At Clark College, we know that great teaching transforms lives – and now the nation knows it too. We’re pleased to share that Dr. Karl Bailey, Professor of Chemistry at Clark College, has been named a 2025 Golden Goggles Award Winner by Science Interactive. This national recognition honors educators who are changing the game in science education, and Dr. Bailey was selected as this year’s Pedagogy Pioneer of the Year—one of just six winners across the country.

Dr. Bailey is known for his ability to bring chemistry to life. Whether he’s building inclusive research spaces or designing courses that make complex science both accessible and engaging, he puts students at the center of everything he does.

As a winner in this category, Dr. Bailey demonstrates exceptional teaching expertise through innovative approaches, curriculum development, and a proven commitment to student success. He uses creative instructional methods that make complex scientific concepts accessible, engaging, and even fun. His work represents a commitment to making pedagogy – not just content – a central part of student success in science classrooms.

“One of my favorite parts of online learning spaces is providing access and opportunity not just to our students, but to the people around them,” said Dr. Bailey. “These shared moments of learning can help demystify science – and sometimes even inspire family members to pursue careers that require lab skills. That’s what makes higher education truly transformative.”

It’s that kind of thinking – equity-focused, innovative, and student-centered – that sets Dr. Bailey apart. He doesn’t just teach content. He reimagines how learning happens.

Championing Student Success in STEM

At Clark, Dr. Bailey plays a key role in shaping the future of our STEM programs. He’s helped expand course-based undergraduate research, developed curriculum aligned with students’ interests and goals, and collaborated on the creation of shared research spaces for both students and faculty.

“Dr. Bailey’s approach to teaching is rooted in equity. He is deeply committed to his students’ success and plays a vital role in advancing our STEM programs,” said Dr. Theo Koupelis, Clark College Dean of WPTE & STEM. “His leadership in Guided Pathways initiatives, development of shared research spaces for students and faculty, expansion of course-based undergraduate research opportunities, and creation of a curriculum that reflects students’ interests and goals makes him an integral part of our efforts to improve STEM education—particularly in strengthening our Chemistry offerings.”

Recognizing Innovation on a National Scale

The Golden Goggles awards are evaluated by a panel of scientists and curriculum experts who look for educators making a measurable impact on student success. Dr. Bailey’s work stood out for his creativity in the classroom, his dedication to inclusive science education, and his vision for how learning can ripple beyond campus walls.

“Dr. Bailey isn’t just teaching chemistry – he’s creating opportunities for science to reach beyond the classroom. Whether teaching online or on campus, his commitment to pedagogical innovation invites students to engage with science in their everyday lives, sparking curiosity not just in learners, but in the families and communities around them,” said Sasha Peterson, CEO of Science Interactive.

Nominations for the 2026 Golden Goggles awards will open next year. For more information, visit scienceinteractive.com/interactive-science-educators-award.

About Clark College STEM

Clark College’s STEM degrees and certificates equip students with hands-on, real-world experience in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. The program is anchored by a state-of-the-art, 70,000-square-foot STEM building featuring advanced labs, a high-tech makerspace, and unique learning tools like a 44-foot drop tower. With small class sizes, cutting-edge labs, expert faculty, and a collaborative learning environment, the program prepares students for transfer to a four-year university or entry into high-demand careers in today’s tech-driven world.

Learn more about how Clark is shaping the next generation of scientists, engineers, and problem solvers at https://www.clark.edu/academics/programs/science-technology-and-engineering/.

On June 10, we were proud to represent Clark College at the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Conference. Our session, titled “Guided Career Pathways: Infusing Career Readiness into the Student Experience,” drew a crowd of approximately 150 higher education professionals and employers from across the country and received overwhelmingly positive feedback.

The presentation tackled a well-documented concern: the perceived disconnect between college preparation and real-world career readiness. We highlighted data from both students and employers, demonstrating the need for stronger alignment between academic learning and workplace expectations.

We outlined Clark College’s dual-track approach to student success, integrating career development alongside onboarding, academic planning, and retention through the Penguin Path model. Our data – from faculty surveys, participation in communities of practice, and student focus group feedback – showcased how Clark faculty are already actively engaged in career-connected teaching strategies.

