Two Wayne Community College faculty members have been honored with the college’s 19th set of “Distinguished Chair” awards.

Engineering and Manufacturing Instructor Steven Reese and English Instructor Deniz Tuck each received a trophy and a monetary prize to use for travel or professional development.

The Distinguished Chair awards recognize outstanding full-time curriculum faculty members who have distinguished themselves at the college and in the community. The awards are made possible by an annual gift to the Foundation of Wayne Community College by an anonymous donor.

“It is our pleasure to shine a light on the outstanding work being done at Wayne Community College,” said Foundation Executive Director Adrienne Northington.

Reese has been employed at WCC since the fall 2011. The nomination for the award stated that he approaches teaching “as a coach would a team,” values student engagement, and establishes strong, professional relationships.

In announcing the award, WCC President Patty Pfeiffer said that the college could count on Reese’s energy, “from innovating and growing his program, to managing relations with both high schools and universities, to making sure that the Bassin’ Bisons [a fishing club] and Camp Kilowatt [a summer camp for middle and high school students] keep running year after year.”

Tuck has taught at WCC since fall 2013. She is a WCC graduate who, according to Pfeiffer, “has a genuine concern for students’ welfare and she sets them at ease.”

Her colleagues complimented her classroom’s high-performance environment and her leadership ability, as well as her positive energy and generosity with coworkers.

Past recipients were: 2004 – Peggy Womble and Beth Hooks, 2005 – Cindy Archie and Gene Smith, 2006 – Faye Best and Rosalyn Lomax, 2007 – Kathryn Spicer and Rachel Hall, 2008 – Margaret Baddour and Charlotte Brow, 2009 – Craig Foucht and Phyllis Patterson, 2010 – Todd King and Anna Anaya-Vega, 2011 – Joanne McClave and Angela Wall, 2012 – Tammy Bishop and Fe Finch, 2013 – David Byrd and Janeil Marak, 2014 – Maureen Loomer and Chad Pate, 2015 – Katina Davis and Glenn Royster, 2016 – Paul Compton and Duane Everhart, 2017 – Angie Waller and Daniel Rollins, 2018 – Dr. Ernie White and Jennifer Johnson, 2019 – Billy Tart and LaRose Brock, 2020 – Dr. Brandon Jenkins and Bill Reboli, 2021 – Dr. Ryan Bradshaw and Missy Smiley.

The Foundation is a non-profit organization that works to promote and to broaden the base of community support for educational opportunities at Wayne Community College in Goldsboro. The Foundation provides scholarships for WCC students, funds for educational supplies and events that cannot be paid for with state money, and public cultural events at the college.