Dean Angela Spalsbury invited faculty, staff, and students to nominate Kent State Geauga and Twinsburg Academic Center full-time and part-time faculty members as well as a full-time or part-time staff member to be selected for the Spring 2021 Excellence Awards.
The faculty award recognizes the importance placed on superior teaching and encourages teaching achievement. The staff award is equally important but emphasizes an employee who supports the day-to-day operations of the two-site campus and the Students First priority.
Dean Spalsbury is thrilled to announce the Spring 2021 Excellence Award recipients:
Faculty Excellence Award: Dr. Erin Bailey, Biological Sciences (full-time); and Dr. Sorina Ailiesei, English (part-time).
Staff Excellence Award: Brandie Blankenship, Academic Services Coordinator
Student submitted nominations for Dr. Erin Bailey, Associate Professor, Biological Sciences, explained that she was a phenomenal anatomy and physiology professor. She makes classes
very interactive and the subject matter fun to learn. Another student wrote, "Professor Bailey truly made us think about the material and helped us understand what we were learning in class. I appreciated how attentive she was in our class, especially during a virtual class format." In the past year, Erin ensured that her synchronous remote courses included comprehensive lab instruction and live demonstrations to ensure her nursing students would be prepared for their careers. Well deserved, Dr. Bailey!
Dr. Sorina Ailiesei was an adjunct English faculty member during the Spring 2021 semester. Dr. Ailiesei has been hired as a full-time NTT for the Geauga Campus beginning in the Fall 2021 semester. Dr. Ailiesei has shown that she ensures our most vulnerable students receive thoughtful and effective instruction. She strives to make her students understand grammar (and not fear it) so that they succeed in the classroom. Sorina’s teaching experience in English as a Second Language continually reminds her to focus on students’ ability to communicate and write. She's a very caring, process-oriented, and engaging instructor, which is why Dr. Ailiesei deserves this recognition.
The Staff Excellence Award winner—Brandie Blankenship—is the campus's Academic Services Coordinator. Brandie's position is integral for our
students’ success since her department focuses on tutoring, student accessibility services, and academic workshops. Nominations for Brandie stated that she demonstrates a commitment to excellence in job performance. She has a “students first” focus as she creates resources, performs academic coaching, develops workshops, and manages the testing center to help students be successful. Brandie also contributes to many campus and university committees and possesses a strong voice for supporting our students.
Join us in congratulating these three very deserving excellence award recipients!