Career-connected learning is truly a cornerstone of Clark College’s student success strategy, aligning closely with the Guided Pathways framework. This approach emphasizes experiential learning, work-based opportunities, and industry-informed curriculum – critical elements in ensuring that students achieve course and program outcomes that meaningfully prepare them for career advancement. Pillar 4 of the Guided Pathways model states: “Ensure that learning is happening with intentional outcomes,” which includes alignment with successful transfer and career readiness.

One of the session’s key takeaways was the importance of deepening industry engagement, particularly by expanding internship opportunities and weaving career connections into general education coursework – an effort that will be supported with Title III funding.

Clark College continues to lead in developing innovative, career-ready curriculum that bridges the gap between classroom and career. The enthusiastic response to this national presentation confirms that the work happening at Clark resonates with institutions and employers across the country.

Learn More

Learn more about this impactful session by downloading the NACE 2025 conference presentation.

Participation in career-connected learning allows students to gain career-related work experiences, which has been shown to increase student completion and short-term employment/earnings. Learn more about career-connected learning by visiting Clark’s Career Hub.

On May 22, the latest cohort of the Clark College BUILD program gathered to celebrate completion of the BUILD program, surrounded by the cheerful “yellow” theme—with yellow smiley face balloons, yellow cake, and yellow roses.

Dubbed the “Yellow Cohort,” 22 graduates presented project ideas, reflected on their growth, and received certificates of completion in front of peers and college leadership, including President Dr. Karin Edwards.

What is BUILD?

BUILD—which stands for Building Understanding and Intercultural Leadership Development, is a year-long program led by the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. This year’s cohort is the 6^th to go through the program.

Participants spend the year having challenging conversations about equitable decision-making, challenging white supremacy culture, and thinking about the internal work required for us to be become allies and change-makers.

Each participant also works with a group to develop and present a project proposal for advancing equity and a sense of belonging at Clark.

After presentations, BUILD grads earn a certificate. But the work isn’t over. The hope is that the BUILD grads will continue to participate in the BUILD community, engage in lifelong learning about equity work, and be an advocate for change throughout the college community.

Project Proposals

Before graduation, BUILD participants presented projects they developed using the equitable decision-making tool.

Universal Event Attendance Tracking Tool Proposal

Lisa Barsotti, Byron Ford, Nicola Lippetti, Caitlin Malvar, Susan Martin, Carly Rae Zent

This group decided to design a project proposal that would promote a sense of belonging through a better understanding of how campus events reach students. The project would take advantage of the new advanced data-tracking tool, Watermark, that Clark is currently working to implement.

Their universal attendance tracking tool would create a database for departments across campus to use and track attendance at their events. That way, by looking at disaggregated data, departments could find patterns in what student populations are underserved, and change event design and promotion to better accommodate underserved students.

The Evolve Experience Proposal

Laura Borgman, Stephanie Leeper, Nathan Stewart-Otto, Jonathan Woofter

This group proposed a project designed to reach people who responded to the climate survey and believe that “if I don’t see bias, it doesn’t exist.” They proposed bringing in an organization called the Red Door Project, which has a program called “The Evolve Experience.”

This experience uses theatre techniques to promote empathy between extremely polarized groups and explore nuances in complex relationships. Group 3 wishes to invite the Red Door Project to work with Clark on a custom experience that will resonate with the Clark community.

Employee Features Proposal

Angelina Albulov, Cheyanne Pfeifer, Tina Jenkins, Frani Morris, Dennis Blew

This group noticed that the climate survey indicated a lack of sense of belonging among staff and faculty. They worked to create a project that might increase belonging as well as break down silos between departments.

They proposed having rotating highlights of individual employees on ClarkNet, where employees will encounter them when seeking other information. The highlights could include specific information about what the employee does, what questions they can help with, as well as personal hobbies. The project also advocated for an employee forum.

A Common Read Proposal

Michael Caldwell, Teresa Hay, Kelly Love, Suzanne Southerland, Christi Williams

This group also identified the lack of a sense of belonging among staff and faculty. They proposed a project that would help foster community and belonging through conversation—a common read!

To make the experience more equitable, they propose a multi-modal version of a common read with different ways of engaging with the text, including audio and film. They hope the common read would engage employees and offer an easy way to start a conversation when meeting new folks, as well as promote deeper conversations.

