Monroe Community College
Board of Trustees Meeting
March 8, 2004
PROMOTION ABSTRACTS
Technical Assistant to Senior Technical Assistant
Brian Managan-Visual and Performing Arts-A.S. from Vincennes University. First
year at MCC-1999. Mr. Managan is described as a genius in troubleshooting the
technical problems and glitches that naturally come with computers and labs and has
a talent for organizing people and things. Brian is the coordinator of the department’s
student aide hiring and designed and developed the departmental website. He has
attended numerous workshops and seminars to keep current in his ever changing
field. He contributes greatly to student success by volunteering his time and energy
to help students choose the right kind of computers for the production of the Monroe
Doctrine. He is currently working closely with ETS on a new project for students:
digital storage space for student projects.
Instructor to Assistant Professor
Ilene Benz-Visual and Performing Arts-Master of Public Education and B.S. from
Brockport. First year at MCC-1999. Ms. Benz is a master teacher of public speech
who uses a variety of skills and teaching modalities that benefit our diverse student
population. Ilene has developed several new courses and this past year began
teaching an online course. Ilene, along with another faculty member, initiated and
developed the annual MCC Speaking Contest, named after Otis Young. She has
been an active member of the Faculty Senate and is chair of the departmental
Curriculum Committee.
Ms. Benz has attended a myriad of professional
development workshops and teleconferences while teaching a full load and being an
exemplary student advisor. Ilene is an active member of Toastmasters International,
Leadership Rochester, the American Society of Training and Development and the
Association of Business Communicators.
Gail Bouk-English and Philosophy-M.A. and B.A. from Brockport. First year at
MCC-2000. Ms. Bouk has been teaching at MCC for over a decade as a full-time
temporary, 80% faculty member and adjunct before being hired as full-time faculty.
Gail’s teaching is characterized by a sensitive and gentle manner, but with complete
control of what goes on in the classroom. Her major focus has been on mythology
and children’s literature and she will soon be teaching an Honors Section of
Children’s Literature. Currently, Gail is co-advisor to Cabbages and Kings, the MCC
student literary magazine, is chairing the department’s Children’s Literature
Committee and is working toward holding a children’s literature conference at MCC.
Ms. Bouk has also served on the Creative Arts Committee, has worked with the
Teaching and Creativity Center and served on the Learning Center Committee for the
Faculty Senate. Gail was the recipient of the Outstanding Faculty Advisor for 2000
and has demonstrated her desire for professional development by continuing to do
course work at the University of Rochester and attending a variety of conferences.
Monroe Community College
Board of Trustees Meeting
March 8, 2004
William Brewer-Health and Physical Education-M.A. from Empire State and B.S.
from SUNY Cortland. First year at MCC-1999. Mr. Brewer is a commanding teacher
whose strength within the classroom is the amount of preparation that he brings to
each class and the outstanding knowledge base and enthusiasm that he has for the
topics he presents. He has taught at least ten different courses in Physical Studies
and has designed a new course entitled Personal Defense. Mr. Brewer has served
on the Faculty Senate, the Executive Committee of the Senate and is currently
serving as Chair of the Professional Development Committee. He coordinated the
department’s futuring process and has served as advisor of the Physical Studies
Club. Mr. Brewer became trained as an SLN developer and exported his expertise
by presenting at several regional and national meetings. He is one of three adjunct
faculty certified nationally by the Cooper Institute and does several Cooper training
sessions annually at sites around the country.
Karen Coffey-Visual and Performing Arts-M.S. from Nazareth, B.S. from SUNY
Cortland and A.S. from MCC. First year at MCC-1999. Ms. Coffey employs a variety
of teaching styles in the classroom to keep the learning process interesting to her
students. She keeps current in her field by attending and conducting several
workshops, classes and is a member of the International Communication
Association. Karen carries a full advisement load in the Communication and Media
Arts program and has been honored by being named Academic Advisor of the Year.
She is the current Adjunct Coordinator for both COM and SPT courses, is the cochair of the New Hires Committee and has planned and coordinated VaPA’s annual
adjunct training program as well as representing the department on the Basic
Communication Assessment Committee. Karen appears in Who’s Who Among
America’s Teachers-2000 and has appeared on FOX 31 and WHEC-TV 10
discussing online teaching and learning and is a member of the MCC SLN Cohort.
Lorna Dawson-Psychology-M.A from Hofstra University and B.S. from Empire State.
