IRSC Foundation - Endowed Teaching Chairs

Endowed Teaching Chairs

The 2020 Endowed Teaching Chairs application period has concluded. Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, presentation of awards is postponed until at least August.

2020 Endowed Teaching Chair Applications

Through the Endowed Teaching Chair program, the Foundation supports and recognizes outstanding faculty for teaching excellence. At most colleges and universities Endowed Teaching Chairs are used to support research and publishing. At IRSC, where student learning is the #1 concern, our main purpose is to recognize and reward faculty for quality teaching which directly correlates with student success.

Throughout the year, applicants have the opportunity to submit a proposal for projects which will improve instruction, professional development, and/or provide a means to further contribute toward the excellence of the College. Following a competitive review process, recipients are rewarded with an annual stipend of $6,000 per year for three consecutive years. Two-thirds of the stipend ($4,000) is used to support the proposal and the remaining one-third of the stipend ($2,000) is paid directly to the recipient in recognition of his or her outstanding contribution to the College's mission. The recipients are surprised in their classroom or office and formally recognized at the annual Awards Breakfast in August.

Recipients are selected based on a portfolio review with consideration given to teaching and attainment of performance outcomes, overall contribution toward achievement of the College mission, commitment to professional development and the potential of the proposed plan to improve instruction and benefit IRSC students and the community.

This year, faculty have the opportunity to apply for the following Endowed Teaching Chairs:

Susan H. Johnson Endowed Teaching Chair (any discipline)
Marilyn C. Link Endowed Teaching Chair in Financial Management
Basil L. King Endowed Teaching Chair in Health Science
Patterson Endowed Teaching Chair in Humanities

For more information on how to apply for an Endowed Teaching Chair Award, review the 2020 Endowed Teaching Chair Application Form which is located on the intranet (within Okta). The deadline to receive applications is Friday, February 14, 2020. If you have any questions, please contact Brianne Hutchinson at x7856 or via email at bhutchin@irsc.edu.

The Endowed Teaching Chair Program is made possible by contributions to the IRSC Foundation. Each Endowed Teaching Chair represents a contribution of $120,000 from one or more donors. Each Chair is named in honor of the donor(s) who have funded the Chair. Endowed Teaching Chair sponsors are recognized at an annual awards ceremony, as well as through appropriate publications and publicity. For more information, or to support the Endowed Teaching Chair program through a tax-deductible contribution, please contact Ann Decker, Executive Director of the IRSC Foundation, at 772-462-4786 or via email at adecker@irsc.edu.

2019 Endowed Teaching Chairs Awarded

Four exceptional Indian River State College (IRSC) professors were surprised with Endowed Teaching Chairs from the Indian River State College Foundation in recognition of their outstanding work at IRSC and to support new initiatives benefiting students and the community.

The recipients are Ms. Kendra Auberry, Assistant Professor/Librarian, Pruitt Campus with the John and Marilyn McConnell Endowed Teaching Chair (any discipline); Dr. Heather Michaels, Master Instructor, Physical Science with the Gladys Williams Wolf Endowed Teaching Chair in Communication; Dr. Bodi Anderson, Associate Professor, Education with the J. Douglas Stephens Endowed Teaching Chair (any discipline); and Dr. John Southall, Professor and Director of Bands and Coordinator of Music Education and Therapy with the Community Endowed Teaching Chair in Fine Arts.

“High quality instruction is fundamental to IRSC’s mission, and we believe it is very important to recognize these outstanding faculty members and reward them with the resources to implement projects that will benefit our students and the community,” shares Dr. Edwin R. Massey, IRSC President. “Their contributions are an essential factor in our recognition as the Top College in the nation with the 2019 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence.”

Dr. Massey and more than 30 IRSC administrators, faculty, and students surprised the recipients with balloons, flowers, and a miniature wooden “chair” for the surprise presentation. The recipients will be rewarded with an annual stipend of $6,000 a year for three consecutive years; $4,000 to implement their initiatives and improve instruction in their field of expertise and $2,000 in recognition of excellence in teaching. The Endowed Teaching Chair program is made possible by contributions to the IRSC Foundation.

Ms. Kendra Auberry will develop the Algorithm Literacy Initiative to teach students, faculty and the community basic algorithm literacy concepts. Through this project students, faculty, and community members will interact with the code that shapes their online experiences daily and learn how to question that information.

Dr. Heather Michaels will create focused student panel discussions comprised of a diverse group of students as well as faculty from various disciplines. The goal is that, through the discussions, we will gain insight from the student perspective on how IRSC faculty can be more effective educators.