What’s Next?

BUILD members will continue to develop their project proposals! If you’re interested in getting involved, feel free to reach out to group members.

Applications for the next BUILD cohort will open in the fall. If you have any questions or are interested, reach out to Andra Spencer (aspencer@clark.edu).

Congratulations to Carly Rae Zent, Digital Media Specialist, for winning the Spring 2025 Classified Staff Excellence Award!

Warm congratulations to the other award nominees:

• Amanda Harlen, Program Specialist, Workforce Education Services
• Amy Tam, Program Manager A, Entry Services
• Heidi Eckman, Fiscal Tech Supervisor, Bookstore
• Juniper Colville, Secretary Senior, WPTE & STEM
• Joanne Savage, Program Specialist 3, Office of Instruction
• Ken Pruett, IT Customer Support, Information Technology Services
• Katie Wallis, Admin Services Manager, WPTE & STEM
• Linda Healy, Program Manager A, Advising
• Mike Aguirre, Program Specialist 2, Credential Evaluations
• Shelly Williams, Music Program Coordinator, Fine Art Division
• Koda Leab, Program Specialist 2, Enrollment Services
• Laurie Mitchell, Fiscal Tech 3, Accounting
• Russell Costa, Custodian 1, Custodial Services
• Xiaoxue Xing, Early Childhood Program Specialist 3, Childhood & Family Services

Excerpts from Carly Rae’s Nomination

“Carly Rae joined the team a year ago and has taken her role seriously, taking on the management of the college’s social media channels. She consistently delivers high-quality work, even under tight deadlines. She is organized and detail-oriented, ensuring accuracy and timeliness in all her tasks. Carly Rae attends events across campus for social media posts, ensures the college is well-represented to the students and the community, and continues to uplift the students and the college brand. She tracks social media data monthly throughout the year, and we have seen significant growth in our audiences across all social platforms. Her approach to developing new, frequent, and engaging content has resulted in 1,960,952 impressions (+57% year-over-year growth) and 70,138 engagements (+24.8% year-over-year).”

“Carly Rae led the charge to set up a new social media channel like TikTok which appeals to the students, and nurturing the channel with relevant and engaging posts. In addition to holding quarterly meetings with all social media handlers from the college, Carly Rae shows her cooperative spirit by taking the initiative to work on a Canvas course in social media considerations and best practices for college colleagues who may be considering setting up new social media accounts and has enabled departments to better manage their social media accounts. Specifically, it was evident with her outreach work with Financial Aid re: FAFSA; Entry Services re: Application, Registration & Information Sessions; Tutoring; and community events like Noche de Familia and monthly student activities. She finds ways to promote these events on behalf of the college and diligently monitors the responses and results of the posts.”

“Carly Rae is always patient and helpful and willing to help all who come to her seeking help with their department’s social media accounts. She works closely with various departments throughout the college to revive their social media accounts – often successful in solving mysteries of missing or duplicate accounts, reinstating usernames, and forgotten passwords. This past summer, she researched and worked with the AAG office to update the college’s social media guidelines to ensure compliance with current laws. Last fall, Carly Rae also invited her former college professor and award-winning writer, Kaveh Akbar, to speak as part of the Columbia Writers Series.”

“Carly Rae is laser-focused on the college’s strategic plan and our commitment to DEI. She actively looks for opportunities to showcase our DEI initiatives, events, and messaging in all the social media posts she produces. She is always ready to respond to difficult comments on the social media channels that she manages with a positive, equity-centered response.”

About the Classified Staff Excellence Awards

Established in 2005, the Classified Staff Excellence Award recognizes classified staff who have demonstrated exemplary work performance, a positive and cooperative spirit, special achievements, or contributions to the college community, and supports individual and organizational diversity and inclusion. Through the support of the Clark College Foundation, the recipient will receive a $400 cash award.

Nominate a Colleague for the Summer 2025 Award

Do you have a colleague who deserves to be recognized? Nominate them for the Summer 2025 Classified Staff Excellence Award using this online submission form. Nominees must be a current classified employee who has been in their current position for more than six months. Award recipients will not be eligible for another award for three years. Visit the Clark College Employee Recognition page to learn more about this award.