First year at MCC-1993. Ms. Dawson is a competent and skillful classroom teacher
and makes extensive use of the opportunities for professional development offered at
MCC. She recently took an additional graduate course on developmental psychology
at Nazareth to broaden her professional base. Lorna is readily available to students
outside class time and completes her advising expectation every year in January. In
the department, Lorna has served on the course evaluation team and is currently
working with a team to develop a new course. Ms. Dawson works with the Teaching
and Creativity Center by serving on the Adjunct Orientation Committee.
Monroe Community College
Board of Trustees Meeting
March 8, 2004
Gary DeWitt-Applied Technologies-M.S. from Roberts Wesleyan, B.S. from Empire
State and A.A.S. from Alfred State. First year at MCC-1998.
Mr. DeWitt is a
dedicated colleague who has demonstrated concern and compassion for the HVAC
students and has always been available for any individual who needed extra
attention. Gary pioneered the annual HVAC job fair at the Applied Technology
Center and was instrumental in creating and implementing HVA 106 as a capstone
course in the HVAC discipline in response to an industry need. He has attended the
Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute yearly seminar for HVAC instructors and
has championed accreditation of the program through the CARE organization. Mr.
DeWitt has served on the SLN Committee, chaired the Department’s Continuous
Improvement Committee and is presently serving his first year as Chair of the
department. Gary and his students volunteer for Habitat house construction.
James Downer-Visual and Performing Arts-M.S and M.A. from Marywood College
and BFA from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. First year at MCC-1999. As
a teacher, Mr. Downer is engaging, provoking and iconoclastic. The high quality of
his students’ work reflects the high quality of instruction he has offered them. Jim is a
dedicated academic advisor and a participant in many activities that are by or for the
students. He is consistently asked to continue to contribute to MCC Foundation
events, the Mercer Gallery and the Phi Theta Kappa activities. For his department,
Jim has been a faculty senator, the graphics area representative on the VAPA`
Resources and Planning Committee, an active participant in the pre-assessment
planning for the VC01 degree program and a winner of the NISOD award. As a
working artist and designer, Jim continues to display his work in public exhibitions
including the departments own faculty show.
Sharon Dwyer-Health and Physical Education-Masters from Plymouth State College
and B.S. from Springfield College. First year at MCC-1998. Ms. Dwyer has spent
considerable time and energy increasing her teaching pedagogy skills and has
shown unwavering enthusiasm as the Health Studies Coordinator in the Health and
Physical Education Department. She has guided the growth of health studies based
on need, goals established by the futuring process and her ability to see
health/wellness as a growing profession. She designed MCC’s newly-approved
program in Health Studies. She has been involved in the recruitment of twenty
adjuncts. Ms. Dwyer has sought certification in relevant areas including the Cooper
Institute certification as a personal trainer and NYS certification as a trainer for
S.A.V.E. (Child Abuse Reporting). She participated in a variety of community
activities that are relevant to her health careers orientation and recently served on the
National Commission for Health Credentialing.
Monroe Community College
Board of Trustees Meeting
March 8, 2004
Christine Forde-Office and Computer Programs-M.S. and B.S. from R.I.T. First year
at MCC-1999.
Ms. Forde’s instructional skill is immediately evident and she
effectively engages her students. A review of Christine’s repertoire of courses taught
is impressive. While teaching a full-load, Christine completed her Masters Degree in
Software Development this past year. In addition, Ms. Forde served on the Web
Design Committee, the OCP Learning Center Committee, Hiring Committee, Policy
Manual Committee and is Chair of the Dual Credit Committee. Christine is often
sought after for advising and her efforts as a tutor and mentor have greatly assisted a
large number of students as well as the department’s Alice H. Young Intern.
Christine is very active in her community and the Rochester City School District cited
her with a Friends of Education Award for her efforts at Wilson Magnet High School.
Matthew Fox-Transitional Studies-M.A. from University at Stony Brook, B.A. from
SUNY Fredonia. First year at MCC-1999. Mr. Fox is committed to creating a positive
learning environment to help his Transitional Studies students succeed in college and
in life. Whether it is his plan to implement a portfolio approach to assess writing or to
require students to keep a reading journal, Matt is fully engaged in maximizing his
students’ learning. He recently launched Course Space Software to develop a TRS
101-Basic Reading, Writing and Learning Skills website centered on the life and
study of Frederick Douglass. He has participated in many professional development
opportunities at the College including the series of advising workshops, ETS modules
and the training sessions for SUNY Learn Net. Matthew has helped to develop
professional development opportunities for the Teaching and Creativity Center as
well as the most recent College-wide workshop entitled “The Penultimate Question”
about developing good questioning techniques. Matt is co-advisor to the Outdoor
Unlimited Club and he also founded, and was advisor to the student Drama Club,
DCC Players. He serves his department as Adjunct Coordinator for all TRS
language courses as well as serving as a member of the Language Course Review
Committee. Matt has served on the Transitional Studies Department and Student
Support Services search committees and on the College’s Grievance Committee.
