College of DuPage names outstanding faculty members, advisers
Seventeen faculty members and advisers have been recognized as the 2018-2019 Outstanding Faculty Members and Outstanding Advisers at College of DuPage.
The faculty and advisers were selected for their excellence in teaching, service to the college, scholarly activities, community service and advising skills.
Each will receive a monetary award from the College of DuPage Foundation.
• Elmhurst resident Dilyss Gallyot, Professor of Nursing, Nursing and Health Sciences Division, was named the Outstanding College-Wide Full-Time Faculty Member.
Gallyot connects with her students on a personal level by listening to them and being available to help them work through challenging courses. She begins her first class with a question: "What do you need to be successful in this class?" She listens to their suggestions, writes them down and uses their responses to help the student be successful in their studies.
In her work at the college, Gallyot has collaborated with other nursing faculty to help redesign the curriculum of the nursing program. She has developed clinical evaluation tools for the eight nursing courses with clinicals and helped create strategies to assist the COD Nursing students with their studies for the NCLEX exam. This has brought success to the nursing students and increased the success rate of the COD NCLEX state board rates to 95 percent.
• Six professors and one counselor were named Outstanding Divisional Full-Time Faculty Members.
Batavia resident David Ouellette serves as the chair of the art program and is active in the development of field studies courses, is a member of the Animal Studies committee, and is part of the Pathways mapping initiative. As assistant professor of art, arts, communication and hospitality division, he demonstrates a strong sense of leadership in the classroom and among his colleagues and is an exemplary faculty member in this regard. This past year, he led the remodeling of the McAninch Arts Center lecture hall into a state-of-the-art teaching facility.
Maureen Waller of Tinley Park, professor of nursing, nursing and health sciences division, is involved in improving student outcomes in her role as coordinator and professor in the Associate Degree in Nursing program. She is a mentor to both faculty and students, often encouraging junior faculty to seek further education so they can become better teachers.
Waller takes pride in providing exceptional support and service to new faculty and staff. She quickly identifies their individual needs and moves efficiently to provide necessary information, encouragement and direction.
Jim Filipek of Niles, an associate professor of manufacturing technology, business and applied technology division, has the vision to proactively pursue the reality of skills demanded by the manufacturing workforce. His vision and involvement with industry are what consistently generates manufacturing scholarships for students at College of DuPage. Because of his efforts on behalf of students and the community, COD's Manufacturing Technology program is well known and respected.
Aurora resident Bob Hazard, an associate professor of English, liberal arts division, is dedicated to his students and to the college. He is revered for his excellence in both teaching and advising. Over the years, Hazard has participated in numerous committees, programs and initiatives, serving on the Faculty Instruction Committee, Faculty Senate, English Department Standards of Academic Progress (SOAP) Taskforce, Academic Integrity Committee and Composition Steering Committee. He was instrumental in the organization and sponsorship of the COD Student Veteran's Club and was a strong supporter for the first COD Veterans Read-In, which has become an annual event at the college.
Naperville resident Earl Reed, professor of physical education, social/behavioral sciences and the library division, serves as chair of the physical education department, where he has been a professor for 28 years. He has been an innovative leader in inspiring his colleagues and is a champion for students.
Reed works closely with student-athletes in achieving success in the classroom and in life. He created a partnership with the ASEP coaching certification program, developed an intern partnership with Velocity Sports, and took the lead on the Sports Management 2+2 program being developed with Lewis University.
Naperville resident Jocelyn Harney, Student Success Counselor, has dedicated the past 30 years of her career to the Counseling and Advising division at COD. As the former administrator over the area, she made it her priority to have the counseling faculty reflect the diversity of the students on campus. She continues this effort by mentoring new and senior counseling faculty members.
She continuously advocates on a larger scale to preserve the integrity of the counseling faculty as a unique and integral part of the college. In her role as a counselor, she has led the SOAP committee in the implementation of effective programming for students with academic difficulties. She currently leads a team of counselors working with the veteran population while educating staff on the needs of veterans.
