Faculty Excellence recipients & Emeritus Professors were honored at awards event

Recipients of the Faculty Excellence Awards for 2024 and newly-designated Emeritus Professors were recognized at the College’s annual celebration of outstanding faculty achievements, on April 22, 2024.

Kelly Hubbard, Professor and Program Chair for Early Childhood Education (Humanities & Sciences Division), and Jeff Wright, Professor and Program Chair for Aviation Maintenance Technology (Engineering & Information Technologies Division), were selected for the House/Bruckmann Faculty Excellence Awards.

The Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award was presented to Chanyung (James) Park, Sociology Instructor in the Humanities & Sciences Division.

Kelly Hubbard has been a full-time faculty member at Cincinnati State since 2015. Her award nomination recognized her Contributions to the Community and program leadership, including:

• Speaking at the National Association for the Education of Young Children conference.
• Serving as a campus leader for the Bold Beginnings in Higher Education grant, which funds curriculum enhancements to support inclusion of children with disabilities.
• Facilitating student participation in the Leading Men Fellowship program, which strives to increase the number of men of color who pursue Early Childhood Education careers.
• Serving as a member of the Butler County Educational Service Center Advisory Board.
• Strengthening a partnership with the Workforce Development Center to offer students opportunities to earn the Child Development Associate credential.
• Establishing lab site partnerships with community agencies for Clifton and Middletown ECE students.
• Creating a 2+2 articulation pathway with Northern Kentucky University.
• Serving as a subject matter expert on several review panels for the Ohio Department of Higher Education.

Jeff Wright joined the full-time faculty in 1997. His award nomination noted his Excellence in Instruction, Commitment to Student Success, and Contributions to the Community, including:

• Nearly doubling enrollment over the past five years, to nearly 180 students, making the program one of the 10 largest AMT programs in the U.S.
• Emphasizing “hands-on” learning and keeping all students focused and engaged while completing tasks like taking a jet engine apart and putting it back together.
• Connecting with all of his students and graduates on a personal level that means he can tell you where they went to high school, where they co-op, and where they are working now.
• Mentoring new full-time faculty members and adjunct instructors to achieve student success while also meeting the regulations required by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and achieving program performance well above College averages for student persistence (84%), retention (68%), and other success measures.
• Helping to bring nearly $1,000,000 in grant funding to the AMT program.

Chanyung (James) Park began teaching at Cincinnati State in 2012. He was nominated for the Adjunct Excellence Award based on his Excellence in Instruction and Contributions to the College, including:

• Developing three sociology courses: Introduction to Sociology, Race and Ethnicity, and Social Problems.
• Leading College Credit Plus offerings of Introduction to Sociology at several high schools.
• Assisting new colleagues by sharing model course materials and serving as the Sociology disciplinary expert for the department.
• Preparing materials required for Ohio Transfer 36 approval for two Sociology courses.
• Leading a project to improve communication among Sociology faculty members.
• Serving as the faculty advisor for student organizations including Phi Theta Kappa academic honor society and the Cincinnati State Gamer’s Club.

The celebration also recognized the other House/Bruckmann award finalists: Dr. Bob Jakubovic (English Composition & Literature) and Chef Betsy LaSorella (Pastry Arts).

Three new Emeritus Professors were recognized at the Faculty Excellence Awards Celebration: Jason Caudill, Dr. Mike DeVore, and Susan Herking.

Jason Caudill joined the Cincinnati State faculty in 2000 as the first program chair for the Graphic Design associate degree (originally named Computer Graphics).

His nomination said, “during nearly 23 years at the College, Jason continuously improved the curriculum, built partnerships with the local design community, and created numerous opportunities for Graphic Design students to gain essential artistic and technical skills, making the program’s graduates desired employees in agencies and studios throughout Greater Cincinnati.”

Jason initiated student involvement in the annual American Advertising Federation ADDY award competition, where exemplary work from Cincinnati State Graphic Design students won numerous Gold and Silver Awards, Best-in-Show Awards, and Judges’ Choice Awards in the Cincinnati competition. Across decades of participation, Graphic Design students also won several Regional ADDY awards and three National Gold ADDY Awards, in 2008, 2017, and 2020. In addition, graduates of the Graphic Design program have won awards in the Professional ADDY competition.

Jason developed several unique courses for the Graphic Design program, including a “midnight” section of a class that met late at night to accommodate student work schedules. The innovative course schedule gained national media attention. He also collaborated with Graphic Design faculty in developing and implementing a Portfolio Review course, where students completing their first year of Graphic Design studies present their work for evaluation by industry professionals, including many alumni of the Graphic Design program.