Dr. Bodi Anderson will create a Laboratory for Educational Technology (LET) which will provide IRSC’s pre-service School of Education majors access to trending technologies for educational enhancement. LET aims to provide education students with the real-life tools and experiences needed to prepare for the future of technology integration in K-12 classrooms.

Dr. John Southall will create the Meaningful Collaboration for Lifelong Participation in Music Program. The program will pair community musicians with IRSC instrumental music students in order to create a sustainable environment in which all participants can engage in meaningful music-making activities and develop mentor/mentee relationships.

Endowed Teaching Chair Recipients

To date, the IRSC Foundation has awarded 57 faculty members with Endowed Teaching Chairs.

BankAtlantic Endowed Teaching Chair

2018 - Dr. Kyle Freund

2015 - Dr. Tom D'Elia

2012 - Marvin E. Hobson

2009 - Teresa P. Hasenaur

2006 - Asoka R. Peiris

2003 - Mary Jane Hopkins, A.R.N.P.

2000 - Henri Sue Bynum, Ph.D.

Richardson Endowed Teaching Chair in Business and Entrepreneurship

2018 - Dr. Kimberlie Massnick

2015 - Wendy Dwyer

2012 - S. Arlene Green

2009 - John A. Butler

2006 - Nancy R. Bredemeyer, Ph.D.

2003 - S. Arlene Green

2000 - Frederick White, Ph.D.

Banack Family Partnership Endowed Teaching Chair in Agriculture

2018 - Dr. Helen Wiersma-Koch

2015 - Dr. Jon Glover

2012 - Patchara Pongam, Ph.D.

2009 - Deborah A. Midkiff

2006 - Ann H. McMullian, Ph.D.

J. Douglas Stephens Endowed Teaching Chair in Technology

2018 - Dr. Taylor Kilman

2015 - Dr. Sarah Mallonee

2012 - Kimberly W. Milner

2009 - James T. Mason

2006 - Chrysanthos A. Panayiotou, Ed.D.

John and Marilyn McConnell Endowed Teaching Chair

2019 - Ms. Kendra Auberry

Endowed Teaching Chair in Innovation and Entrepreneurship

2018 - Ruby Jefferson

Patterson Endowed Teaching Chair in Humanities

2017 - Dr. Joseph Palencik

Marilyn C. Link Endowed Teaching Chair Endowed Teaching Chair in Financial Management

2017 - Dr. Maria Salome E. Davis

2014 - Dr. Samuel P. Mikhail

2011 - Herbert P. Ricardo, Ph.D.

2008 - Ray J. Carpenter

2005 - I. Frank Harber, Ed.D.

2002 - Donna F. Arnold

Susan H. Johnson Endowed Teaching Chair

2017 - Dr. Jodi Robson

2014 - Richard Dewey

2011 - Veronica I. Tempone

2008 - Marta Y. Cronin, Ed.D

2005 - Judith M. Megaw, Ph.D.

2002 - Gary R. Koser

Basil L. King Endowed Teaching Chair in Health Science

2017 - Dr. Anne Drabczyk

2014 - Mary S. Pelletier

2011 - Gay O. Divinigracia, R.N.

2008 - Patricia A. Gagliano, Ph.D.

2005 - Karen G. Allen

Gladys Williams Wolf Endowed Teaching Chair in Communications

2019 - Dr. Heather Michaels. Ph.D.

2016 - Alexis Carlson

2013 - John A. Carpenter, Ph.D.

2010 - Bruce W. Fraser, Ph.D.

2007 - Raymond H. Considine, Ph.D.

2004 - Joyce A. Dayton, D.A.

2001 - Daniel Strumas

Community Endowed Teaching Chair in Fine Arts

2019 - Dr. John Southall, Ph.D.

2016 - David V. Moberg

2013 - Matthew L. Brooks, Ph.D

2010 - David V. Moberg

2007 - John K. Southhall, Ph.D.

2004 - Dale E. Rieth, Jr., D.M.A.

J. Douglas Stephens Endowed Teaching Chair

2019 - Dr. Bodi Anderson. Ph.D.

2016 - Dr. Kimberly Zgonc

2013 - Tiffany E. Lewis

2010 - Taranna Amani Rahman

2007 - Maria C. Seidel, D.N.P.

If you have any questions or would like more details about specific endowed teaching chair projects, please contact Brianne Hutchinson at x7856 or via email at bhutchin @irsc.edu.