Michael O'Leary, professor of mathematics in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics division, demonstrates excellence in his teaching and service to the college. His colleagues find him to be an invaluable asset to their discipline, through contributions to their curriculum and ability to teach a wide diversity of their courses. His mathematical publications exemplify scholarly activity worthy of recognition. He maintains currency in his discipline through his role in hosting a mathematical conference at COD, which raises the profile of the institution.
Aurora resident Benjamin Wahlund, music instructor in the Arts, Communication and Hospitality Division, was named Outstanding College-Wide Adjunct Faculty Member.
Wahlund is a Grammy Award nominated, award-winning music educator, composer and performer. He serves as the director of percussion at College of DuPage and full-time percussion instructor at Northern Illinois University. His music compositions have won numerous international awards and are performed by professionals around the world.
Wahlund creates lessons and performances that take into consideration that students have different levels of experience and knowledge of music. In doing so, he brings together a musical experience that celebrates all students and their skills.
• Five instructors and one librarian were named Outstanding Divisional Adjunct Faculty Members.
Park Ridge resident and instructor Chris Oliva teaches editing, directing and survey courses in the Motion Picture/Television program. He is popular in the classroom, bringing the credibility of work experience as a professional editor, and has an open and energetic rapport with students. Olivia extends his collaborative manner to colleagues and frequently assists as a substitute instructor throughout the program.
Computer information system instructor Vasilios "Billy" Pappademetriou's positive and encouraging demeanor has a lasting effect. His students regularly share feedback that he is a great instructor. Not only does the Harwood Heights resident teach the course material, but he also encourages their success as citizens in a technology-driven world. He regularly advises his students about the CIS courses and progressions to success. He also serves as an adjunct at one of COD's four-year transfer institutions, acting as a liaison and easing the transfer path for many students.
As an English instructor, Eric Tan creates an engaging learning environment for students, who praise his ability to relate to them and bring relevant topics to class. The Carol Stream resident respects his students and has faith in their ability to achieve. Tan also contributes by working on the college's annual Writing on the Edge Conference and collaborating with other faculty at COD to produce "Teaching Hacks," a podcast on pedagogy.
Kelly Hand, as a reference librarian in the Social/Behavioral Sciences and the Library Division, is effective and displays extraordinary knowledge, courtesy and perseverance in assisting students and colleagues. Her confidence and expertise make her an excellent instructor. The Munster, Indiana, resident accepts numerous teaching assignments in all disciplines and welcomes the opportunities and the challenges of the research assignments and students' information needs.
Mark Boyle is a knowledgeable geography instructor who challenges his students about world events. Students consistently report that he presents information that is current and applicable to real-life situations. The Lisle resident helps students understand physical and human geography as well as ways in which geographical principles apply to housing, transportation and demographics. He is interested in inspiring students to think creatively and engages them in meaningful dialogue.
Physics instructor Jim Lungu is well known for his thorough but easy-going style, which guides students while still challenging them to gain the required knowledge. His approachable style helps motivate his students and gives them the confidence they need to be successful.
As a practicing physicist working in the private industry, the Naperville resident knows the real-world applications of the topics he teaches. His personal knowledge helps prepare the students for the trials they will meet after they leave his classroom.
• Two staff members were named as Outstanding Advisers.
During his tenure as counselor at COD, Michael Duggan has helped establish a variety of programs, including Project COACH, a vocational skills training program for students with developmental disabilities; Autismerica, a social/support group for students on the autism spectrum; and a chapter of Best Buddies for student-to-student mentoring.
His first book, "First Class Support for College Students on the Autism Spectrum: Practical Advice for College Counselors and Educators," was released in 2017. The Winfield resident is endlessly dedicated to his students and genuinely interested in their development and success.
As the faculty leader of COD's Paralegal Club, Linda Jenkins works to bring in quality and informative speakers each week. The Wheaton resident also runs the COD Chapter of Lambda Epsilon Chi (LEX), the paralegal honor society. Jenkins goes above and beyond to make sure that these two programs are both fun and educational. She cares deeply about each student in the paralegal program and does everything possible to make sure they are successful and grow to be as passionate as she is about the legal system.