WCC President Dr. Rose B. Bellanca congratulates Bravo! Award winner Donald Werthmann, a Digital Media Arts instructor, during a luncheon in their honor at Washtenaw Community College on Wednesday, April 12, 2017. | Photo by Lon Horwedel
BY RICH REZLER
Communications Manager
A total of 120 WCC faculty and staff members from various areas and disciplines around the college were nominated by students to receive a Bravo! Award. Nominees were invited to a luncheon on April 12 to be recognized for their positive impact on students’ lives.
New to the itinerary was a video tribute in which students held up signs with messages of thanks to their nominees. Some drew laughs, while others elicited a more emotional response, none more so than an international student holding a sign that read “You’re like an American mom to us!”
WCC President Dr. Rose B. Bellanca had the unenviable task of walking to the podium immediately following the video. She motioned to the screen and said it would be impossible to find any better words.
“Thank you. Just thank you,” she told the attendees. “Thank you for making a difference for students and our college every single day.”
Created by Student Activities three years ago, the Bravo! Awards give students an opportunity to thank helpful staff members and demonstrate appreciation for faculty in a more personal manner than teacher evaluations allow.
RELATED: View a photo gallery from the Bravo! Awards luncheon
An example of one of the 164 total nominations received (some faculty members were nominated multiple times) is the following composition about Breege Concannon, a full-time chemistry instructor at WCC since 2003.
“I had her for biochemistry and learned so much from her teaching style. I experienced what many others also experience — a total change in perspective on what’s possible for personal achievement. She’s a tough, straightforward person and with that has an extraordinary ability to encourage students and grow their confidence, especially with course material that normally has the opposite effect on students.
“I continue to learn more about what she does indirectly because I tutor for the classes she teaches. Her students benefit because she loves to teach and she goes above and beyond, pulling resources for students especially when finances are tight for people. She does a lot of personal research on learning techniques and implements them in her classroom. She’s truly passionate about the learning and success of her students. No matter what, she always keeps up positive energy and never lets anything bog her down.
She provides support to her students, family and her colleagues and is always going the extra mile for people. Her honesty and openness are two of her most commendable attributes and is probably the reason she is able to carry on the way she does. She inspires everyone around her to be their best, and I personally think of her as a super role model. Writing about her was a refreshing way to reflect on my gratitude for her, thank you!”
Longtime English faculty member Tom Zimmerman – also director of the college’s Writing Center, advisor to its poetry club and editor of its literary magazine – was a recipient of a 2017 Bravo! Award. He said the time commitment he makes to his many on-campus endeavors is solely for the growth of WCC students, so getting positive feedback in return provides great satisfaction.
“If a student thinks I’m doing a great job, that makes me feel good. That’s why I’m here, and I presume that’s why we’re all here,” he said. “We get the opportunity to make our community better by making our students better people.”
The following is an alphabetical list of all 2017 Bravo! Award winners:
Mohammed Abella, Mathematics faculty
Sally Adler, Public Service Careers faculty
Beth Allen, Math, Science & Engineering faculty
Laurice Anderson, Performing Arts faculty
Ingrid Ankerson, Graphic Design/Media Arts faculty
Jennifer Baker, Digital Media Arts faculty
Rachel Barsch, Student Activities Supervisor
Debora Belcher, Public Service Careers/Apprenticeships faculty
Keisha Bell, Health Sciences faculty
Dennis Bila, Math, Science & Engineering faculty
Marvin Boluyt, Biology faculty
Starr Burke, Behavioral Science faculty
Cheryl Byrne, Business faculty
Robert Cameron, Business & Computer Technologies faculty
Kellie Carbone, Human, Social & Behavioral Science faculty
Julie Catanzarite, New Student Programming Manager
Linda Chapman, Human, Social & Behavioral Sciences faculty
Joseph Chiappetta, Business & Computer Technologies faculty
Joe Chu
Nagash Clarke, Chemistry faculty
