Recognizing NMC excellence
TRAVERSE CITY — Northwestern Michigan College has recognized the following employees for excellence in the 2021-22 academic year:
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photo of Betsy BorisBetsy Boris, Imogene Wise Faculty Excellence Award: Chosen by a student selection committee, award criteria includes teaching excellence, rapport with students, innovation in the classroom and a sense of dedication. Comments about Boris, a nursing instructor, included: “Betsy goes above and beyond just teaching. She cares about each student and understands the anxiety we all face.” “She does an amazing job explaining concepts and providing examples of real-world practical application.” “She is very responsive to inquiries and invests time in helping students identify solutions to issues." Initiated by a contribution from longtime NMC benefactors Harold and Imogene Wise in 1970, the award was first made to a full-time faculty member in 1971.
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photo of Lindsey DickinsonLindsey Dickinson, Staff Excellence Award: Nominated by her peers, Dickinson is director of Academic and Career Advising. Several nominators mentioned it’s hard to focus on her work only this year, since Dickinson has such a long and impressive track record, including graduating from NMC. She was described as “one of those key people who is somehow a part of everything important going on at the college,” “one of the strongest advocates for NMC that I’ve witnessed,” and “engaged at every level. She is constantly transforming lives and enriching our community.”
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photo of Cary GodwinCary Godwin, Adjunct Faculty Excellence Award: Chosen by a student selection committee, award criteria includes teaching excellence, rapport with students, innovation in the classroom and a sense of dedication. Comments about Godwin, an adjunct instructor for the Great Lakes Maritime Academy, included: “Commander Godwin’s teaching methods are an excellent example of his dedication to student learning. The school is very lucky to have him.” “He builds a trust with his students that allows us to learn by trying, failing, and trying again because we know Commander Godwin has our back.” The award was created in 1999 as a companion to the Imogene Wise Faculty Excellence Award.
T/S State of Michigan/GLMA team, Team Excellence Award: Nominated by peers, the team was commended for its student-centered response to a mechanical failure on the training ship in May 2021. The State of Michigan had to be towed from the Detroit River to a Toledo shipyard and spent 8 weeks awaiting repairs. It could have delayed graduation, and the careers, of 50 Great Lakes Maritime Academy cadets. Instead, the team of John Biolchini, Martin Hughes, Scott Powell, Karl Schroeder, Steph Sedlacek, Chuck Miller, Sue Lieblein, Ben Minor, Sue Denoyer, Judy Druskovich, Tim Dayton and Karen Ford snapped into action, shifting all cadets to commercial ships or other maritime academy ships so they could earn their required sea time and graduate on time. The team also insured that all $1.5 million in costs, from cadet travel to State of Michigan repairs, were covered by the federal government’s Maritime Administration.
Release date: MAY 24, 2022
For more information:
Diana Fairbanks
Associate Vice President of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications
dfairbanks@nmc.edu
(231) 995-1019