WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Awards were presented to noteworthy Pennsylvania College of Technology faculty and staff on May 11, among a number of long-established milestones as the 2022-23 academic year comes to a close.
President Michael J. Reed celebrated the honorees during an all-college meeting, held in the Klump Academic Center Auditorium and livestreamed.
Distinguished Teaching Awards
Distinguished Teaching Awards are presented to full-time faculty at Penn College who have been nominated by their students and colleagues for excellence in instruction. Including this year’s honorees, there have been 125 recipients since the program began in 1982: 34 Master Teacher Awards and 91 Excellence in Teaching Awards.
Four full-time faculty members received 2023 Excellence in Teaching Awards: Barbara K. Emert-Strouse, assistant professor of dental hygiene; Kenneth J. Kinley, assistant professor of electronics and computer engineering technology; Chris E. Kule, assistant professor of biology; and Mary T. Stout, assistant professor of physical therapist assistant.
Emert-Strouse is among the alumni members of Penn College’s faculty, having earned an associate degree in dental hygiene (1992) and a bachelor’s in dental hygiene: health policy & administration concentration (1998).
Comments from her nominators include:
- “Barb is constantly finding new ways for students to interact with and apply new information. She is skilled at developing patient-based activities for students to practice their skills.”
- “If you have a question or concern about any aspect of the program or her courses, you can always have honest and open communication. Barb lifts others up, both students and faculty. She encourages confidence and enhances self-esteem.”
Kinley, who had been an adjunct instructor since 1994, assumed full-time status in 2015. He is another of the college’s alumni faculty members, with credentials that include associate and bachelor’s degrees in electronics technology.
Among the comments from his nomination form:
- “Coming into the first year, I was struggling and was not sure if this was for me. Mr. Kinley had an open-door policy and was there when I needed any assistance. That gave me so much reassurance when I was entering this entire new chapter of my life. Finishing off my senior year, Mr. Kinley has never let my spirits down and has always been such a positive individual. I am entirely grateful that he is one of my professors.”
Kule holds a doctorate in cellular and molecular physiology from Penn State's College of Medicine and a bachelor's degree in biology from Penn State.
Among comments from his nominators:
- “While talking about more complex topics, he finds the ability to add helpful humor to encourage knowledge retention. The mnemonics and stories … that he shares are incredibly helpful.”
- “Anyone who sits in on one of his lectures can realize how much this material really means to him and how much he enjoys teaching about it. He holds a wealth of knowledge that he’s willing to share with all.”
Stout, who became the physical therapist assistant program’s first full-time faculty member in 2019, holds a doctorate in physical therapy from Shenandoah University and a bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Quinnipiac College.
Some of the comments from her nominators:
- “Mary has created an environment in the classroom and lab in which students feel comfortable learning, sharing experiences and rationalizing thoughts. She has devised many lab activities that foster learning of the material in a fun, but meaningful, way.”
- “Mary is like ‘the mother of the PTA program,’ and she is deeply invested in her students’ success, just like she would be of her own children.”