Dr. Lee Walton, philosophy and religion instructor, is presented the Most Likely to be a Stand-Up Comic award by Phi Theta Kappa member Angela Mernetti during the club’s WSCC Faculty Awards presentation.
HANCEVILLE – Members of the Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Alpha Chi Tau chapter at Wallace State Community College recently treated faculty members to breakfast and an awards ceremony to honor and celebrate the work they do help their students succeed. The 2017 Faculty Awards Presentation was chosen as the college project for PTK, which is the international honor society at Wallace State.
“Here at Wallace State, we have outstanding faculty who go out of their way every day to help make their students’ dreams come true,” said PTK member Paul Knetter. “In all three areas of the college, whether it be academic, health, or technical, Wallace State has a band of highly qualified instructors who are well equipping students for college transfer or the workforce. You go above and beyond the call of duty every day, so it’s an honor to give back to you on this special occasion.”
PTK president Challie Johnson said the members of the chapter decided what awards would be given out.
“Some of the awards are just for fun, but others are a more serious reflection of what you do for your students every day,” Johnson said. “Just remember to keep and open mind and take it with a grain of salt.”
All of the nominees and winners were chosen by active members of PTK.
“Many of your students make an effort to get to know you on a personal level,” Knetter said. “Some of them want to be just like you because you have made such a difference in their lives. Often it is your human side that wins us over.”
The awards presented included:
- Most likely to brighten someone’s day – Connie Briehn, biology
- Most likely to win “America’s Next Top Model” – Dr. Stacey Sivley, math
- Most likely to get away with anything – Rob Metcalf, speech
- Most likely to be a stand-up comic – Dr. Lee Walton, philosophy/religion
- Most likely to win an Olympic medal – Wes Rakestraw, biology
- Most likely to be on “America’s Most Wanted” – Michael Salerno, English
- Most likely to host a daytime talk show – Brandon Smith, math
Awards were also presented to the instructors chosen as the most outstanding in their division.
Lance Boyd of the Math department was named the Outstanding Academic Faculty Member. Also nominated were Connie Briehn and Wes Rakestraw in the Biology department, and Brandon Smith and Stacey Sivley of the Math department.
Disha Patel of the Nursing department was named the Outstanding Health Science Faculty Member. Also nominated were Barbara Ebert of Dental Health, Meredith Hiatt in Nursing, and James Malone and Kelli Rich in Diagnostic Imaging.
Blake Ray of Engineering Technology was named the Outstanding Technical Faculty Member. Also nominated were Jim Thompson of Welding, John Wilson of Culinary Arts, Todd Hardman of Engineering Technology, and Gary McMinn of Machine Tool Technology.
