FORT WORTH — Tarrant County College employees and students nominated 90. That was easy. Picking one for each of the inaugural Chancellor’s Faculty Awards was not.
That’s why the College turned the annual Chancellor’s Award for Exemplary Teaching, created in 1986, into five new honors: the Chancellor’s Distinguished Faculty Award, the Chancellor’s Outstanding Teaching Award, the Chancellor’s Innovation Award, the Chancellor’s Outstanding Service Award and the Chancellor’s Adjunct Faculty Success Award.
“TCC is blessed to have amazing faculty with a heart for learning and a steady commitment to our students and community,” said TCC Chancellor Elva LeBlanc. “One award is simply not enough. Five are better, but still, all faculty members deserve huge applause.”
Full-time and adjunct faculty, across credit and noncredit programs, were eligible for the 2024 awards, which were announced last Friday by Provost Shelley Pearson at the Chancellor’s Employee Celebration.
This year’s honorees:
Chancellor’s Distinguished Faculty Award — Dr. Betty Dulam-Banawa
Recognizes a full-time faculty member for excellence in teaching, service, innovation and leadership. Mathematics Associate Professor Betty Dulam-Banawa’s classes are known for their innovative active learning and project-based opportunities. They increase student engagement and deepen mathematics understanding. Dr. Dulam-Banawa sponsors the Mu Alpha Theta mathematics honor society and the Math Club, and she helps coordinate the annual Jim Bolen Math Competition. She earned her doctorate in mathematics from the University of the Philippines Diliman.
Chancellor’s Outstanding Teaching Award — Dr. Olena Shevchenko
Acknowledges excellence in teaching by an adjunct or embedded faculty member. Mathematics Professor Olena Shevchenko is devoted to strengthening the math skills of all students, regardless of age, her nominator wrote. Dr. Shevchenko served as Mathematics Department cochair in 2015-18. She earned her doctorate in applied mathematics from the University of Maryland Baltimore County.
Chancellor’s Innovation Award — Dr. Amber Meyers
Celebrates excellence in the creation of a superior project or activity that supports teaching and learning and improves program awareness. Speech Instructor Amber Meyers is committed to reaching the untapped and invisible workforce of the autism community. In the classroom she shares research and success stories to match employer needs to a highly skilled but underutilized talent pool. She sponsors the Neurodivergent Social Club, which provides academic and emotional support to students. Dr. Meyers earned her PhD in educational leadership from the University of North Texas.
Chancellor’s Outstanding Service Award — Dr. Dorothy “Tina” Jenkins
Honors excellence in institutional, professional and/or community service by a full-time faculty member. Psychology Professor Tina Jenkins serves as project manager/liaison for Visions Unlimited, a program that works with local shelters to help people who are homeless transition to self-sufficiency and earn a higher education. Dr. Jenkins serves on the Women’s Center Board of Directors. She holds a doctorate in psychology from Capella University.
Chancellor’s Adjunct Faculty Success Award — Lingchia Tsai
Recognizes excellence in teaching by an adjunct or embedded faculty member. Art Adjunct Professor Lingchia Tsai loves outside-the-box art experiences designed to promote engagement and understanding. She is known for leveraging projects that support colleagues and has brought numerous visiting artists to TCC. She earned a master’s degree in painting from the San Francisco Art Institute.
Top Photo Caption: Provost Shelley Pearson
Tarrant County College is one of the nation’s largest higher education institutions and boasts the second lowest tuition of Texas’ Top 10 community colleges. A comprehensive two-year college with six campuses in Tarrant County and online classes, TCC offers a range of opportunities for learners of all ages and backgrounds, including Associate of Arts and Associate of Applied Science degrees; workforce and economic development programs; technical and skilled trades programs; and customized training for area businesses and corporations.