ECC announces 2017 NISOD Award winners

Five Elgin Community College faculty members have been selected to receive the 2017 National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development Award.

The award recognizes outstanding faculty, staff and administrators of community and technical colleges.

"We received many excellent nominations this year, serving as a reminder that ECC is fortunate to have such an excellent and student-focused faculty base," said Peggy Heinrich, interim vice president of teaching, learning and student development.

The award winners, who were selected by a committee of faculty and administrators, include: Divya Ajinth, M.S., Adult Basic Education and Secondary Education adjunct faculty; Soma Chattopadhyay, Ph.D., M.S., applied physical science adjunct faculty; Dawn Munson, Ed.D., professor I of education; Mary Peterhans, M.S.Ed, digital technologies adjunct faculty; and Greg Wheaton, M.S., instructor of mathematics.

They will go on to represent ECC at the League for Innovation in the Community College's Innovations Conference in March or the NISOD International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence in May.

ECC NISOD recipients have also been submitted to receive the League for Innovation in the Community College's John and Suanne Roueche Excellence Award, which celebrates outstanding contributions and leadership by community college faculty and staff.

As the top scoring nominee, Dawn Munson has been selected to serve as ECC's nominee for the American Association of Community College's Distinguished Faculty Award.