Four Mesa Community College faculty members have been selected to receive Thunderbird Endowed Teaching Chair awards.

Math Department faculty member Jennifer Caldwell and Exercise Science Faculty Chair Jennifer Fay were honored with the Drs. Ken and Rebecca Boren Endowed Teaching Chair Award consisting of $10,000 each and paid out over two years, according to a release.

Leanna Hall, Ph.D., English Department faculty member now serving as the interim dean of arts, humanities and social sciences, is the recipient of the MCC Residential Faculty Endowed Teaching Chair Award also consisting of $10,000 paid out over two years.

English adjunct faculty Jennifer Kady Stanton is the recipient of the MCC Adjunct and Short-Term Faculty Endowed Teaching Chair Award consisting of $2,000 paid out over two years.

“MCC is deeply committed to providing our students with an education of the highest quality,” MCC President Richard Daniel said in the release. “Our ongoing success stems from hiring the finest residential and adjunct faculty in the country who are dedicated, talented and share our vision of student success.”

A selection committee evaluated all nominations and submitted recommendations to an awarding committee which made the final selections. Criteria focused on the level of dedication, talent and shared goals demonstrated by the recipients in the classroom.

According to the committee, Caldwell was selected for her teaching philosophy that incorporates high standards, confidence and lifelong learning techniques for students to use outside her classroom. Fay was recognized for supporting students by leading with kindness, empathy, humility and courage and developing authentic learning experiences.

Hall’s commitment to helping students gain technology literacy by using gamification, emerging communication trends and generative artificial intelligence deeply impressed the committee as did Stanton for her encouragement to students to self-regulate their learning to improve student agency and self-efficacy.

The Boren award was established in 2014 and the MCC award was created in 2012.

“I am proud that these awards are available to honor our many accomplished faculty members who exemplify dedication, ingenuity, innovation and vision every day of the year and are at the core of what makes MCC a viable and respected institution in the community,” Daniel said in the release.