Each year, the Parkland College Teaching Excellence Award is presented to a full- or part-time faculty member who is doing an exceptional job delivering their course content, engaging students in learning, and continuing to grow through professional development activities.
The recipient of the Parkland Teaching Excellence Award is named each fall. The awarding process involves being nominated for the award, department chair endorsement, the submission of materials that address the established criteria, and the evaluation of the materials by the PCA Professional Development Subcommittee for Faculty.
The benefits for the award recipient include:
- $1,000 for professional development
- registration to a national teaching and learning conference (to be determined by the College)
- recognition at commencement and at a Parkland College Board of Trustees meeting
2023 Parkland Teaching Excellence Award Recipient
Dr. C. Britt Carlson
A professor of
chemistry and member of the Natural Sciences full-time faculty since 2013, Britt’s
impressive list of activities includes serving as the principal investigator of
two National Science Foundation grants; the development and implementation of
Parkland Science Scholar Seminar, a 4-semester series; and the development and
implementation of course-based research experience for General Chemistry I,
which involved the creation of 12 laboratory protocols. She is also the
founding advisor of the Parkland Science Club, and she is a six-year member of
the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI) biology major panel.
Britt is
committed to engaging students from diverse backgrounds in science scholarship
and career exploration, and she seeks to create opportunities in and out of the
classroom that provide relevant, inclusive experiences.
About Britt, a
colleague wrote:
“Dr. Carlson’s
commitment to her students can be highlighted by the innovative opportunities
she provides to her students. During the pandemic, when most instructors were
just trying to stay afloat, Dr. Carlson used that opportunity to redesign her
laboratory experiences. As a result, she currently provides students with a
Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experience (CUREs). CUREs are known to help
close the achievement gap by providing students with experience that promote
critical thinking, cohort building, and relevance. She created this initiative
from scratch, focusing on soil, a theme relevant to most students in the area.
The development and implementation of this initiative shows her innovative
mind, and commitment to provide cutting-edge education.”