Teaching Excellence Awardees
The Teaching Excellence Award, presented by the Salt Lake Community College Foundation Board, recognizes cumulative excellence in professional education over the span of a career. Both full-time and adjunct faculty are eligible for the award.
2023 Awardees
Claire Adams, PhD
Associate Professor, Humanities
After 14 years of teaching at SLCC, Claire Adams describes her role in her humanities’ classes as a facilitator. She encourages her students to share their knowledge and lived experiences in class discussions.
“There are so many big social issues coming at our students so fast—that I think it is important to instill in them a thought process that is solution oriented, so they are not left feeling helpless,” she says.
Claire obtained a bachelor’s degree in Modern Studies in the Humanities from the University of Ulster at Jordanstown in Northern Ireland, a master’s in Irish Cultural Studies from Queen's University in Belfast and a PhD in Language and Literature from the University of Ulster. In 2018, she earned a master’s degree in International Affairs and Global Enterprise from the University of Utah.
Melissa E. Hardy, PhD
Associate Professor, Biology
Melissa Hardy relishes when students who at first think they’re not good at science, gain self confidence in her classes. In her biology courses, Melissa engages students by peppering them with questions and incorporating group activities. “They gain self-efficacy and leave [the class] proud of themselves,” says Melissa.
Melissa has enormous respect and admiration for her students, not just because they are smart and motivated but also because many pursue education despite significant hardships. “Being a professor here is an amazing way to cultivate empathy. You witness so many students who are going through incredibly difficult challenges but still persevere in their coursework,” she says.
Melissa joined SLCC’s faculty in 2011. She holds a master’s degree in Biology: Ecology and Systematics at San Francisco State University and her PhD in Neurobiology and Anatomy at the University of Utah.
Nikki Mantyla
Adjunct professor, English, Linguistics and Writing Studies
In class, Nikki Mantyla will display students’ sentences on a screen and invite them to shift around words and punctuation. She wants to disarm her students who may fear writing and perceive it as rigid.
“I find the best learning happens through curiosity, experimentation, discussion, questioning and simply playing around,” says Nikki, who teaches general education and novel writing classes. “I want all my students to be confident and able to engage with the world in whatever way they will need to through writing.”
Teaching is part of Nikki’s heritage, as her grandparents and parents were also teachers. She is a graduate of Brigham Young University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English Teaching and a master’s degree in English.
Previous Years Awardees
Thirty-fifth Year – 2020
Faculty:
Jodie Jones, Communications
Kerry Gonzales, Visual Arts & Design
Adjunct Faculty:
Marisa Maughan, Anthropology
Thirty-sixth Year – 2021
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Jessica Berryman
Biology
Brett Terpstra
Criminal Justice
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
David Pack
Communications & Fine Arts
Thirty-seventh Year – 2022
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Craig Ferrin
Fine Arts
Hau Moy Kwan
Computer Science
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Michael Young
Humanities
Twenty-sixth Year – 2010
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Alena Balmforth
Developmental Education
Judy Braun
Developmental Education
Marianne McKnight
History
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Kathleen Hom
Communication
($18,000 Total Awarded)
Twenty-seventh Year – 2011
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Luther Giddings
Chemistry
Melaney Farr
Biology
Rolayne Day
Marketing
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Brandon Alva
English
Twenty-eighth Year – 2012
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Mary Alvarez
Chemistry
Kyle Costello
Mathematics
Terry Martin
Visual Art & Design
Lois Oestreich
Family & Human Studies
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Melanie A. Dance, MD
Biology
Twenty-ninth Year – 2013
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
David Alldredge
Accounting
Katerina Salini
Psychology
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Shannon Atkinson
Philosophy
Thirtieth Year – 2014
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Bill Trovar
Professional Truck Driving
Melissa Tillack
Biology
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Emily Dibble
Humanities
Thirty-first Year – 2015
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Celestina Punzalan
Mathematics
Walter Cunningham
Surveying and Geomatics Program
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Katie Lewis
Humanities
Thirty-second Year – 2016
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Mequette Sorensen
Humanities
Heather Schumacker
Economics and Finance
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Ron Carpenter
Humanities
Thirty-third Year – 2017
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Heather Schumacher
Finance and Economics
Jude Higgins
Anthropology
Thirty-third Year – 2018
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Deidre Tyler
Sociology
Kristin Taylor
Biology
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Gordon Storrs
School of Arts, Communications and Media
Thirty-fourth Year – 2019
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Chad Erekson
Visual Arts & Design
Pook Carson
Business Management
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Linda Jemmett
Biology
Sixteenth Year – 2000
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Diana L. Carroll
Assistant Professor – Medical Administrative Asst./Medical Asst.