Clark College welcomed fourteen newly tenured faculty members at the 2025 Tenure Reception on June 3. Together with Clark’s Board of Trustees, Dr. Karin Edwards, Tenure Support Supervisor DJ Scates, fellow faculty members, students, and families, these recipients celebrated the incredible effort they made throughout the process.

Administrators from each department introduced their newly tenured faculty members, giving the audience a glimpse into the impact each instructor has had on their students, colleagues, and community. Some recipients chose to give a brief thank you speech, encompassing the spirit of gratitude that flowed through the entirety of the event.

This year, the Board of Trustees unanimously granted tenure to the following outstanding educators.

Mohammad (Giga) Alqeeq, Cybersecurity

Giga helped build the Bachelor of Applied Sciences in Cybersecurity program and created workshops centered on online privacy and security. Despite his extensive experience in the field, he leaves his ego at the door, truly honoring and highlighting the contributions of all his students. Giga’s teaching philosophy is to use varying approaches so that students can choose what works best for them.

Halina Brant-Zawadski, Nursing

Bringing a wealth of knowledge to her theory and clinic work at Clark, Helina focuses on trauma responsive education, addressing stress management, equity, inclusion, and trauma-informed care with her students. Always going above and beyond, she is a calm, approachable resource for students.

Jay Fancher, Anthropology

Jay’s journey at Clark College began in 2014 as an adjunct professor. In 2019, he stepped in as the interim Chair of Anthropology with no guarantee of a permanent position, simply because he cares about this work. When he shares with students his fascination with things like mysterious fossils and lost civilizations, he teaches them practical life skills: curiosity, critical thinking, cultural relativism, and empathy. Jay’s teaching reflects the college’s mission for DEI; he invites students to step beyond their own worldview and biases and see those with different perspectives with respect.

Brandon Johnson, Automotive

Although new to formal teaching, Brandon has a natural talent and heart for mentoring. By creating a safe environment for his students to ask questions, he shows the care and attentiveness he has to them. Recognizing that the struggle of problem-solving is crucial in the automotive field, he finds the right timing when offering guidance so that students are eager to learn. Brandon often shares stories about his experience in the field that emphasizes the concepts students are learning, creating impactful, real-world examples.

Molly Lampros, Communications

Molly is a masterful curriculum designer and focuses on building relationships with her students. After completing significant research on trauma-informed teaching practices, she implemented what she learned in her own classroom. She believes in an equitable, discussion-based, student-centered learning environment in which all opinions are considered.

Teresa Lashchuk, Nursing

Since joining the Clark faculty in 2011 as an adjunct nursing instructor, Teresa has made major contributions to the school and community. She encourages critical thinking skills through empowerment and promotes inclusion, which enables learners to feel supported and safe. Students appreciate her relevant curriculum, as she brings real-world situations to her courses.

Josephine Lesage, Environmental Biology

Josie creates excitement about the natural world for her students and believes that the best learning happens outdoors. As an organized, passionate, and kind instructor, her students walk away from her lessons with a deeper appreciation of the patterns that govern life on our planet. By using active learning, group work, and check-ins to help students develop learning strategies and develop a growth mindset, Josie truly fosters curiosity in her students.

Brian Miyake, Surveying & Geomatics

Brian has made significant contributions to his department, both in academics and in community presence. He creates strong connections with regional surveying professionals and is a dedicated advisor to his students. This year, he guided his students to the National Society of Professional Surveyors 24^th Annual Student Competition in Washington DC, where they won first place – an impressive testament to Brian’s leadership. With a commitment to meeting students where they are, he uses culturally responsive teaching methods to provide transformative education and takes the time to help students learn complex topics.

Victor Morales, Philosophy

Throughout his teaching career, Victor has built a reputation as a mentor who creates spaces for students to share their lived experiences. He continues that mission at Clark, where he created and mentors the Philosophy Club for students. As an instructor, Victor is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, accounting for diverse backgrounds and learning styles in his pedagogical strategies. By including role-playing exercises, group work, and simulations to promote critical thinking, he provides students a safe platform to share their opinions.

