The Kansas Independent College Association (KICA) has announced the selection of 18 college faculty members to receive KICA's inaugural Faculty of Distinction Award.  The honorees will be recognized at a workshop and award luncheon at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library on Oct. 21.

Tamara McEwen, assistant professor of biology at Southwestern College, was selected as one of the recipients.

The KICA Faculty of Distinction program celebrates excellence and achievement among faculty at the accredited private colleges and universities in Kansas.  Throughout their existence, these colleges, which include the oldest colleges in Kansas, have emphasized the importance of classroom teaching, personal attention to each and every student, and a commitment to character, values, and learning through every facet of their graduates’ lives. The 2014 KICA Faculty of Distinction honorees are exemplars of this approach to college education and serve as models for educators everywhere.

“It’s inspiring to know these faculty and see how they live the mission of our independent colleges,” said Matt Lindsey, president of the KICA. “A common thread we saw among them is their gift for balancing a commitment to hold each student accountable for real, meaningful learning and a strong sense of empathy for the value of each student as an individual. Or as one nominee was described, ‘they have the ability to facilitate greatness in our students.’”

McEwen began at Southwestern College in August of 2011. She earned her Ph.D. in molecular biology and immunology at the University of Missouri.  Prior to earning her degree McEwen taught high school biology at Altoona-Midway High School in Buffalo, Kan., and spent her summers teaching for Pittsburg State University and Neosho County Community College.  

Faculty of Distinction honorees are nominated by the Chief Academic Officer of each KICA member institution. This year’s recipients encompass multiple disciplines, including the natural sciences, business, history, and theology, as well as auto restoration, music, and others.They include departmental chairs, individuals who teach and contribute to student life and athletics, and adjunct instructors who are practicing professionals in their chosen field.

“Tammy is a remarkably gifted teacher with an incredible knack for making science accessible to the students,” says Andy Sheppard, provost at Southwestern.  “Her work is unrivaled and she is deserving of this award.

For more information, or with questions about this program, please contact Lindsey or call (785) 235-9877.