Weekly Review
News and Events from the campuses of Blinn College
May 5, 2008
Blinn Professional Association Announces Teaching Awards
The Blinn College Professional Association selected instructors in history, math, and nursing for this year’s Teaching Excellence Awards. The association also honored the college’s retiring executive vice president as the Administrator of the Year.
In Brenham, Dale Carnagey, a history instructor for 38 years, won the overall award.
On the Bryan campuses, math instructor Ruth Seidel received the award in the academic category. Associate Degree Nursing instructor Sami Rahman won the award in the technical category.
The recipients will be honored at Blinn’s commencement ceremony on May 8.
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John Barkman |
Dale Carnagey |
Sami Rahman |
Ruth Seidel |
The college and the association give teaching excellence awards annually to faculty who communicate knowledge and experience while motivating and developing students' intellectual abilities and academic talents. Award recipients receive a $250 stipend and an engraved plaque.
The Administrator of the Year award went to John Barkman who is retiring after 41 years with the college -- first as director of library services, then as vice president of administration and planning, and the last 14 as executive vice president. This was the first year for the administrator award.
Barkman directed the college’s accreditation matters, policy manual development and served on state and regional higher education committees along with leading college task forces and committees.
Carnagey was a full-time instructor for 38 years until his retirement in December. He now teaches part time on the Brenham campus. A former student and current colleague recalled he “called us by name, treated us with respect, showed a passion for history and there was no need for an attendance policy in his class because we wanted to come.”
Another colleague said “Dale is outstanding – he does his job, does it well and he is respectful of everyone he works with – he inspires us to become better instructors.”
Seidel joined the faculty in 1991 teaching physics. She is now the main instructor for engineering and science calculus III in addition to teaching pre-calculus and finite math. The person nominating her praised her varied background saying “Ruth has an innate ability to reach students of all different levels of ability. She is extremely knowledgeable in all levels of mathematics.”
Rahman joined Blinn College in 2006. The student nominating her noted “She can explain complicated subjects in ordinary language. She can tell when students need more help in understanding a concept.” She has worked at M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston caring for children with cancer.