HONORS & AWARDS:

When the economy takes a downturn, the relationship between institutions of higher education and their local communities becomes more important than ever. That was the message delivered by Evan S. Dobelle, president of Westfield (Mass.) State College and former member of the New England Board of Higher Education, who announced the nation’s top 25 “Best Neighbor” colleges and universities, which is part of his “Saviors of Our Cities: Survey of Best College and University Civic Partnerships” project. Miami Dade College (MDC) was honored for a second time and is the only Florida institution and only community college in the nation to make the list. This year’s institutions were selected for their positive impact on their urban communities, including both commercial and residential activities, such as revitalization, cultural renewal, economics, and community service and development.

Awards presented at the Annual Conference of the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship in Chicago show the diversity of the organization and its mission to promote entrepreneurial education. Two entrepreneurs — both educated at community colleges — and a faculty member were recognized for their achievements. The two entrepreneurs who were honored illustrate how community colleges foster entrepreneurship that leads to business success for individuals and economic development for communities. The Entrepreneur of the Year Award was won by Noelia Urzula Vasquez, of Minneapolis, a student at Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount, Minn. In 1999, working with her husband, Enrique Garcia Salazar, Vazquez founded the La Loma Coffee Shop at Mercado Central, a Latin American marketplace that was just opening in Minneapolis. The shop quickly blossomed as the busiest business at the popular marketplace. The modest coffee shop evolved into La Loma Tamales, and sells as many as 2,500 tamales a day. The venture was only the beginning for the couple, who have gone on to found La Loma Mexican Restaurants at the Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis and Plaza Latina in St. Paul, a catering business, and a wholesale tamale business that serves more than 260 stores in Minnesota and plans to expand its sales nationwide. A Lifetime Achievement in Entrepreneurship Award was presented to John Pappajohn. Pappajohn is the driving force behind the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center at his alma mater, North Iowa Area Community College, as well as four other entrepreneurship centers at other schools around the state. To date, he has donated more than $15 million to these centers. At age 81, Pappajohn is still active and sponsors the New Venture and Iowa Business Plan Competitions, giving many new companies in Iowa a strong start.

Seven Daytona State College students and employees were honored this month for their life-saving response to emergency incidents as part of the Campus Safety Department’s annual Wall of Fame program. The incidents occurred on two consecutive days this past May, when two campus employees went into cardiac arrest. On both occasions, a mix of students and employees rushed to the aid of the victims and, through the administration of CPR and an automated external defibrillator (AED), revived each victim. Both have since recovered. An AED is an electronic device designed to deliver an electric shock to a victim of sudden cardiac arrest. AEDs are housed in a various buildings throughout Daytona State’s campuses, and were purchased a few years ago as part of a joint program with Volusia County made possible through a $500,000 U.S. Department of Education grant. The grant also provided training to 200 students on how to effectively use the AED. Four of the rescuers being honored next week went through that training. Those honored were Daytona State students Chris Cravotta, Jason Lewis, Andrew Selig and Jennifer Weaver. Employees honored were campus safety officers Richard Rosenthal and Gary Walsh, and Fitness Center Specialist John Tosi.

Three faculty members at HACC, central Pennsylvania’s community college, have received national recognition from the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) for their professional accomplishments. Honored with the NISOD Excellence in Teaching Award were Virginia Mickens, professor of nursing at the Harrisburg campus, and two Lancaster campus instructors: Irma Alicia Villarreal, associate professor of counseling and human development instructor; and Pamela C. Watkins, associate professor of mathematics. They represented HACC at NISOD’s annual International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence, held at the University of Texas, Austin. All were selected by a committee of HACC students, faculty and administrators for their commitment to students and teaching.

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