HANCEVILLE, Ala. – Dr. Kathy Buckelew is Wallace State Community College’s 2020 Dale P. Parnell Distinguished Faculty recipient, as sponsored by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).
Buckelew, the chairperson of Wallace State’s English Department, has taught at Wallace State for nearly 17 years, spending 31 years in education overall. Buckelew will be recognized at the AACC’s annual convention in National Harbor, Md., on March 28-30, 2020. AACC will be celebrating its 100th birthday in 2020. Wallace State President Dr. Vicki Karolewics currently serves on the AACC Board of Directors.
Since the program’s inception in 2018, each AACC member college has the opportunity to nominate a Dale P. Parnell Distinguished Faculty honoree.
“This is quite an honor. It’s nice to be recognized for teaching and for being dedicated to our students,” Buckelew said. “I’m thankful to be thought that highly of by my peers.”
Besides serving as an English instructor, Buckelew has been instrumental in spearheading Wallace State’s freshman orientation classes and was the leader in developing Wallace State’s inaugural Pathways United for Learning, Service, and Excellence (PULSE) event, a two-day, conference style event that debuted in October, providing learning and personal growth opportunities for students. The event was geared to enhance students’ experience at Wallace State by providing a success-focused keynote speaker, more than 300 workshop options, and a slate of serve projects to connect students with service opportunities on campus and in our larger community.
“Community college students need to connect with other students, administrators, instructors and employees, and we believed PULSE was a great way to accomplish that,” Buckelew said. “It took the entire campus to buy in to make it successful, and we had overwhelmingly positive responses from our students.”
Buckelew also serves on Wallace State’s Leadership Council, Master Teacher Steering Committee, the Pathways Transfer Committee, and the Leadership Wallace State Steering Committee. She’s also co-chair on Wallace State’s Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) committee, an essential group designed for SACS accreditation.
Buckelew was nominated by Dr. Rebecca Reeves, Wallace State’s Social Science Division chairperson.
“Dr. Kathy Buckelew’s ability to build trust naturally, garner respect, and develop positive rapport with students is truly a gift. She has distinguished herself in the classroom and in her service to the College and our community. She is truly a student-first instructor. She is also dedicated to serving her department, the Academic Division, and our college,” Reeves said. “With her keen intuition, intelligence, and creativity, Dr. Buckelew earns the respect and trust of her students and advisees. She works diligently to nurture students’ critical thinking skills by fostering a classroom environment grounded on her in-depth knowledge of her discipline and dedication to student success.
The Dale P. Parnell Distinguished Faculty award was established to celebrate individuals making a difference at their college.
Criteria for Buckelew and other nominees included:
- Demonstrating passion for the students and the classroom.
- Showing a willingness to support students, inside and outside of the classroom.
- Being in inclined to participate in college committees.
- Going above and beyond what is required to ensure that students are successful in their academic endeavors.
For more information about the award, visit www.aaccannual.org/awards/dale-p-parnell-faculty-distinction-recognition
For more information about Wallace State, visit www.wallacestate.edu.
