John Dabeet - Economics Instructor/Student Senate Advisor
(Muscatine Community College) 
 
"John Dabeet does two great things besides being an outstanding classroom teacher," explains his nominator. "He produces Economics Day at MCC and serves as the best Student Senate advisor I've seen in my 15 years at MCC."

As an economics instructor, John makes a somewhat intimidating subject fun and interesting for his students. He takes time to explain the material so that all of his students understand the concepts, using classroom activities and his great sense of humor to help students master the information.

Many of his economics students cite Economics Day as a great learning opportunity that lets them see how economics applies in the real world. The annual half-day of activities
 
includes breakfast, an economics quiz bowl, guest speakers from business and industry, and a question and answer session. John developed and implemented this activity three years ago and it has grown in popularity since then; participation has grown to 150 students.
 
John's sense of humor and organizational skills are the driving force behind the success of Economics Day, and are also key factors in the "rebirth" of the Student Senate at MCC. "I think all on campus will agree, this has been the most active, most service-oriented and most fun Student Senate MCC has had in years," writes a colleague. "A large part of that is due to John's good nature and outstanding organizational skills. His humor and patience with the students created a team atmosphere that was contagious. Without John's dedication and pride in the students of MCC, none of the exciting year for the Student Senate would have been possible."
 
Student Senators describe him as an adviser who guides, rather than dictates. He lets the group set its own agenda, but will often visit with individual members about their roles, offering advice and direction on how to achieve the desired outcomes. "This leadership style helped the Senate as a whole, but perhaps more importantly, it helped each Senator grow as an individual," writes a recent graduate.
 
John's leadership extends beyond the college, into the Muscatine community, and to the other side of the globe. Due to his background and international experience, the Muscatine Journal often relies on John to provide assistance in localizing international stories. He was recently elected president of the Muscatine Sister Cities organization and has provided steady leadership for the community's annual Diversity Day. He is a strong advocate for peace, particularly in the Middle East, and has founded Americans and Palestinians for Peace (AMPAL) to work toward that end.
 
"John's enthusiasm is his most outstanding attribute," writes a student. "There is enthusiasm and professionalism in everything I see him do, from teaching to his activities outside of education. He puts others' interests first and enjoys seeing people succeed."

Michael Jund - Auto Collision Repair Instructor
(Scott Community College) 
 
Ask colleagues to describe Mike Jund and you'll hear an almost endless list of adjectives: steady, dependable, dedicated to excellence, motivated, energetic, proactive, catalyst for change, sincere, loyal, innovative?the list goes on and on.

"Mike began his career as an automotive collision repair instructor at Scott Community College more than 25 years ago," writes his nominator, "and during that tenure has served as the catalyst for continued change and improvement in his program area."

The SCC auto collision repair program is recognized as one of the best in the region, largely due to Mike's continued efforts
 
to prepare his students to become excellent technicians in an ever-changing field. He worked tirelessly to attain prestigious Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification for the program, which it earned in 1997, then went on to earn ASE certification for himself as an Automotive Collision Repair Master Technician. He also jumped at the opportunity to have SCC certified as an ICAR Certified Collision Repair Welding Training and Testing Center. This certification not only benefits students, but also offers area technicians the advantage of local testing and training services.
 
As he started down this road to certification, Mike realized that one of the barriers was the college's outdated equipment. He worked with regional equipment vendors and acquired more than $50,000 in equipment donations to bring the program equipment up to industry standards.
 
This was just one example of how Mike has taken the initiative to find funding for his program and its students. When he realized that many of his students and some potential students were not able to complete or even start the program because they couldn't afford the tuition and $2,000 in necessary tools, he attacked that problem with the same determination. He initiated the SCC "Cruisin' Into the Valley" car show, now in its seventh year, to generate scholarship money for transportation technologies students. The car show drew 5,000 visitors last year and raised $10,000 for scholarships. To address the tool expense, he worked with local body shop owner John Arnold to create a "no-interest loan" program, so that students can purchase their tools immediately and pay back the loan over a period of time.
 
Mike's commitment to his students leads him to seek continuous improvement of his own skills as a technician and a teacher. He is involved in the Iowa Waste Reduction Center's STAR program, learning and teaching improved, environmentally safer techniques for paint spraying. He has also been a leader in SCC's participation in the TeachNET Contextual Teaching and Learning project and has delivered several presentations on the concept. In his "spare" time, Mike adds his time and his beautiful voice to the Quad Cities Chordbusters, an area barbershop music group.
 
"Mike truly cares about his students and teaching," writes a colleague. "He is an excellent addition to the cluster of expertise in our applied technology division."

Kevin King - Biology Instructor
(Clinton Community College) 
 
"Whether it be in or out of the classroom, Kevin King works in a fair, consistent and practical manner," writes his nominator. "He has established himself as a leader who is hard-working, honest, willing to accept input from everyone and one who is approachable."

Many of his colleagues use similar terms to describe this teacher and committee leader: insightful, team player, participative, principled, prepared. They admire his work in the classroom and also appreciate his leadership in campus matters.

As CCC's Title III liaison, Kevin works with faculty on their Title III projects and helps guide the decision-making process
 
regarding new technology on campus. He worked to upgrade the college's Learning Center and then encouraged increased usage of the center among his colleagues. He connects people who can help each other with software, arranges training for staff and leads the way in testing new software.
 
