Chattanooga, TN --- The recipients of the 2013-14 Mathematics and Sciences Division Excellence Awards at Chattanooga State include Dr. Azar Raiszadeh, David Wollert, Janice Neal, Julie Franklin, and Carolyn Clark. Dr. Mosunmola George-Taylor, division dean, recently announced the award winners who were selected from a pool of nominees by members of the Division Excellence Award Committee.

Awarded the Full-Time Faculty Division Excellence Award in Mathematics, Dr. Azar Raiszadeh taught her assigned classes, coordinated two courses being taught as high school Bridge Math through the Seamless Alignment and Integrated Learning Support (SAILS) Tennessee initiative funded by Governor Haslam, and led the Math 1530 course for the Global Scholars program in Fall 2013. Incorporating hands-on life experiences made it more interesting and challenging to students. She and her team completed a grant proposal and received funding for a Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) course revitalization initiative.

David Wollert, winner of the Full-Time Faculty Division Excellence Award in Sciences, teaches microbiology and developed an online lecture version, extensively restructured Human Biology classes, coordinated TED Talk lunch sessions, and is a member of the College’s Fellows Committee and Technology Mobilization Committees. He co-chaired the Assessment In the Majors (AIM) Institutional Student Learning Outcomes (ISLO) assessment initiative last year and currently serves as one of two team leaders for AIM’s critical thinking group. As an instructor with very high positive student evaluation, his focus is on students.

Janice Neal is an outstanding adjunct instructor who was awarded the Adjunct Faculty Division Excellence Award in Mathematics. She works diligently with her students and is an effective tutor in the Mathematics Center. Her dedication to her students is clear in the way she teaches and interacts with them.

With a background as a medical technologist Julie Franklin joined the Microbiology team in the Life Sciences Department in Fall 2011. She brought years of clinical experience and a strong healthcare emphasis to lab instruction. Awarded the Adjunct Faculty Division Excellence Award in Sciences, she has improved student assessment and classroom work ethics, better organized materials to make them student-friendly, been reliable, accessible, and always prepared.

Awarded the Staff Division Excellence Award, Carolyn Clark serves as division secretary. She is often seen offering assistance to faculty and students in the office and hallways. Her outstanding customer service skills are apparent in the way she deals with faculty, staff, students, and visitors. In addition to her duties in the division she assists with activities and festivals around the campus as part of her College-wide service. Ms. Clark’s community service includes participating in women’s ministry and youth ministry at her church.

Dr. George-Taylor introduced the Mathematics and Sciences Division Excellence Awards in 2006. Annual winners each receive a plaque and restaurant gift card.

Founded in 1965, Chattanooga State is a public community college serving more than 11,000 students from Chattanooga and Hamilton, Rhea, Sequatchie, Marion, Bledsoe and Grundy counties.