Jesse Morse, English

Every year, with his wife and fellow instructor, Jennifer Denrow, Jesse co-directs Clark’s annual Spring Writing Workshop, bringing together and inspiring a community of writers. He is also the author of Flash Floods are Anomalies, a collection of poems published by Finishing Line Press in 2021. At the center of Jesse’s teaching are equity and cultural inclusiveness. Through a student-centered approach to instruction, he creates a classroom where students of all ethnicities, backgrounds, and abilities feel brave and vulnerable enough to engage deeply in learning.

Janine Rieck, Health Information Management

Janine’s philosophy of providing consistent support to her online classes creates an accessible and equitable environment. She builds her courses to provide an online learning experience that is equivalent to or surpasses the in-class experience, including intuitive videos, tips, tricks, and how-to instructions for students to ensure they always feel included and part of a community. Janine is highly driven and established a health information management club for students, encouraging them to give back to their community.

Natasja Swartz, Chemistry

Natasja’s curriculum celebrates the whole learner by removing impediments to success. She uses best practices from chemical education research blended into a cultural heritage framework to teach complex and interdisciplinary science. Known for her compassion and strong commitment to creating a supportive environment, Natasja pushes her students to think outside the box.

Cydney Topping, English

With the goal of helping students find the magic and joy of learning, Cydney designs her courses with intention, ensuring her students see their experiences reflected in the curriculum. An enthusiastic and creative team member, she also serves on the department committee tasked with redesigning Clark’s literature curriculum to reflect student-centered courses. She hopes to be a mentor for her students, cheering them forward on their educational journey.  

Gibran Zogbi, Accounting 

As the ultimate team player, Gibran is always available to help students and colleagues, who appreciate his enthusiasm, responsiveness, and the energy he brings to the classroom. He is committed to promoting virtue in his teaching by encouraging students to be the best version of themselves. His teaching style often goes beyond accounting, forging character in the classroom as he emphasizes to students that the kind of person they become is more important than what they do or have.

About the Tenure Process

Tenure is awarded by the college’s board of trustees based on professional excellence and outstanding abilities in their disciplines. The granting of tenure is based on the recommendations of tenure review committees to the Vice President of Instruction, which are then forwarded to the President, who presents a final recommendation to the board of trustees. Recommendations are based on self-evaluations, tenure review committee evaluations, student evaluations, supervisory evaluations, and peer evaluations. The final decision to award or withhold tenure rests with the board of trustees.

Photos: Clark College/Jenny Shadley
More photos can be viewed on Flickr.

Alyssa Montminy, Director of Employee Equity and Engagement, proudly represented the Penguin Nation at the 2025 NCORE Conference in New York on May 29. Her three-hour session, “Reimagining Safe Zone: Providing Queer Identity Trainings with an Intersectional Lens,” was well attended and kept participants engaged with fresh ideas on how to implement or transform this type of training on their own campuses.

Alyssa’s presentation drew from her work and experience leading the “Power, Privilege, and Inequity – Safe Zone” training at Clark.  With captivating storytelling and well-timed comedic relief, Alyssa traced the evolution of Safe Zone curriculum at Clark—from a two-hour workshop into a four-part, eight-hour series embedded into the college’s broader PPI (Power, Privilege, and Inequity) training initiative.

The expanded training series explores the complexities of queer identity through a variety of lenses: community, gender identity development, queer history, and intersectionality. By intentionally designing the content through an intersectional framework, the series also creates space for deeper conversations about race, sexuality, disability, and systemic inequities.

“Bringing an intersectional approach allows for updated and expanded elements,” Alyssa shared. “Including the ever-evolving language surrounding the queer community,” The curriculum also explores the whitewashing of queer history, the significance of the Black Trans Lives Matter movement, and the broader cultural forces that continue to shape the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals.

In her session, Alyssa encouraged participants to create and reimagine Safe Zone trainings for their own institutions, offering clarity, authenticity, and actionable takeaways—an example of how institutions can reimagine identity training to be more inclusive, relevant, and impactful.

Learn More

Explore Clark College’s Power, Privilege, and Inequity (PPI) academic concentration here.

Photo provided by the author.

Clark College director of Guided Pathways and Partnerships, Rhianna Johnson, was among the community leaders honored during Leadership Clark County’s A Night of Impact event on April 23 in Gaiser Student Center. A 2021 graduate of the program, Johnson continues to make a lasting impact on students and the broader community.

