CLC biology professor named Illinois Outstanding Faculty Member
College of Lake County biology professor Robert Remedi has received the Illinois Community College Trustees' Association's 2011 Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Member Award. The prestigious award has been presented annually since 1985 to honor an outstanding community college instructor in Illinois. This is the first time a CLC instructor has received the award.
Remedi accepted the award at a ceremony held in Normal, Ill., on June 3. He was selected from among 37 faculty nominees from throughout Illinois. In April, he was selected for a similar CLC award.
“I can't imagine doing anything else in life but teach,” Remedi said in written statement submitted by CLC in support of his nomination for the state honor. “I see teaching as an opportunity to share my talents and experiences in a way that will stimulate interest in the topic and encourage students to want to discover more.”
The Trustees' Association award is a very high honor, according to CLC President Dr. Jerry Weber. “We are very proud that a CLC faculty member has received the state award,” Weber said. “At community colleges, we focus on teaching and believe the quality of our faculty sets us apart. With this distinction, Bob Remedi has been recognized as one of the best of the best.”
Remedi himself is modest about his achievement. “I'm very happy to have received this award, but honestly, I have many, many colleagues at CLC who are equally deserving of recognition. I've taught at several community colleges and two four-year colleges, and CLC is by far the best. I'm proud to teach at an institution that values teaching so much.”
Students certainly believe Remedi values teaching. “He really cares about his students,” said Daria Constantinescu, a speech pathology major who started Remedi on the road to receiving the state award by nominating him for the CLC award. “He starts each of his courses with an exercise to help students identify what kind of learners they are. Then, he adapts his teaching style to the particular needs of the students. I learn by re-writing my notes, so he made a point of keeping his PowerPoint presentations up on the screen throughout the class so I could make sure I got the information in my notes.”
Beyond teaching style, Remedi is passionate about his discipline, Constantinescu said. “Professor Remedi pushes us to know the information because many of the students in his classes are preparing to become nurses and doctors. He knows that what he teaches may mean life or death later to a patient. In his classes, we're learning for life, not just a grade.”
Remedi, who began teaching at CLC in 2002, has been nationally recognized for his teaching ability, receiving the 2010 Two-Year College Biology Teaching Award from the National Association of Biology Teachers. He has served as president of the Illinois Association of Community College Biologists and chairman of the community college section of the National Association of Biology Teachers.
Remedi earned Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from Western Illinois University.