"He has been a literal ball of fire in promoting and working for improved technology in the classroom," writes a fellow faculty member. "He always presented comprehensive alternatives to the Title III committee for a final decision, but without his hours of spadework and research, those alternatives never could have been formulated in the first place."
 
Kevin's leadership is also appreciated on the college's scholarship awards committee, where he is looked to as an unofficial co-chair. "I am always impressed by the amount of work Kevin does in preparation for the scholarship meetings," writes another member. "He is very organized and fair; watching out for deserving applicants who 'fall through the cracks' is his specialty."
 
In the classroom, students find him challenging but fair. He strives to connect learning activities to his students' lives and is always seeking new ways to make those connections. During his 1999 summer break, he was invited to spend a week at a local industry, learning how science affects industry and how he can better prepare students for the world of work. Combining his teaching with his interest in the environment, he has also adopted the native prairie by the Graphic Arts Center and has invited elementary schoolchildren to join his classes in learning about the prairie.
 
"Kevin is a trusted and loyal colleague and friend to many who may disagree with him, but who fully support his choices because they know how fairly those choices were made" writes another instructor. "Kevin lives his principles and provides a strong, quiet example for all of us at CCC."

Ann Lawler - Math Instructor/Department Coordinator
(Scott Community College) 
 
Over the last three years, Ann Lawler's name has become synonymous with the Honors Program at Scott Community College. In fact, several colleagues wrote that without Ann Lawler, there would be no Honors Program at SCC.

As coordinator, Ann interviews all Honors candidates, facilitates projects among students and mentors, coordinates the Honors seminar each semester, plans ceremonies honoring the completers, advises the Phi Theta Kappa chapter and accompanies students to the national honors conference, in addition to dealing with the everyday questions and logistics of the program.
 
"Under her leadership, the Honors program has blossomed into a major force in the life of the college," writes a colleague. "Its activities have expanded, the number of students involved increases exponentially and its importance is recognized by most faculty." Ann's efforts have expanded the Honors program to include students and faculty from Applied Technologies, and she has advocated including community service projects into the program.
 
Citing her "marvelous leadership, high standards, 'can do' approach and plain awesome dedication," one faculty colleague writes that his involvement in the Honors program has been the most important and satisfying project of his 22 years at SCC.
 
Ann's excellence in the classroom has been recognized with a Distinguished Teaching Award from SCC in recent years, and students are often lined up outside her office seeking guidance. Her teaching style involves humor and creativity, two concepts not stereotypically associated with math.
 
"Ann's students testify to her skills, good humor and engaging approach to the teaching of math," writes her nominator. "She is an asset to her department and to the college, and her reputation as a first-rate teacher continues to grow."
 
Ann has also provided leadership for the college's first TeachNET team, an investigation managed by the University of Wisconsin into successful contextual teaching and learning situations. She has been asked by the university to help train the next group of high school and community college instructors who will be involved in the program.
 
"I personally find Ann to be warm and funny," writes another faculty member. "Discussions with her always include laughter. She has been a good friend and a good listener when I needed one and I have the impression that I'm not the only one who has sought the benefit of her wisdom and humor during challenging times."

Linda Mowl - Developmental Education Instructor/Athletic Academic Advisor
(Muscatine Community College) 
  
"Part mom, part enforcer" reads the headline of last fall's MCC Calumet feature article about developmental education instructor Linda Mowl, and colleagues say that describes her well. Those are also traits essential to her job as academic advisor to Muscatine Community College's baseball and softball team members.

"I am impressed with Linda's ability to be a very warm and touching human being and at the same time make it clear that she expects the young people to be students first," writes a faculty member.

Linda maintains a full teaching load in the MCC Skills Center, where she helps students gain the skills and confidence they
 
need to succeed in their studies. In fact, her students often will return in future semesters to provide assistance for new students at the Skills Center. Three years ago, Linda took on the additional assignment as adviser to the athletic team members and now works with more than 40 athletes each year, making it her personal mission to encourage them to finish their two-year degree.
 
One colleague says he believes Linda's effectiveness is based on good, old-fashioned hard work. "I see her on campus at 7 a.m., and sometimes I see her here at 7 p.m.," he writes. "Usually she is surrounded by athletes and is explaining their assignments to them. This takes a tremendous amount of preparation on her part, talking with instructors and familiarizing herself with the assignments first."
 
That's the "enforcer" part; another faculty member illustrates the "mom" part.
 
"Not only does she advise the athletes, but she also finds them housing, holds study tables, mentors them, tutors and nags them when they need it," writes a colleague. "She invites them for meals at holidays when they can't go home and cheers them on from the stands at games. The athletes really look to her as a 'second mom.'"
 
Baseball and softball players count Linda among their biggest fans on the field. She led the organizing efforts for last spring's NJCAA baseball tournament in Muscatine and ran the concession stand for the three-day tournament. Last spring, she created a web page for the teams, complete with history, statistics, player profiles and photographs from the games. And this year, she is developing the college's first student handbook for athletes.
 
It seems that Linda is on the right track. One of her colleagues relates this story: "Linda called the University of Nebraska to ask the director of the Cornhusker program for suggestions (on athletic advising). Turns out that the University of Nebraska not only confirmed her efforts but also offered her a job!" Good thing she turned it down - EICCD and MCC's athletes need this enforcer/mom.