Tina Krause, executive director of Leadership Clark County, said: “Rhianna was nominated and selected by our board of directors to receive the Community Impact Award. This is an award given to someone who is making a difference in our community both in their job and volunteer efforts. Rhianna was chosen because of her infectious positive attitude, her initiative within the community, and her dedication to the students at Clark College. She was the perfect candidate for this award. We are so excited to honor her.”

LCC praised Rhianna on its Facebook page as a “fierce advocate for student success and has dedicated her career to education and workforce development in Clark County… She has an amazing way of understanding people, her positive attitude is infectious, and Clark County is a better place because of Rhianna.”

Johnson’s community service includes:

• Rooted School in Vancouver board of directors
• Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce education and workforce committee
• Clark County Youth Consortium
• National Job Corps Association board of directors

“Participating in Leadership Clark County was a natural fit for my passion for community development. The program connects current and aspiring leaders in Clark County to learn more about the different agencies and processes that make our community run,” said Rhianna Johnson. “In my career, I have focused on contributing to education and workforce development programs that improve economic mobility for our neighbors, which is a major component of a thriving community. I greatly appreciated working with others who are also trying to improve our small corner of the world.”

Leadership Clark County honored these LCC alumni who have made an impact on the Clark County community:

Community Impact Award: Rhianna Johnson, Clark College

Volunteer Impact Award: Scott Johnson, Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency (CRESA)

Advancing Equity Award: Clarissa Hightower, Southwest Washington Equity Coalition

The organization also awarded an emerging leader between age 21-30 who demonstrates strong leadership skills and a commitment to service within the Clark County community. The recipient will receive full tuition to participate in the LCC Class of 2026.

Emerging Leader Award: Maggie Bernetich, Council for the Homeless

Founded in 1993 by a group of community leaders, Leadership Clark County (LCC) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan civic leadership program. Our mission is to develop effective leaders to enrich a thriving community.

Leadership Clark County offers a nine-month leadership development program that focuses on topics that impact the community, including education, economics, social services, and more. With over 800 alumni and growing, LCC’s graduates serve our community as nonprofit board members, civic group leaders, business leaders and elected officials.

Learn more: https://www.leadershipclarkcounty.com/

Congratulations to Patricia “Trish” Fitzsimons, Program Specialist 3, from Community and Continuing Education, the 2025 Winter Classified Staff Excellence Award recipient!

A warm congratulations to the other award nominees:

• Carly Rae Zent, Communications & Marketing
• Courtney Braddock, Accounting Services
• Manda Levie, Social Sciences & Fine Arts
• Sara Irons, Child & Family Services
• Tiffany Saari, WPTE & STEM Unit

Excerpts from Patricia’s nomination

“Trish consistently demonstrates a profound commitment to enhancing CCE departmental operations and the student experience at Clark College, fully embodying the criteria for special achievements. She actively seeks out and implements innovative efficiency measures that benefit both students and staff and, in turn, the college community. For instance, Trish has sent proactive reminders to students about upcoming classes, which has led to improved attendance rates and minimized no-shows and late drops.”

“Trish maintains an exemplary commitment to fostering and supporting individual and organizational diversity and inclusion. Over the past two years, she has welcomed over 5,000-plus test takers from a myriad of backgrounds, creating an inclusive environment at our testing center. Her efforts extend beyond mere numbers; they are rooted in genuine engagement with individuals from diverse cultures, languages, gender identities, and life experiences. One of her distinguishing qualities is her openness to discussions about equity and inclusion. She actively engages with visitors who may face language barriers when seeking support in our office. This dedication not only aids in breaking down

communication obstacles but also fosters a sense of belonging among those we serve. Her lived experience as an immigrant enriches her perspective and inspires her advocacy.”

About the Classified Staff Awards

Established in 2005, the Classified Staff Excellence Award recognizes classified staff who have demonstrated exemplary work performance, a positive and cooperative spirit, special achievements, or contributions to the college community, and supports individual and organizational diversity and inclusion. Through the support of the Clark College Foundation, the recipient will receive a $400 cash award.

Criteria: Nominees must be a current classified employee who has been in their current position for more than six months. Award recipients will not be eligible for another award for three years.

