Four Daytona State College faculty members were honored this week for excellence in teaching and leadership in higher education. The Medallion of Excellence teaching awards have been presented each year since 2007, recognizing faculty who have made outstanding contributions to the college and its mission.
This year’s winners are:
Jeffrey Zahnen, Ph.D.
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| Dr. Jeffery Zahnen |
Dr. Zahnen joined the College in 2007 as an associate professor of mathematics. A current member of the Master Faculty II cohort, he serves as a student-athlete mentor through the college’s Falcons in Action program and as a peer mentor for School of Mathematics faculty who are working on advanced degrees.
His commitment to Daytona State and to his discipline is demonstrated through his service on the college’s General Education Review Committee, Tenure and Promotion Committee, Technology Committee and several Mathematics Department committees, including the Calculus III Committee, Pre-Calculus Committee, and the Trigonometry Committee. He also chairs the College Algebra Committee on Differential Equations, and has developed new courses in Linear Algebra and the History of Mathematics.
Dr. Zahnen regularly serves students by holding office hours in the Academic Support Center. He has developed online quizzes that have been instrumental in advancing student retention and offers learning sessions for faculty who also wish to implement them.
Dr. Zahnen holds a Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Florida. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the American Mathematical Society.
Theresa A. Moore, J.D.
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| Dr. Theresa A. Moore |
She has mentored two international students over the past two years. She also serves on the Children’s Home Society board, and is involved with the Volusia Women’s Lawyers Association and the Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Moore also participated in a project to recruit students from Denmark into Daytona State’s BAS program and will help mentor the students when they arrive on campus this summer. She also will present at the 2011 Daytona State College Faculty Teaching Excellence Symposium later this year.
She holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, a Master of Arts in Organizational Management from Antioch University, and a Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs from Indiana University. She also participated in a Geneva, Switzerland, study abroad program at Kent State University.
L. Jane Rosati, Ed.D., MSN, RNC
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| Dr. L. Jane Rosati |
Dr. Rosati joined the Daytona State College faculty in 2004, and was promoted to assistant chair and program manager of the School of Nursing’s Associate Degree in Nursing program. She is in the second-year cohort of Master Faculty.
Dr. Rosati is a passionate educator. She shows innovation in the classroom by choosing learning activities that enhance the experience of students, who describe her as approachable, kind, fair and knowledgeable.
In addition to collecting items for the homeless shelter in Daytona Beach and providing gift cards to the shelter residents, Dr. Rosati collects items such as food, towels and blankets for the Humane Society. She is a volunteer for Health Occupations Students of America, an organization whose mission is to promote career opportunities in health care and to enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people, and attends several events during the year to judge various competitions.
Dr. Rosati also presents health fairs for area senior centers and conducts workshops for a medical equipment company at hospitals throughout the country. She has published two articles and is currently working on a chapter about concept-based learning to be included in a nursing textbook.
Dr. Rosati is a member of the Florida Organization of Nurse Executives and the National Honor Society for Nurses, Sigma Theta Tau. She holds a doctorate in education, summa cum laude, a Master of Arts in Education, summa cum laude, and a Master of Science in Nursing, summa cum laude, from the University of Phoenix. Her bachelor's degree is in Nursing from Neumann University, Aston, Pa.
Michelle Lee, Ph.D.
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| Dr. Michelle Lee |
Dr. Lee joined Daytona State College in 2009 as an assistant professor of English in the School of Humanities and Communication. A second-year cohort member of Master Faculty, she teaches composition courses, as well as women's literature, fiction writing and poetry writing. She also counsels students on their writing and academic pursuits, and participates in department-wide development of new pedagogies and assessment strategies.
She is a published fiction writer, poet and playwright. Most recently, she was invited by The Poetry Foundation to write articles on the 19th century poet Michael Field, as well as on the connection between another 19th century poet, Charles Baudelaire, and the 21st century icon Lady Gaga.
Dr. Lee has participated in the Daytona State College e-text initiative and hosted part of a Southeast Museum of Photography film series in conjunction with the college’s Shakespeare Festival.
She received her Master of Arts in Creative Writing and Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Texas at Austin.
Faculty are nominated for their awards by program chairs, vice presidents and fellow faculty members. Criteria for nomination includes a requirement that the faculty member be a participant in the second- or third-level faculty cohort, and demonstrate excellence in teaching and service to the college and its mission, examples of which include:
- Publishing scholarly works;
- Demonstrating creative teaching practices;
- Serving the college through support of its athletic and mentoring programs;
- Volunteering for student or community activities;
- Other activities showing innovation, service or dedication to teaching, learning or creativity;
- Volunteering in areas of need at the college (Academic Support Center, Advising, Etc.) or community.
