Skip to main content

SLCC Honors Three with “Teaching Excellence” Awards

Salt Lake Community College this year honored Celestina Punzalan, Kati Lewis and Walter Cunningham with Teaching Excellence awards in conjunction with its 2015 Commencement events.

Celestina Punzalan

Punzalan has taught at Salt Lake Community College more than 20 years, having co-written several books, including one about fractions that is still revered and used by fellow faculty. Math instructor Rosemary Jamieson wrote about using one of the books Punzalan helped author, “I have taught elementary algebra many, many times in my career and used a variety of textbooks over 40 years. This particular one is by far the best because of its simple presentation and straightforward approach.” Punzalan says she teaches her classes with enthusiasm, love, and patience, promoting a classroom atmosphere conducive to learning through fairness, understanding of students’ individual differences, and development of mutual respect. She injects humor into the lectures and class discussions to allay the students’ usual fear of math. She gives students her home phone number so they can call her with questions on weekends. She makes herself available to students who struggle several times during the day outside of normal office hours.

Kati Lewis

 Lewis has been called gifted, caring, creative, inspiring, wise and “theologically adept, but getting more out of her students is something that truly defines who she is as an English and history instructor at Salt Lake Community College. As Lewis puts it, “I believe in high expectations for students, and I want them to hold me to the same expectations. I also hold the same standards for myself in my interactions and collaborations with colleagues.” Her students are grateful for the expectations Lewis puts on them and the extra help she gives to live up to those demands. “Kati offered to meet with me on a Saturday morning in the library at the college. She sat with me for over two hours and went through every question on the midterm, one by one, in order to help me gain understanding,” said former student Elizabeth Henline. Other students have praised Lewis for seeing things with a “fresh eye” and figuring out different ways to engage students.

Walter Cunningham


Known as an innovator and leader in his field of study, Cunningham began surveying land in Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula in 1966 when he was only 13. He saved money for college by working on the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in mapping from BYU in 1988. As an instructor he tried out “flipped” classrooms – whereby students learn content at home and use class time for homework with the help of the instructor and students – before it was popular. His role at Salt Lake Community College began in 1994 as an adjunct instructor, and in 2004 he accepted a full-time position at SLCC, eventually taking on the role of coordinator over the institution’s Surveying and Geomatics program. Cunningham’s colleagues are struck by the enthusiasm he has about education and for his students and the love, fire, and passion he has for his program and his students. School of Science, Mathematics and Engineering Interim Dean Craig Caldwell said, “It is clear that Walter brings a passion for his field to his work. He cares deeply about the history, practice, applications, and on-going need for professionals to work in surveying. This shows clearly in how he articulates the needs for both students and employers who work in this field.”

Comments

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

SLCC's Undergraduate Annual Research Conference Registration Deadline

Salt Lake Community College’s annual Undergraduate Projects, Performances, Presentations, and Research Conference (UP3RC) is set to take place on April 2, at the Taylorsville Redwood Campus, offering students a chance to showcase their academic achievements, fostering a culture of intellectual exchange.  The UP3RC is an annual event designed to celebrate and highlight the academic accomplishments of undergraduate students. It provides a supportive environment for students to share their work, hone their presentations skills, receive constructive feedback, and engage in meaningful discussions with their peers and faculty. All SLCC departments and programs, including faculty and staff, are encouraged to support and visit the day of the event. Students with their poster from last year's UPRC event “The goal of this event is to make sure every school and student is given the opportunity to participate,” says Dr. Kamal Bewar, interim director of the STEM Learning Center, who is chairin

SLCC Business School is Utah’s First to be Named Exclusively After a Woman

Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) proudly announces a partnership with the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation to modernize its Business Building and transform its School of Business. The improvements are made possible through a generous $10 million gift from the Miller Family Foundation and Gail Miller, the largest-ever single cash donation received by the college.  SLCC is renaming its Business Building the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Business Building in honor of the Miller family’s legacy and contributions to the community. The business school will be named the Gail Miller School of Business in recognition of the strong business acumen Gail Miller displays as a community leader and as the owner and immediate past chair of the Larry H. Miller Company. This name change will make SLCC home to the only business school in Utah and one of only a few in the country to be named exclusively after a woman.  “We are deeply humbled by the generosity of Gail and the Miller fam

You’re Invited to A Party! Open House Kicks off New Herriman Campus

  Complimentary food truck fare, live music, and family activities spotlight new campus.   There’s something for everyone at the upcoming Herriman Campus Community Open House on Friday, August 4 (3:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.). See schedule below.   The public is invited to celebrate the opening of this new campus with festivities that include free local food truck fare, live music, and a Mocktail Mixer, where you can mingle with others, including Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) and University of Utah (U of U) faculty.   Families with kids can engage in face painting and a craft station, see the Super Mario Brothers movie, and high-five mascots Brutus, Swoop and Yeti.   This is an opportunity to have some summer fun for all ages and to check out the Juniper building on the new 88-acre SLCC Herriman campus.    At the open house, prospective students and their families can meet SLCC and U of U faculty and staff, take a tour the building, or even check out the Application & Transfer Lab a