Kishwaukee College announced its 2021 Awards of Excellence recipients. The Board of Trustees sponsors the annual Awards of Excellence program to recognize outstanding employees and their contributions to the College. Community members, college personnel, students and alumni submitted nominations in five categories: Full-Time Faculty, Adjunct Faculty, Support Staff, Professional Staff and Part-Time Staff.
The nominees for Full-Time Faculty were Janet Gallagher, Associate Professor of Horticulture;
Tania Nezrick, Professor of Biology; and Joe Przybyla, Instructor of Criminal Justice.
The 2021 recipient of the Full-Time Faculty Award of Excellence is Tania Nezrick. Nezrick has worked as an instructor at Kish since 2000. With more than two decades
of experience, she continues to bring innovative learning experiences to the classroom
and her peers commend her empathy and care towards her students.
The nominee and winner for the 2021 Adjunct Faculty Award of Excellence is Sean Walters, Adjunct Instructor of Biology. Walters first started at Kish in 2018, following
a long career in the private sector. His experience brings real-world expertise to
the classroom for his students, and his colleagues have praised his expansive knowledge,
preparation and adaptability as an instructor.
The nominees for Support Staff were Skyler Quinn, Help Desk Specialist; Tara Richardson,
Bookstore Operations Specialist; Kimberly Rotella, Greenhouse Grounds Specialist;
and Linda Smith, One-Stop Assistant. The 2021 recipient of the Support Staff Award
of Excellence is Linda Smith. Smith started working at Kish in 2000, and colleagues describe her as the backbone
of the Student Services Department where she goes above and beyond to serve students
with enthusiasm and professionalism.
The nominees for the Professional Staff Award were Terry Lyn Funston, Director of
Curriculum & Program Development; Kim Green, Academic Coordinator of TRIO Student
Support Services; Graciela Horta, Coordinator of Student Outreach; Connie Kessen,
Printing/Mail Services Manager; Maria Lombardo, Director of the Early Learning Center;
and Brian Magnuson, Coordinator of Online Courses. The recipient of the 2021 Professional
Staff Award of Excellence is Kim Green. Green has served in various roles at Kish after starting at the College in 2008.
Green’s peers have recognized her efforts to continue to innovate and expand the services
offered through TRIO SSS, highlighting the work she did the past year to transition
TRIO to an online environment without missing a beat.
The nominees for Part-Time Staff were Emily Bodmer, Accommodation Specialist; and
Tambryanna Williams, Student Success Advisor. The recipient of the 2021 Part-Time
Staff Award of Excellence is Tambryanna Williams. Williams started in her role in 2019 and has taken on several initiatives since.
She serves as a critical point of contact for at-risk students at Kish, and her colleagues
have commended her ability to take on expanded roles as an Advisor during her short
tenure.
Congratulations to all the nominees and winners. The College is very appreciative of the dedicated service to the Kish community.