HARRISBURG – Three faculty members at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, have received national recognition from the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) for their professional accomplishments.
Virginia Mickens, professor of nursing, at the Harrisburg Campus and Irma Alicia Villarreal, assistant professor of counseling and human development instructor and Pamela C. Watkins, associate professor of mathematics, both at the Lancaster Campus, were recognized with the NISOD Excellence in Teaching Award. They represented HACC at NISOD’s annual International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence, held at the University of Texas, Austin.
All were selected by a committee of HACC students, faculty and administrators for their commitment to students, teaching, professional growth and college service.
Villarreal instituted a number of advising techniques that allows her to meet with a higher number of students, helping them prepare their degree plans and semester schedules.
She serves as a role model and advocate for the entire student body at HACC’s Lancaster Campus, and assists with her bilingual skills by interpreting for Spanish-speaking students and teaching how to interact and obtain information they need. Villarreal was the adviser to CALOR, a campus Latino Club and serves on retention committees working for under represented groups.
“She goes on to take the time to explain, to show, to teach each student she encounters what they need to be successful not just here at HACC but in life,” said colleague Kelvin Harrison, campus director of counseling. “That characteristic makes her an excellent teacher.”
Watkins, along with teaching mathematics, was a leader in the establishment of the Lancaster Campus Center for Innovative Teaching Excellence, overseeing the development of programs and workshops. The center brings in nationally acclaimed speakers and other innovative programs that move the methods of teaching forward and set the highest of teaching standards. It has become the model for faculty professional growth at all five of HACC’s campuses. The result is Watkins’ success with her students.
“Pam has an amazingly high level of enthusiasm in her classroom,” said Stuart Savin, vice president and campus dean. “Her students comment on that and her humor that engages them in a discipline many find intimidating,”
Mickens has been teaching the region’s nurses at HACC for 25 years. Her experience in clinical nursing and her years of teaching have contributed to the strength and quality of HACC’s nursing program. She tutors and counsels student in the process of test taking strategies so students are prepared for the nursing licensure exams. Her success is evident by the outstanding first-time pass rate of HACC nursing graduates. Mickens contributes as a model of the nursing profession that is “held in high esteem by her peers and the nursing staff at our clinical affiliates,” said Christopher Fowler, dean of the mathematics, science and allied health division.
