2018 Regional Faculty Member for the Southern Region by the Association of Community College Trustees
Ashley Hagler, SPARC Director, Director of Undergraduate Research, and Biology Instructor at Gaston College, has been recognized by the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) as the winner of the 2018 Regional Faculty Member Award for the Southern Region. ACCT is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit educational organization that promotes advocacy of the nation’s community college system.
According to the organization’s website, ACCT’s Regional Awards recognize tremendous contributions made by community colleges and their leaders to meet the needs of their communities. “Community colleges are one of our country’s national treasures, offering affordable, high-quality higher education for all American people,” said Emily Yim, ACCT Chair and Edmonds Community College Trustee. “Regional ACCT awardees represent the most outstanding people and programs from throughout the United States.”
“I am extremely honored to receive this award,” said Hagler. “I work with so many who often go above and beyond and are truly outstanding in their own right, that I am overwhelmed my colleagues think so highly of me. Nothing I do is in a vacuum. Everything I do is as a member of an exceptional team that continually supports me and my ambitious ideas and goals. I hope I can continue to be an educator who is deserving of their praise.”
Hagler, who began teaching Biology at Gaston College in 2007, has been a positive influence on the school’s Arts and Science division. She coordinates the award-winning SPARC initiative, which gives students the opportunity for hands-on STEM instruction, she spearheaded the Science Department through the process of PULSE (Partnership for Undergraduate Life Science Education) certification for its Life Science curriculum, and she was a key member of the team that in 2016 won the prestigious Bellwether Award for innovative programs.
Also in 2016, Hagler was the winner of the Faculty Excellence Award at Gaston College. Subsequent to that award, she received the 2017 Excellence in Teaching Award from the N.C. State Board of Community Colleges. That award provides statewide recognition of faculty members who exemplify the highest quality and standards of instruction throughout the N.C. Community College System.
“Ashley inspires excellence in all she encounters,” said Dr. Melissa Armstrong, Chair of the Gaston College Department of Math and Science. “As her friend and her supervisor, I am proud that her dedication to education and her hard work have been rewarded once again. She is so deserving of this recognition.”
ACCT also announced regional winners in the following categories: Trustee Leadership, Regional Equity, Regional Chief Executive Officer, and Regional Professional Board Staff. ACCT President and CEO J. Noah Brown said, “The 2018 awardees reflect the extraordinary commitments and accomplishments of the people who dedicate their lives to helping students succeed. Congratulations to all of this year’s award recipients.”
Individuals and colleges recognized at the regional level will contend for national-level recognition. Hagler is vying for the 2018 William H. Meardy Faculty Member Award. Award recipients in each category will be announced during the Annual ACCT Awards Gala on Friday, October 26, at the New York Marriott Marquis, in conjunction with the 49th Annual ACCT Leadership Congress.