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UC Irvine Extension Honors Instructors for Professional Excellence
Exceptional Educators Receive "Distinguished Instructor Award" from Dean Gary Matkin
TUSTIN, CA, December 09, 2009 /University PR News/ -- University of California, Irvine Extension presented "Distinguished Instructor Awards" at its annual Instructor and Advisory Committee Member Appreciation Breakfast. A total of 11 instructors were honored for their hard work and dedication to the educational mission put forth by UC Irvine Extension.
"I am glad that our University takes the time to recognize the commitment and enthusiasm of our esteemed instructors," commented Dr. Gary Matkin, dean of Continuing Education at UC Irvine. "Many of those who were named this year also have other careers which offer our students real-life perspective. However, that also means they take time out of their busy schedules to teach courses. We sincerely appreciate their dedication and efforts on behalf of UC Irvine Extension."
The "Distinguished Instructor Award" is given annually to educators who demonstrate outstanding performance in their creative use of instructional techniques; continuous commitment and flexibility in addressing student needs; presentation of current and relevant material that positively impacts student's careers or life; and demonstrable qualities that inspire enthusiasm and enhanced learning. This year's recipients included:
•William "Bill" Campbell - Teaching for UC Irvine Extension since spring 2005, Campbell focuses on mathematics courses within the pre-MBA program. Most recently, he worked to develop completely new materials for an online course addressing asset allocation management using a mathematical model developed by Nobel Prize in Economics winner Harry M. Markowitz. Campbell exemplifies a willingness to embrace new technologies, a sense of mission to improve educational effectiveness and a passion to make even the most complex subjects more accessible to his students.
•Allan Elder - As an instructor within the project management and leadership courses, Elder provides education to the university's corporate clients including Avery Dennison, Boeing and Northrop Grumman. A part of the UC Irvine Extension team since 2002, he has become the "go-to" instructor when kicking off a new program for recently signed clients, ensuring quality of instruction and leaving an impression on the students to continue through an entire program.
•Delia Fernandez - Fernandez began her relationship with UC Irvine Extension as a student in the Personal Financial Planning program 20 years ago. She has taught the Survey of Financial Planning, the first course within the certificate program, more than 50 times over the last 14 years. Her passion for the profession, her love of teaching and her knowledge of the subject inspires students to continue in the program.
•Janice Gronvold - As one of the leading online and on-ground instructors in both the online Spa and Hospitality Management Certificate Program and the International Tourism and Hotel Management Certificate Program for Internationals, Gronvold has been instrumental in helping UC Irvine Extension maintain current and high-quality Spa and Hospitality course offerings through her course content and as a lead advisory board member. Her interactive and engaging teaching style integrates her grasp of theoretical concepts with "real world" examples from her experience.
•Katie Hickox - Hickox, MA, is an exemplary online and on-site instructor in the GATE Specialized Studies program. A GATE teacher and facilitator at Long Beach Unified School District and a graduate of UC Irvine's Credential Program, she goes beyond her teaching role to assist students with information about resources and tailored solutions that are actionable tactics for use in the classroom. In addition, she has been instrumental in helping UCI maintain current and high-quality GATE course offerings that meet the needs of today's teachers.
•Mike Hixson - Involved with UC Irvine Extension for the last 13 years, Hixson has taught more than 50 classes during his tenure. He has been instrumental in maintaining the content of the Marketing for the Residential Builder program, which is up to date and applicable to developers and marketing professionals in the building industry. He has served as president of the Institute of Residential Marketing of NAHB, and of two local sales and marketing councils, and is a certified national instructor for the NAHB.
•Derrick Lam - Serving as an instructor for more than 14 years, Lam is known as the "database guru." He has taught database courses in Sybase, Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server Certificate Program and shares a wealth of knowledge that is recognized by his students and staff. Lam works closely with his students throughout their program tenure, serving as a mentor and often working closely with students on projects related to their job assignments.
•Carlos Oliveira - A dedicated instructor to UC Irvine Extension for more than a decade, Oliveira teaches courses within UC Irvine Extension's Communications Systems Engineering Certificate Program. He also serves as an advisory board member. In addition, Oliveira recently began teaching courses to students among our ACP programs, which provide international students with an enriched approach to learning. As the teaching environment has changed, Carlos has been resourceful and influential in transforming his classes to help students improve their understanding of the material.
•John Secor - An instructor and an advisory board member for the Facilities Management Certificate Program, Secor has been working for UC Irvine Extension for many years. He has been instrumental in building the relationship with the local chapter of the International Facilities Management Association (IFMA). He also helped develop and work out the contractual details with the National IFMA organization that resulted in the Extension school being able to give two levels of industry-recognized certification credit to students completing the program.
•Catherine Spear - Since joining UC Irvine Extension in 2001, Spear has taught within the Fund-Raising Certificate program each and every quarter. She has developed and taught several courses, including Funding Your Annual Operating Campaign, Nonprofit Board and Volunteer Development, Capital Campaigns, Corporate and Foundation Solicitation and Research, and Ethics and Leadership in Nonprofit Management. As a former Board member for the OC Chapter of the Association for Fund-Raising Professionals, she has mentored a number of UC Irvine Extension students into the Orange County nonprofit community and supported a strong partnership between the two organizations.
•Safineh Tahmassebi - An esteemed member of UC Irvine Extension's English & Certificates for International's instructional staff, Tahmassebi is a model teacher who consistently receives stellar class evaluations for her skilled teaching and adept touch in English as a Second Language (ESL) and teacher-training programs. She fosters a caring yet professional camaraderie among students and colleagues and represents the best within a dedicated teaching body.
About UC Irvine, Extension:
As the continuing education arm of UCI, UC Irvine Extension is dedicated to providing a university-level learning experience for students, offering thousands of exciting courses and programs to local, regional, and global constituencies via online curriculum as well as through on campus classes. UC Irvine Extension offers a rich array of academic and community programs to support a diverse audience, from a wide selection of academic programs to numerous campus activities. For more information, please visit www.extension.uci.edu or fan the school at www.facebook.com/UCIExtension.
About the University of California, Irvine:
The University of California, Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with more than 27,000 undergraduate and graduate students and about 1,400 faculty members. The second-largest employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3.3 billion. For more UCI news, visit www.today.uci.edu.
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