Currently he is a member of the Teaching and Creativity Center Committee. He also
served on the subcommittee that developed SPT 150, Performance and Presentation
Skills for Educators for the Teacher Education program. He is a member of the New
York State College Learning Skills Association (NYSCLSA) and attends their annual
conference. He received the NISOD Award for Excellence in Teaching at Finger
Lakes Community College. Matt is the President of Crawlspace Theatre Company
and he is currently working on a wartime biography of John Cipolla.
Monroe Community College
Board of Trustees Meeting
March 8, 2004
Mark McKenzie-Mathematics-Ph.D and M.A. from University of Wisconsin and B.A.
from San Jose State University. First year at MCC-1999. Dr. McKenzie typically
teaches Math for Elementary Teachers and is very involved in helping prepare future
educators. In addition to speaking at Mathematics conferences, Mark is very
involved in the Seaway Section of the Mathematics Association of America as
second vice-chair of the association. This year he joined the SUNY Mathematics
State Education Task Force and frequently submits articles to Mathematics journals
for publication. Within the department, Mark is a member of the Mathematics,
Science and Technology steering committee, participates in WAC workshops and is
a member of the Faculty Senate Academic Policies Committee.
Donna Podgorny-ESOL and Foreign Languages-Masters from the University of
Rochester and Bachelor’s from San Diego State University. First year at MCC-2000.
Ms. Podgorny is an exemplary instructor whose leadership and enthusiasm remain
dynamic and relevant to the success of the ESOL/Foreign Languages Department
and the College. Donna has high standards for her students and her instructional
delivery is varied with interactive learning experiences, multi-media modalities and
web-site resources designed to meet diverse learning styles. She was a recent
recipient of the NISOD Award. She has developed two new Spanish courses for
future teachers and has served on the Teacher Preparation Advisory Council. Donna
has helped develop her department’s web page and has worked with her colleagues
on the selection of a new Spanish textbook and supplementary material. She has
been trained in the Command Spanish method and teaches Command Spanish to
health professionals. Donna has also been the leader in developing the Foreign Film
Fest, a department-focused project and a College-wide event, open to the Rochester
community. Her interest in international education has led to a series of events for
International Education Week. Most notably, she completed a new On-location
Studies Handbook.
Laurel Sanger—Nursing-M.S.N from Nazareth, M.S. from SUNY Brockport and B.S.
from Valparaiso University. First year at MCC-1997. Ms. Sanger works with
students to promote all aspects of their success at MCC from creating several
content review tools used to enhance their exam scores to developing new exams
with rationales so students can understand the correct and incorrect exam answers.
She received her second Masters degree from Nazareth College in May 2002 and
also received the “Alumni Award for Demonstrated Exceptional Academic
Performance and Ability to Use Current Theory and Research in Practice” and the
“Outstanding Graduate Student” Award from the Pi Psi Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau.
Ms. Sanger has attended over twenty-nine conferences and lectures to promote her
professional development. She served the Nursing Department as co-coordinator for
NUR 111 for five semesters and has served on its Student-Faculty Affairs and
Curriculum and Assessment Committees. She is currently the Chairperson for the
department. She has also served as a Faculty Senator and as a member of the
college-wide Academic Policies committee.
Monroe Community College
Board of Trustees Meeting
March 8, 2004
Holly Wheeler-English and Philosophy-M.A. from SUNY Brockport and B.A. from St.
John Fisher College. First year at MCC-2000. Ms. Wheeler shows creativity and
organization in the classroom and has taught a variety of English courses both in the
classroom and online, has developed a hybrid course in Children’s Literature and is
currently developing a Mythology online course. Holly is a participant in the
Advisor/Advisee Mentor Program and has taken Professional Development/Training
in many areas of advising in order to help her students with class registration,
program choices and transferring. The English/Philosophy Department faculty and
staff look forward to each edition of the Cyclops’ Eye that Holly compiles and edits.