Alan H. Drechsel
Instructor – Professional Truck Driving, Skills Center
Suzanne McKenna
Professor – Fine Arts
Kjartan T. Magnusson
Professor – Finance and Economics
Elizabeth Montague
Associate professor - English
Jeffrey Plant
Assistant professor – Architectural Technology
Jeri J. Sheehy
Assistant Professor – Cosmetology
Shari Lee Sowards
Assistant Professor – Political Science
Gilbert Ulibarri
Instructor – Electronics/Microprocessor, Skills Center
Deena R. Wood
Assistant Professor – Developmental Math
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Christopher S. Case
Adjunct Instructor – History
Kerry L. Gonzales
Adjunct Instructor – Visual Art and Design
Margaret D. Nelson
Adjunct Instructor – Developmental Math
Sherie Schmidt
Adjunct Instructor – Business Information Technology
Albert Ybarra
Adjunct Instructor – Nurse Assistant
Seventeenth Year – 2001
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
John S. McCormick, Ph.D.
Social Sciences
Annette Miner
American Sign Language Interpreting
DeeAnn D. Jensen
Office Information Systems – Skills Center
Diana Ploeger
Physical Therapist Assistant
Sherwood I. Davis
Engineer Drafting/Design Technology
Dean Huber
English as a Second Language
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Lawana Merrill
Adjunct Instructor – Mathematics
Cathy Bagley
Adjunct Instructor – Barbering/Cosmetology
Georgina Milne
Adjunct Instructor – Mathematic Basic Skills – Skills Center
Greg Hose
Adjunct Instructor – Mathematics/Sciences
Linda Archibald
Adjunct Instructor – Marketing
Eighteenth Year – 2002
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Barbara B. Grover
Associate Professor - Mathematics
Kenneth Freeman
Assistant Professor - Physical Therapy Assistant Program
Nolan D. Clifford
Instructor – Flight Technology
Joyce M. Barra
Associate Professor – Nursing
Lana Lee Gruendell
Associate Professor – Visual Arts & Design
Helen J. Stringham
Associate Professor – Music
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Ronald D. Vernon
Adjunct Instructor – Health Sciences
Mary Jane Swalber
Adjunct Instructor – Family and Human Studies
A. Burr Dallof
Adjunct Instructor – Developmental Education
Lyle G. Ferguson
Adjunct Instructor – Visual Arts & Design
Walter E. Pera
Adjunct Instructor – Electrical Apprenticeship
Nineteenth Year – 2003
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Soni Adams
Associate Professor – Health and Lifetime Activities
Allison Fernley
Associate Professor – English
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Patty Brooks
Adjunct Instructor – Physical Therapist Assistant
Jim Dykman
Adjunct Instructor – Anthropology and Humanities
Twentieth Year – 2004
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Christine Iltis
Instructor – Biology Department
Karen Johnson
Assistant Professor – Developmental Education
Peggy Stevens
Assistant Professor – Nursing
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Luther Giddings
Adjunct Instructor – Business Administration
Sharon Giles
Adjunct Instructor – Developmental Mathematics
Twenty-first Year – 2005
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Vince Badger
Assistant Professor – Technical Specialties
Nick Safai
Professor – Engineering
Tess Boone
Associate Professor – Fine Arts
Ron Valcarce
Assistant Professor – Natural Sciences
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Chris Black
Adjunct Professor – Business Administration
Jerri Harwell
Adjunct Professor – Developmental Education
Twenty-second Year – 2006
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Robert Burdette
Assistant Professor – Accounting
Jane Hook
Professor – Engineering Design/Drafting Technology
Francis Afghan
Assistant Professor – Engineering
Lisa Bickmore
Associate Professor – English
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
LaVerna Stapler
Adjunct Instructor – Computer Workshops
Mojdeh Sakaki
Adjunct Instructor – Interior Design
Twenty-third Year – 2007
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Ralph Tasker
Carpentry
Susan Curtis
Barbering & Cosmetology
Davis Hubert
Political Science
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Kristie Fitzgerald
Adjunct Instructor – Pharmacy Technician Program
Twenty-fourth Year – 2008
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Rick Dalton
Truck Driving Program – Skills Center
Susan Labasky
Nursing
Dorleen Jenson
Geosciences
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Kent Morgan
Adjunct Instructor – Paralegal
Twenty-fifth Year – 2009
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
David James
School of Applied Technology - Building Construction at Womens Prison
Mary Jane Keleher
School of Math Science & Engineering – Biology Dept
Alexander Izrailevsky
School of Humanities & Social Sciences – Philosophy Dept
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Robert Young
School of Business – Finance and Economics Dept
Sixth Year – 1990
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Donald Gaillard
Assistant Professor – Skills Center/Basic Skills
Richard H. Jensen
Professor – English/Humanities
Ray M. Southwick
Professor – Automotive
Jean M. Widdison
Instructor – Physical Education
Sally J. Williams
Associate Professor – Skills Center/Clerical Program
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Joseph S. Wood
Adjunct Instructor – History
Seventh Year – 1991
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Charles Cummins
Assistant Professor – Computer Science
Nina M. Edgmand
Associate Professor – Office Information
Marian Noble
Associate Professor – Skills Center/Basic Skills
Delmar W. Stevens
Associate Professor – Building Construction
Lynette Yerbury
Assistant Professor – Accounting
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Louis F. Bertram