Learn more about this award here

Nominate A Deserving Colleague

Do you know a colleague who deserves this recognition? Nominate them for this award.

Visit the Clark College Employee Recognition page to learn more about this award and other ways to acknowledge the value and dedication of our staff and faculty.

Excerpts from Dennis’ nomination

“Dennis consistently demonstrates exceptional work performance, going above and beyond his assigned duties. His innovative approach to problem-solving has led to significant efficiency improvements within Enrollment Services and across the college. Dennis possesses a strong work ethic and consistently delivers high-quality work, even under tight deadlines. He is highly organized and detail-oriented, ensuring accuracy and timeliness in all his tasks. His ability to quickly adapt to changing circumstances and learn new technologies has been invaluable to the department.”

“Dennis has made significant contributions to the college community through his leadership in several key areas. As the Lead Query Developer, he has supported the query development process for Clark College, with a focus on improving efficiency and accuracy for all users. He has also taken on the role of a subject matter expert for ctcLink, providing valuable training and support to staff across the college. Dennis has been instrumental in enhancing our use of the PeopleSoft system.”

“Dennis is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive campus environment. He actively participates in diversity and equity initiatives, such as attending workshops and training sessions. He is respectful of all individuals, regardless of their background or identity, and creates a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere for all. Dennis is dedicated to ensuring equitable access to higher education for all students. He works diligently to assist students from diverse backgrounds, including first-generation, low-income, and international students, in navigating the enrollment process and accessing the support services they need to succeed.”

About the Classified Staff Awards

Established in 2005, the Classified Staff Excellence Award recognizes classified staff who have demonstrated exemplary work performance, a positive and cooperative spirit, special achievements, or contributions to the college community, and supports individual and organizational diversity and inclusion. Through the support of the Clark College Foundation, the recipient will receive a $400 cash award.

Criteria: Nominees must be a current classified employee who has been in their current position for more than six months. Award recipients will not be eligible for another award for three years.

Nominate A Deserving Colleague

Do you know a colleague who deserves this recognition? Nominate them for this award.

Visit the Clark College Employee Recognition page to learn more about this award and other ways to acknowledge the value and dedication of our staff and faculty.

Learn more about the Classified Staff Award.

One of the most cherished and memorable events from last year is back! On December 4, from 3–5 p.m. in the STEM building, we will be hosting the Second Annual Free Holiday Market for Clark College students.

Why a Free Holiday Market?

The idea originated during the pandemic. We’re all too familiar with quarantines, family and friends being kept apart, and lockdowns. The feelings of isolation and loss of normal, everyday living took a great toll on our communities. The Free Holiday Market was a way to get students, faculty, and staff back on campus for a community-building event that benefits students and families.

The cost of living is up and so are the requests for Penguin Pantry food boxes. Students struggle to make ends meet. When students must decide where their money is spent, rent, food, utilities, and childcare come first. Spending money on gifts and fun things falls by the wayside. Enter the Free Holiday Market!

Clark College is here to serve the student population. The Free Holiday Market shows them that Clark cares about them and their families at every level. Every item available for students at the market is free. All items are generously donated by faculty and staff. Representatives from various support services at Clark will be at the market.

How You Can Get Involved

Faculty and staff can volunteer to help run the event OR host a table of donated and ‘regiftable’ items.

Please visit the links below to learn more about helping out with this event!

• Students can register by emailing their Name and Student ID number to: holidaymarket@clark.edu
• Student volunteers sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0B4FAEAD28A0F58-52212521-clark?useFullSite=true#/
• Staff and Faculty Volunteer sign-up including hosting a table: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E49AAAB2BAAFBCF8-52638720-staff?useFullSite=true#/

Flyers available for distribution:

• https://news.clark.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/FHM-24-Table-Hosts.pdf
• https://news.clark.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/FHM-24-Student-Volunteers.pdf
• https://news.clark.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/FHM-24-Student-Flyer.pdf

This year’s event is sponsored by the ASCC club: NERD Girls & GEEKS along with the Engineering program and the McClaskey Culinary Institute. If you have questions contact the organizers at holidaymarket@clark.edu.

Learn more: Read about last year’s inaugural Free Holiday Market.