Holly has worked on the Department Assessment committee, judged entries for the
Department Awards Committee and helped department morale through the
organization of social activities. In addition, she has been an active and involved
member of the Faculty Senate serving as a member of the Curriculum Committee
and later the Academic Policies Committee. Presently, she is the chair of the Faculty
Senate Curriculum Committee and has been involved with the Teaching and
Creativity Center since its inception. Holly has attended many conferences and in
the spring of 2004, she will present a paper on rubrics at the League for Innovation
Conference.
MaryJo Witz-Biology-M.S. and B.S. from University of South Florida. First year at
MCC-1999. Ms. Witz is a very organized, reliable and versatile teacher. She has
effectively taught a wide variety of courses and has worked very hard to incorporate
technology into her courses by using PowerPoint presentations and securing grant
money for the purchase of new computers for the Human Physiology Lab. Her work
with the Biology Department’s Curriculum Committee and its sub-committees is
especially noteworthy. She has facilitated and worked on the development of three
new courses, organized sub-groups working on other courses and worked to solicit
input from other groups outside of the department. MaryJo was actively involved in
the difficult issue of a student complaint against animal dissection and served as cocoordinator for an open forum held on campus entitled “When Religious Freedom
and Academic Necessity Clash – How should the College Respond?” Ms. Witz is
also the Biology Club Advisor.
Monroe Community College
Board of Trustees Meeting
March 8, 2004
Assistant Professor to Associate Professor
C. Thomas Gilbert-Office and Computer Programs-M.S. and B.A. from Alfred
University. First year at MCC-1997. Mr. Gilbert’s innovative teaching techniques are
impressive. He has spearheaded the growing number of course offerings by the
department at the Damon Campus including both hardware and networking classes;
these classes required setting up special labs. He has incredible energy. This year,
Tom is the department chairperson and has quickly earned the respect of the entire
department. He has implemented several strategies for “growing” enrollment
including dual credit courses, hybrid courses and recruiting at the high school level.
He has managed the department’s learning center from its inception, designed its
layout and has developed it into a full-scale resource for students complete with
state-of-the-art equipment. Tom, along with a colleague, spearheaded an additional
program of tutoring students, after hours, in courses that students find particularly
difficult. He has been a senator, and has served on a number of departmental
committees including Web Development, Scheduling, Curriculum, Hiring and others.
Outside the College, Tom is very dedicated to his service as an emergency medical
technician, as well as offering training in that area.
Annette Leopard-Mathematics-M.A. from University of Michigan and B.A. from
Albion College. First year at MCC-1984. Ms. Leopard is held in high regard by
students and colleagues. Her course preparation, approach and presentation show a
serious commitment to educational excellence and student success. Annette has
taught many of the courses offered by the department and is currently serving as
coordinator for two sections of dual-credit Calculus. She has attended numerous
mathematics conferences, workshops and seminars and has participated in several
ETS Training Tracks sessions as well as being a member of the New York State
Mathematics Association of Two Year Colleges. The Department and the College
have benefited greatly from Annette’s efforts as Computer Liaison. While serving in
this role, she taught herself HTML in order to design and publish the department’s
very first web pages. Ms. Leopard has been the course coordinator for several
courses and was instrumental in rewriting the course objectives for all three Calculus
courses.
She worked on a collaborative team with members of the
Physics/Engineering Department to develop ways to integrate Mathematics and
Physics/Engineering courses via Mathematica.
Annette is an active member of
several department standing committees, a long-time member of the College’s
Writing Across the Curriculum Committee and this year joined the Faculty Senate to
represent the department where she serves on the Curriculum Committee.
Monroe Community College
Board of Trustees Meeting
March 8, 2004
Scott Sanford-Applied Technologies-M.S. from Chicago State University, B.S., from
SUNY Utica and A.A.S. from Morrisville Community College. First year at MCC1988. Mr. Sanford’s students receive the highest quality information. In the highly
technical field of automotive technology, Scott keeps abreast in the latest
advancements to enhance his classroom training and comply with the employment
needs of his students. As Administrator and Assistant Professor of the General
Motors ASEP Program, Scott demonstrates his determination to succeed in this ongoing goal and annually takes update training for familiarity of the new automobiles
and components. Mr. Sanford also completes a series of tests (Automotive Service
Excellence) each year to recertify his Master Technician status. He is on the
executive board of the Rochester Automobile Competition, has served on several
new hire interview committees, participates in the planning and implementation of the
yearly Automotive Career Day at the Applied Technology Center and is a member of
the NATEF preparation committee. Scott was instrumental in the department
receiving the General Motors Most Improved Program in the Northeast Region in
1998.