Brad Clink, Welding faculty
Breege Concannon, Physical Sciences faculty
Jo Cooley, Math, Science & Engineering faculty
Joseph Daniel, Human, Social & Behavioral Sciences faculty
Allen Day, Auto Services faculty
Kristy DeCastro, Business & Computer Technologies faculty
Susan Dentel, Life Sciences faculty
Tom Diab, Math, Science & Engineering faculty
Danielle Douglas, Math, Science & Engineering faculty
Theresa Dubiel, Nursing faculty
James Egan, Mathematics faculty
Nancy Eggenberger, Human, Social & Behavioral Sciences faculty
Danielle Ensch-Joye, Human, Social & Behavioral Sciences faculty
Cheryl Finely, College Student Advisor/Student Services Case Manager
David Fitzpatrick, Social Sciences faculty
Sarah Flandorfer, Secretary to Performing Arts
Ernest Foley, Math, Science & Engineering faculty
Mark Foret, Math, Science & Engineering faculty
Elizabeth Foss, Human, Social & Behavioral Sciences faculty
Connie Foster, Radiography faculty
Allison Fournier, Humanities faculty
Andreia Gendera, Business & Computer Technologies faculty
Cassandra George Sturges, Psych/Education faculty
Mark Goins, custodian
Margaret Green, Basic Skills English faculty
Wanda Gunderson, Math, Science & Engineering faculty
Alan Hack, Motorcycle Service faculty
Robert Hagood, Physical Sciences faculty
Joan Harris, Biology faculty
Clarence Hasselbach, Computer Instruction faculty
Eric Haynes, Math, Science & Engineering faculty
Terri Herrera, Culinary Arts faculty
Mark Imasa, Human, Social & Behavioral Sciences faculty
Tracy Jaffe, Performing Arts faculty
Jill Jepsen, Arts faculty
Kimberly Jones, English faculty
Alexandria Judkins, Student Organizations Coordinator
Cara Jurado, Human, Social & Behavioral Sciences faculty
George Kapp, Physical Sciences faculty
Glenn Kay, Welding faculty
Sharareh Khosrovaneh, Math, Science & Engineering faculty
Stephen Kinnard, Business & Computer Technologies faculty
Anne Kozal, Math, Science & Engineering faculty
Heidi Kraepel, Student Services Support
Douglas Langs, Social Sciences faculty
David Lawrence, Mathematics faculty
Peter Leshkevich, Director of Student Development/Activities
Hava Levitt-Phillips, English/Writing faculty
James Lewis, Business & Computer Technologies faculty
Cristy Lindermann, Construction Tech faculty
Matthew Lucas, Supervisor of WCC Sports
Daniel Malott, Construction Institute faculty
Smita Malpani, Math, Science & Engineering faculty
Khaled Mansour, Computer Instruction faculty
John P. (Peter) Marshall, Human, Social & Behavioral Sciences faculty
Gayle Martin, Human, Social & Behavioral Sciences faculty
Bradley Metz, Biology faculty
James Miller, Human, Social & Behavioral Sciences faculty
Mimi Norwood, Behavioral Science faculty
David Nowak, Computer Information Systems faculty
Alan Orrick Math, Science & Engineering faculty
Visa Pawittranon, Math, Science & Engineering faculty
Dale Petty, Industrial Technology faculty
Sharyl Politi, Culinary Arts faculty
Nina Pu, Student General Fund
Michael Quail, Math, Science & Engineering faculty
William Reichert, Networking faculty
Nicholas Reszetar, Human, Social & Behavioral Sciences faculty
Robert Rhodes, Human, Social & Behavioral Sciences faculty
Melina Roberts, Nursing faculty
Namanja Rosic, Human, Social & Behavioral Sciences faculty
Calvert Roszell, Human, Social & Behavioral Sciences faculty
Joseph Rush, History faculty
Elise Sampson, Human, Social & Behavioral Sciences faculty
Gina Scherer, Student Services PT Counselor
Eric Schwab, Physical Science faculty
Tracy Schwab, Physical Sciences faculty
Scott Shaper, Business & Computer Technologies faculty
Cheryl Shepard, Math, Science & Engineering faculty
Kelly Shew, Business & Computer Technologies faculty
Michael Shute, Motorcycle Service faculty
Ayesha Siddiqui, Math, Science & Engineering faculty
James Skufis, Clinical Radiography faculty
Sue Smith, Human, Social & Behavioral Sciences faculty
Stuart Susnick, Human, Social & Behavioral Sciences faculty
Dale Swansey, Student Development Assistant
Larry Taylor, Math, Science & Engineering faculty
Justin Teague, Human, Social & Behavioral Sciences faculty
Bonnie Tew, Humanities faculty
Henry Townsend, Public Service Careers faculty
Ishaq Vaid, Math, Science & Engineering faculty
Randy Van Wagnen, Digital Media Arts faculty
Lawrence Voight, Psychology faculty
Doug Waters, Business faculty
Donald Werthmann, Digital Media Arts faculty
Gabriela Wilson, Health Sciences faculty
Joseph Wolkan, Math, Science & Engineering faculty
Matt Zacharias, Digital Media Arts faculty
Thomas Zimmerman, English/Composition faculty
Susanne Zoumbaris, Student Services Support