2020 Spring Awards: Staff and Faculty Awards

This year's Excellence in Education Award is going to two very separate people/groups who have been nominated for their outstanding work in leading college efforts in serving an underrepresented population and ensuring our education environment is safe for all. The recipients are Lisa Couch, and the champions of our Incarcerated Student Education Program (ISEP): Alec Griffin, Peter Fulks, Lisa Stephens, and Nicole Griffin.

Normally, Excellence in Education award nominees are well-kept local secrets whose contributions, while meaningful to those impacted by them, are felt in a somewhat limited scope close to home. But in this instance it feels like we are late to the party in recognizing the ISEP champions for developing this impactful and effective program.

Lisa Couch is being recognized for her work during and after the earthquakes. Lisa was the main point of contact in communicating the level of damage to the IWV college buildings. She coordinated tours and inspections with district, local, and state officials. Her level of detailed accounting was recognized by the Kern Community College District Board of Trustees and the California Community College Chancellor Office.

The coordination of all of the inspections to assess the damages to our facilities and tracking the repairs that were needed to reopen the buildings allowed students to return to classes and employees to return to work. Her diligence on this will provide reimbursement from state and federal agencies. During all of this work Lisa's primary goal was the safety of the students, staff and faculty of Cerro Coso. Without Lisa's leadership and project management skills displaying the required attention to detail the college would have struggled to start classes on schedule this fall.

"Hi, my name is Mary Piatt. I was proud to nominate Professor Bonner for Faculty of the Year because of his dedication to his students. I appreciated all the efforts he put into not only teaching, but also in communicating with us. While Calculus is not the easiest subject to explain over email, he did not hesitate to respond in a timely manner. No one could've predicted that the rest of the semester would've been online, but he did his best to make the transition as smooth as possible. He was very understanding in a time like this. Thank you for all that you've done, Professor Bonner. Your passion for teaching is shown through your actions, as well as the little things." —Mary Piatt

"Michael has accumulated a great set of resources, is always willing to provide assistance and actually makes math fun. He is one of the better teachers I have had."

"Professor Bonner truly cares about his students. He puts in a lot of effort into his classes and it shows in his teachings. He provides assistance outside of class which is much appreciated and while the subject is not always the easiest to understand, he tries his best to alleviate some of that pressure."

My name is Noa Lish and I would like to congratulate Professor Burch on receiving the Faculty of the Year award. He has always been incredibly supportive and generous with his time. Not only has Professor Burch consistently gone above and beyond for his students, but he has also been remarkably open to feedback, even seeking it out to better his classes. I cannot think of anyone else who is more deserving of this award. Congratulations again Professor Burch!

"Andrew is a phenomenal teacher. He is energetic, engaged, and strives to provide his students with the best possible experience. He is professional and knowledgeable but also relatable, making him an excellent microbiology professor!"

"My name is Jacob and I took Professor Griffin's Online Biological Anthropology class. He is one of my favorite teachers because he had in-depth videos that explored the different theories on how the world was created and why different species out survived other species. Professor Griffin also answered any questions I had which really prepared me for his tests. One of my favorite videos that he showed us was on depression. This video explained how we are generally more depressed than our ancestors due to our sedentary life. The speaker explained that to alleviate this we should go on walks with friends or family members as this will provide us with the necessary social interaction and physical activity that we need in our everyday lives. I also loved Professor Griffin's surfer hair as the class would not have been the same without it!" —Jacob Kelley

Hello, I nominated Jessica because of her commitment to our students. She always goes above and beyond to help students. If students have a problem that requires assistance, I point them in her direction because I know she will do everything in her power to make sure their needs are met. She also was instrumental in creating the veteran's club which helps students who have served our country and their families. Because of her hard work the club is part of a national organization that provides training and networking opportunities for students and faculty. We appreciate everything she does - congratulations!

Hello, my name is Paul Kuttig, and as the CC Classified Senate President, it is my privilege to present the three winners of the Classified Staff of the Year.

Candy Caine at IWV, Ridgecrest: Candy is always very dependable, always smiling, and is always willing to help. She always does her best to have a car available at any time. She always greets people who come through the door or who pass by her area while walking down the hallway.

Mike Barrett, at Eastern Sierra: Mike works tirelessly as the CSEA local chapter president and as a System Support Specialist II in IT for ESCC. He is always helpful and encouraging, and there aren't too many times when you won't see him without a smile and his mug of coffee.

ESCC's Classified Employee of the year is Mike Barrett.

He was unanimously recognized for his technical expertise, availability and responsiveness, great attitude, and mad barista skills! I'll also add that I appreciate his leadership skills among the classified staff and his ninja-like abilities in managing upward. Here's what the rest of the team said about Mike:

Mike is an amazing coworker that is rarely in a bad mood. He always has a smile, great laugh, and/or cup of coffee to share. Without complaint, he'll also help you dig your car out of the snow or fix your IT stuff when you break it. We're lucky to have him on our team.

Mike deserves the honor of being classified employee of the year because he always goes above and beyond. He engages with students, he has a cheery and pleasant demeanor- even when things are stressful, and he is always available no matter which campus he is on! High five Mike!!! We appreciate you!

Mike, is there when you need him whether he is on site where you are or not. He is magic, very helpful with everything you ask of him. No complaints, No frustrations. He is so even keeled and gets you up and running. Love it when I come in and the coffee is ready. When I ask him a question he is very honest and explains in detail.  He is a team player very positive and up lifting. Mike is a great co-worker and asset to ESCC.

Simply put, Mike is our ROCK! Friendly, Helpful, Involved and Caffeinated. He goes above and beyond every day!

So, thank you, Mike Barrett, from all of us for all you do at ESCC, including the coffee! Congratulations, we really appreciate you!

—Deanna Campbell