Adjunct Instructor – Criminal Justice
Eighth Year – 1992
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Ronald L. Ash
Associate Professor – Electronics
Grace K. Birch
Instructor – Cosmetology
Nancy K. Farmer
Assistant Professor – Physical Education
George Miyatake
Instructor – Professional Truck Driving
Nicole Stansbury
Instructor – English
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Rodney W. Walker
Adjunct Instructor – American Sign Language
Ninth Year – 1993
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Drusilla Glascoe
Associate Professor – Social Science
Paula McBride
Learning Center Director
James E. Miller
Instructor – Carpentry
Elaine Strom
Assistant Professor – Early Childhood Development
Curtis Youngman
Professor – Marketing and Business Communications
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Mary LaJunne Neilson
Adjunct Instructor – Office Information Systems
Tenth Year – 1994
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Victor Aikhionbare
Instructor – Social Sciences
Tom Davies
Associate professor – Mechanical Pre-engineering
Steffeny Fazzio
Associate Professor – Developmental Studies
Karen Macfarlane
Associate Professor – Marketing and Business Communication
Marlene Tucker
Associate Professor – Radiologic Technology
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Toni Reed
Adjunct Instructor – Small vehicle Equipment Repair
Eleventh Year – 1995
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Brett Baird
Assistant Professor – Auto/Ford Asset
George Comber
Assistant Professor – Manufacturing Technician
Laura Bradford
Assistant Professor – Languages
Emerson Cannon
Assistant Professor – Physical Sciences
Penny Wilkins
ESL Coordinator
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Gwen Giles
Adjunct Instructor – Biological and Social Sciences
Twelfth Year – 1996
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Joe Italasano
Instructor – Barbering/Cosmetology
Gordon Frisbey
Professor – Computer Information Systems
Tommie Matthews
Professor – Developmental Mathematics
Irina Nelson
Professor – Physical Science
Mary Jayne Davis
Assistant Professor - English
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Dan Smith
Instructor – Plumbing & Pipefitting
Thirteenth Year – 1997
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Mark Sabolik
Instructor - Technology
Clifton Sanders
Instructor – Humanities & Sciences
Joan Hill
Instructor – Skills Center
Karen Gunn
Associate Professor – Business & Industry
Carla Ainsworth
Instructor – Developmental Education
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Jane Luke
Musical Theater
Fourteenth Year - 1998
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Linda Metos
Professor – Business Information Technology
Charlotte Hamblin
Assistant Professor – Developmental English
Lyle Archibald
Assistant Professor - Fine Arts
George Billings
Assistant Professor – Building Construction/Const. Management
Cheryl Shurtleff
Assistant Professor – Skills Center ESL
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Gary Beckstrand
Adjunct Instructor – Apprenticeship
Fifteenth Year – 1999
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Randall Chase
Associate Professor – Communications
Linda Cunningham
Associate Professor – Business Communications
Diane Edwards
Assistant Professor – Developmental Education
Paul Lerdahl
Associate Professor – Electricity
Tiffany Rousculp
Assistant professor – English
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Melamene Chong Wong
Adjunct Instructor – Developmental Education
First Year – 1985
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
A. Marlon Andrus
Assistant Professor – Credit and Finance
Roselyn N. Kirk
Associate Professor – English
Robert R. Langford
Assistant Professor – Welding
Helen D. Sheppard
Assistant Professor – Nursing
Boyd L. Warnick
Associate Professor – Transportation Management
High School Vocational Teacher:
Werner H. Schoeck, Granite School District
Instructor – Masonry
Second Year – 1986
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Kathryn C. Beebe
Professor – Finance and Credit
Ree Erickson
Professor – Business and Management
Gerald Giles
Professor – Developmental Studies
Loretta A. Walker
Associate Professor – General Studies
Huibert Van Os
Assistant Professor – Machine Trades
High School Vocational Teacher:
B. Fred Tanner, Brighton High School
Automotive Trades Instruct
Third Year - 1987
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Berit E. Blomquist
Professor – Life Sciences
Jeviene Christopolus
Associate Professor - Business
C. Wayne Paulsen
Associate Professor – Building Construction
Cecil C. Sellers
Assistant Professor – Small Engine S.E./Vehicle Tech.
Lewis P. Stephens
Professor – Marketing
High School Vocational Teacher:
Glenna T. Dodge, Alta High School
Teacher – Art
Fourth Year – 1988
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Ray Carl Emett
Associate Professor – Developmental Studies
Neal D. Grover
Associate Professor – Developmental Studies
Melodee Lambert
Associate Professor – Business English
Gayle Morawetz
Professor – Office Occupations
Verlaine McPhie
Associate Professor – Mathematics
High School Vocational Teacher:
Charles C. Larsen, Taylorsville High School
Teacher – Electronics/Industrial Arts
Fifth Year – 1989
Salt Lake Community College Faculty:
Larry Barlage
Professor – Social Science
Julie Ann Curtis
Associate Professor – Office Information Systems
Don L. Merrill
Associate Professor – Math/Computer Science
Katherine M. Walton
Associate Professor – Business Management
Salt Lake Community College Adjunct Faculty:
Therese M. Golata
Physical Education Instructor
High School Vocational Teacher:
Howard S. Pulsipher, Jordan District Technical Center
Teacher – Brick Masonry