ECC announces 2024 NISOD Award winners

Elgin Community College selects six employees to receive the 2024 National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence Awards. The award recognizes outstanding faculty, staff, and administrators of community and technical colleges.

“The NISOD Excellence Awards recognizes employees who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment and contribution to their students and colleagues,” said Peggy Heinrich, EdD, vice president of teaching, learning, and student development. “ECC’s winners for the 2024 award represent a diverse combination of faculty, support staff, and administrators who have exhibited excellence, care, and a commitment to our students and college as a whole. They exemplify the best of ECC and help us achieve our ultimate mission of improving people’s lives through learning.”

The award winners include Sarah Buzzelli, academic advisor; Wendy Chen, grant manager for the recovery support specialist program; Chris Cunningham, instructor of mathematics; Juan Fernandez, director of art and design; Sean Jensen, assistant dean of college in high school programs; and Joshua Thusat, associate professor of English.

In February, these individuals will represent ECC at the League for Innovation in the Community College’s Innovations Conference or the NISOD International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence in May.

ECC also submits its NISOD recipients to receive the John and Suanne Roueche Excellence Award with the League for Innovation, which celebrates outstanding contributions and leadership by community college faculty and staff.