Sara Wexler-Office and Computer Programs-M.S. from Binghamton University and
B.S. from the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology. First year at MCC-1999. Ms.
Wexler is an excellent instructor who has been instrumental in bringing C++ to our
course offerings and has played a key role in JAVA instruction. Sara keeps current in
a field that is undergoing dynamic changes and routinely attends professional
seminars and workshops on teaching strategies and techniques and shares them
with her colleagues. She conducts various extra help tutoring sessions in problem
solving, pseudo coding and JAVA coding, is an active advisor and has assisted a
number of students work toward national computer science awards and scholarships
at four-year universities. Sara has served as the chair of the Hiring Committee, the
Policy Manual Committee, the Internship/Co-Op Development Committee and the Ad
Hoc Committee on CIS 100 Objective Standards. Ms. Wexler has been a member of
the STAND Committee for MCC, served as web designer and coordinator for the
STAND Project, was a member of the Ad Hoc Committee on Student Opinions on
Courses and Faculty and a member of the Teaching and Creativity Center Advisory
Committee.
Monroe Community College
Board of Trustees Meeting
March 8, 2004
Julianna Williams-Visual and Performing Arts-M.F.A. from Tufts University and
B.F.A. from R.I.T. First year at MCC-1989. Ms. Williams is a talented artist and
watching her work with her students is a beautiful process to behold. She is warm,
funny, direct, non-threatening, supremely knowledgeable, sensitive and
understanding of what the students need from her in order to produce art. Julianna
has served on a variety of departmental committees including the Retention, Tenure,
Promotion and Awards Committee and currently chairs a junior faculty member’s
tenure committee. She is a member of the Mercer Gallery Committee and has been
a consultant to the New Hires Committee. Ms. Williams has been a member of the
Fine Arts General Studies Assessment team this past year and was the coordinator
for the League for Innovation Student Art competition in 1996; she was the MCC
chairperson for the event for a decade. Julie is a dedicated academic advisor and is
a regular participant in the many VAPA PARs. She currently is and has been an
active artist with her work being shown in numerous juried shows including a number
of one-woman shows in the area.
Monroe Community College
Board of Trustees Meeting
March 8, 2004
Associate Professor to Professor
Charles Ball-Engineering Technologies-M.S. from Indiana University and B.S. from
Clarion State University. First year at MCC-1982. Mr. Ball is a teacher who has a
solid understanding of curriculum design, learning objectives, student centered
learning and classroom techniques. Charlie has assisted other faculty in the use of
digital imaging for course work as well as pioneering the use of computer software for
class lectures and laboratory presentation. He recently attended a seminar in
“Photoshop” software use and has attended all of the internal training for Power Point
presentations as well as attending Optical Society of America meetings. Charlie has
coordinated the department assessment project and was in charge of the
assessment of Optical, Electrical and Mechanical Technologies. He also participated
in the Eisenhower Grant Project and the Optics Department NSF Grant in Imaging.
He works with local industry both in the optics and photography arenas and has
assisted in organizing the advisory committee meetings for the Optics Department as
well as coordinating NSF workshops given on campus for high school teachers. He
has assisted outside groups who use our facilities such as Boy Scouts of America
and Technology Summer Camp with fun and interesting laboratories using optics,
imaging and photography.
Peter Collinge-Mathematics-M.A. from SUNY Brockport and B.A. from Michigan
State. First year at MCC-1986. Mr. Collinge is truly committed to teaching and
promotes an atmosphere conducive to learning by being energetic, organized and
encouraging student participation. Peter was instrumental in the development of the
new course, MTH 151 and has served on numerous Search Committees within the
department. He serves as the Computer Liaison for the department and as well as
serving on many other departmental committees. He was previously a member of
the Faculty Senate and the Academic Policies Committee, has assisted the MCC cochairs of the United Way Committee and is always willing to work with other
departments to help clarify mathematics prerequisites. Peter has been a member of
the Liberal Arts Mentor Program in addition to the numerous hours he spends in the
Advising Center. He frequently attends many professional development workshops
offered on campus and has also served as a presenter at the Beyond the Formula
Conferences held at MCC. In the community, Peter is very involved with the Boy
Scouts as a troop leader and has assisted the Rush-Henrietta School Budget
Advisory Committee.