Jason served on several divisional and College-wide committees, and he led the work of the College’s Arts Advisory Group, resulting in the mural by Derrick Toebbe (seen in the photo above) that was installed in the ATLC First Floor Lounge in 2022.

Jason also was an active member of the Cincinnati State AAUP Chapter. He served two terms as an elected officer and he was a member of five Faculty Bargaining Teams.

Dr. Mike DeVore served as a Cincinnati State faculty member for nearly 34 years, and was program chair for the Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) program for 24 years. He was twice nominated for the House/Bruckmann Faculty Excellence Award in recognition of his contributions to his students and the College.

His nomination stated, “The graduates who trained under Mike’s tutelage during his decades of teaching, and who are now gainfully employed in the field of engineering, likely number in the thousands—so the imprint his hard work has left on the College and on the field of Engineering is massive.” The nomination also lauded Mike as “an exemplary professor, a great colleague, a supportive friend, and a pillar of leadership within the EIT division.”

Mike helped obtained grants and donations that allowed the MET program to acquire over $1 million for new lab equipment and specialized software that prepared students to enter co-op and full-time employment as productive contributors to their employer’s organizations.

He also developed and implemented a comprehensive 3D printing and 3D scanning lab at the College, funded entirely through external grants and donations, and obtained updated equipment for the MET Hydraulics and Pneumatics lab through donations from industry partners.

Mike led two successful ABET accreditation reviews for the MET program, meeting the rigorous standards required for this prestigious external accreditation. He also established and maintained articulation agreements for MET students with the University of Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky University, and Miami University.

Susan Herking served as a member of the Biology Department for over 20 years. Her nomination described her as “an invaluable asset to our institution, who made indelible contributions to both the Biology Department and the wider academic community.”

Susan taught and/or contributed significantly to the development and support of a variety of Biology courses, including the full sequence of courses in human anatomy and physiology (A&P). She helped update the A&P lecture and lab curriculum and assessments to improve student success in these rigorous gateway courses, and her insights and subject matter expertise were integral when converting from quarters to semesters, transitioning from in-person to remote during the pandemic, and piloting the first iteration of a hybrid version of A&P.

Susan served for many years as lead instructor for BIO 117 and BIO 127 companion lecture and lab courses, which were pivotal for students pursuing careers in practical nursing and medical assisting and provided them with foundational knowledge and skills needed to excel in their field.

Susan helped establish Biology courses at the Middletown campus, working with adjunct faculty and student workers to equip the biology classroom and lab spaces appropriately. She also was integral in supporting a partnership between Cincinnati State and the Great Oaks by coordinating and teaching Biology courses at all four Great Oaks campuses for Cincinnati State students aspiring to enter nursing programs.

Susan’s colleagues said her innovative teaching methods, dedication to student-centered learning, and unwavering support empowered countless students to achieve their academic and professional goals. Beyond the classroom, Susan was a mentor and role model for her colleagues who shared her expertise, embraced new pedagogical approaches, and fostered a collaborative learning environment. She was “the quintessential team player” in the Biology department.

Background:

The House/Bruckmann Faculty Excellence Award was established in 1985.

• The award is named for Clifford R. House, the first president of Cincinnati Technical College, and Alice P. Bruckmann, a member of the College’s first Board of Trustees. 
• Tenured faculty members may be nominated for the award by faculty and academic administrators, based on demonstrated excellence related to the following criteria:
  • Excellence in Instruction
  • Commitment to Student Success
  • Collaborative Spirit
  • Contributions to the College
  • Contributions to the Community
  • Professional Achievements
  • Other
• Nominations are reviewed by a Screening Subcommittee comprised of past award recipients, and up to five nominees may be recommended for recognition as finalists.
• The award recipients are selected from the group of finalists through voting by faculty members and academic administrators.

The Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award was established in 2021.

• Any part-time employee with responsibilities that involve instruction, cooperative education coordination, clinical or practicum coordination, or academic advising is eligible for nomination.
• Nominations can be made by full-time and part-time faculty, academic administrators, staff members, and students, using the same criteria as those for the House/Bruckmann awards.

• Nominations must be endorsed by the applicable program or department chair and the applicable division administrator.
• Nominations are then reviewed by the members of the Faculty Excellence Committee, who select the award recipients. Up to five adjunct faculty members may receive the award each year.

Professor Emeritus status may be awarded to a retired faculty member who served for at least 15 years in a full-time faculty role.

• A nomination must be prepared by a current tenured faculty member and forwarded to the Faculty Senate.
• The Faculty Senate then seeks support for Emeritus Professor recommendations through voting by all current tenured faculty members.