projects, practices, activities, initiatives, and/or research at Gainesville State College that has proved highly effective, innovative, and commendable in the areas of institutional service, professional development, or community service.
The recipients of the Best Practices Award for the Gainesville Campus were Kristin Kelly and Patsy Worrall for their development, implementation and presentation of the “This I Believe” writing project. In 2008, Patsy and Kristin began using National Public Radio’s “This I Believe” essay criteria in their English 1101 classes. Students study the history of the “This I Believe” essay project and then write their own personal narrative. The project culminates each semester with an event called “We Believe in Them,” at which selected students read their essays to their family, friends, and the college community.
The 2012 Oconee Best Practices Award was presented to Anne Duke and John Williams for their excellent work in support of student success. The team collaborated to create video lectures for Duke’s online Accounting I and II courses; the videos, along with traditional learning materials, were subsequently incorporated into the online courses and delivered via eLearning. The videos have been formatted for viewing using PC and Apple operating systems and re-recorded as needed.
Interim President J. Randy Pierce gave a motivating State of the College address to the faculty and staff. This year’s title was “Celebrating Our Past, Anticipating Our Future.”
Fall semester classes will begin on Monday, August 13, 2010.
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