Adjunct of the Year Recipients
2012 - Mrs. Agnes Tirrito
Agnes Tirrito is a Master Teacher for fourth grade at the Texarkana Independent School District’s Professional Development School, where she also mentors teacher interns. She is an adjunct faculty member at Texas A & M University-Texarkana where she teaches classes in English, Elementary Education, and Special Education. She has 29 years of teaching experience in grades one, two, three, four, and special education and has been an adjunct faculty member at TAMU-T since 2001. Mrs. Tirrito has presented workshops in the areas of writing, reading, math, and the arts at the campus, district, and regional level as well as for the university. She is the recipient of several educational grants. She was the 2002-03 Regional VIII Teacher of the Year in Texas.
2013 - Ms. Michelle Giles
Michelle Giles is a Lecturer in Curriculum & Instruction and Educational Technology at University of Houston – Clear Lake. Before starting full time this Fall she worked as an adjunct for eight years with the university. She teaches undergraduate courses in instructional technology. Ms. Giles has designed, developed and taught several courses, including the following: Survey of Instructional Technology and eLearning. Ms. Giles has worked with many faculty members on design and development of online and web-enhanced courses in her previous job at University of St. Thomas. Ms. Giles has a Master of Science degree in Instructional Technology and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. At present Ms. Giles is currently working on her Ph.D. in Educational Computing at the University of North Texas. Her current interest in research includes recruitment and retention of online faculty and students, learning styles and the effects on distance education, and the use of mobile technology and educational applications.
2014 - Dr. Vimlarani Chopra
Dr. Vimlarani Chopra has taught a number of courses in biology, microbiology, endocrinology, pathobiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, and biotechnology at Mumbai University, India, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, University of Houston, Downtown, and various Community Colleges for last 30 years. She received her doctorate in Microbiology from The Bombay University in 1982 and conducted her postdoctoral research at Kurume University, Japan, and MD Anderson Cancer Center. An excellent writer, teacher as well as researcher, she had funding from various national organizations including NASA, ATP, NSBRI, etc. and has worked in various capacities in her research career. She has been invited by various organizations and Universities to give talks in Biotechnology, Bioastronautics, and Nanotechnology in US and abroad, including International Space University, France in the fields of tumor biology, microbiology, space biology, biotechnology and nanotechnology. Since 2005 she has been teaching biological sciences (BIOL 1308, 1311, 1322, 1406, 1407, 2305, 2401, 2420) at various Community Colleges as Adjunct Faculty. She has been an active member of the scientific and educational community, with memberships in a number of professional organizations. As a biology instructor at the community college, she believes that all students should develop "biology literacy". Her objective is to provide students with a solid background so they may continue their studies in biology or health-related fields. Dr. Chopra is dedicated to bridging the gap between the academic and business worlds and continuing her educational endeavors.
2015 - 2016 = Dr. Shaan Shahabuddin
Shaan Shahabuddin is an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Blinn College and has been teaching part-time since August 2014. He received his B.S. in Psychology from Texas A&M University, his M.A in Psychology from Stephen F. Austin State University, and is currently pursuing his PhD in Agricultural Leadership from Texas A&M University. He currently serves as a voluntary faculty advisor for the Psychology Club at Blinn College and also assists in mentoring undergraduate students with research projects. Shaan plans to receive his Ph.D. in 2017 and intends to acquire a job as an Assistant Professor.
2017 - Dr. Remberto Jimenez
Remberto Jimenez is an Adjunct Associate Professor at Mildred Elley in New York. He has been a member of their faculty since 2012 teaching courses on Quantitative Literacy, Principals of Digital Literacy, Freshman Seminar, and Career Counseling among others. He received his B.A. in Mathematics from New Jersey City University, a M.A. in Educational Communication and Technology from New York University, a Post-Masters Certificate in Educational Technology/Digital Media for the Design of Learning from New York University, and he is currently pursuing his PhD in Educational Technology Leadership from New Jersey City University. Rem is currently the Manager of Learning and Development at Clear Channel Outdoor.
2019 - Dr. Lonzetta Smith-Allen
Dr. Smith-Allen is an adjunct instructor of Psychology at Hill College. The following is an excerpt from her nomination letter: "She has great knowledge of the subject matter content, verbalizes the message well, facilitates, and is a great listener to the students. Her students all highly participate in her classes during the semester through power point presentations and other engagement-oriented activities. Dr. Allen is a very caring person who gets to know the individual students and helps them in discovering themselves as to their strengths and personality traits. She helps them as people, and is always there for them. If there is a way she can personally help someone, she always does, yet never fails to not violate the instructor-student relationship.
Dr. Allen is a very active church member, is heavily involved with the Alumni Association at Wylie College in Marshall, Texas, and works with high school age youth in connecting them on university visits, as they try to find out what will be the best situation for them, both academically and scholarship-wise. Dr. Allen always welcomes opportunities to learn and improve herself as an Instructor. She has been a long-time member of the Everman, Texas ISD School Board. She is a wonderful, caring human being who is grounded with a high moral make-up. I can't think of a more deserving person to get an award such as this.”
Dr. Allen is a very active church member, is heavily involved with the Alumni Association at Wylie College in Marshall, Texas, and works with high school age youth in connecting them on university visits, as they try to find out what will be the best situation for them, both academically and scholarship-wise. Dr. Allen always welcomes opportunities to learn and improve herself as an Instructor. She has been a long-time member of the Everman, Texas ISD School Board. She is a wonderful, caring human being who is grounded with a high moral make-up. I can't think of a more deserving person to get an award such as this.”