During a recent meeting of the Board of Trustees at Prairie State College, faculty members (from left) Dr. Justin Pariseau, Dr. Angela Hung and Matthew Steele were awarded tenure, effective August 2017.
CHICAGO HEIGHTS–(ENEWSPF)–March 10, 2017. Prairie State College (PSC) announced at a recent Board of Trustees meeting that three faculty members had met the college’s expectations for tenure, including commitment to student success, collaboration with their peers and dedication to the college’s mission and core values.
Receiving tenure, effective August 2017, are Dr. Angela Hung, assistant professor of biology; Dr. Justin Pariseau, assistant professor of history; and Matthew Robert Steele, assistant professor of library and distance education.
Hung joined the PSC full-time faculty in 2014. She had previously worked at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque as a scientific researcher, teaching assistant, an instructor in the STEM Student Seminar – Learning Chemistry to Pursue Biology, and a curriculum developer in the STEM Academies. She has a B.A. in Biology from New College of Florida in Sarasota and a Ph.D. in Biology from the University of New Mexico. At PSC, Hung has been active with the Student Veterans Center, college sustainability efforts, the STEM Club, and the Faculty Senate. She recently took the lead in creating a living space with the PSC biology labs by cultivating terrariums and aquatic fish communities. She incorporates them into her lectures, discussions and lab activities.
Pariseau joined the adjunct faculty at PSC in 2008, and joined the full-time faculty in 2014. Prior to coming to PSC, he had served as a teaching assistant and teaching fellow at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg Va. Pariseau has a B.A. in History from Boston College, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in History from the College of William and Mary. At PSC, Pariseau represents the Social Science Department on the Curriculum Committee. He also is faculty advisor to Phi Theta Kappa, and coordinator of the federally mandated commemoration of the U.S. Constitution Day. Pariseau helped develop and coordinate the Joint Honor Society Induction Ceremony and provides continuous service to the community at area libraries and many other charitable organizations.
Steele joined the adjunct faculty at PSC in 2009, and joined the full-time faculty in 2014. He had previously worked as an assistant librarian at Saint Xavier University in Chicago, and then as adult services assistant at the Brookfield Public Library in Brookfield. He has a A.A. from Illinois Valley Community College in Peru, Ill.; a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and a Masters of Library and Information Science from Dominican University in River Forest. At PSC, Steele is chair of his department, represents the library on the Assessment Council and was recently appointed co-chair of the council. He also continues to provide service to the community, working to perform partnerships with community libraries to deliver college programming at the local level.
Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty Dr. Marie Hansel says Hung, Pariseau and Steele were selected from a highly qualified pool of candidates during the hiring process, and were mentored and tested to fitness by the tenure process, which includes review by a peer committee of tenured faculty, student evaluations and deans’ reviews, and classroom visits. Prior to being awarded tenure, the faculty candidates also prepare an extensive teaching portfolio.
“PSC only tenures outstanding and exceptional faculty members because of our tenure process,” Hansel said. “Among community colleges, the PSC tenure process is gold standard. I am very proud of the achievement of tenure by these faculty members,” she added.
PSC President Dr. Terri L. Winfree said, “we are truly fortunate to have such a great group of faculty join the tenure ranks at Prairie State College. I am impressed with the high level of professionalism and expertise that this group brings to the classroom. Our students benefit by learning from these highly esteemed professors.”
Source: http://prairiestate.edu
