New Faculty and DL Facilitator at RCC Meet Enrollment Growth Challenge

Hamlet, NC - October 25, 2011

Enrollment at Richmond Community College has grown by over 1000 students in the last five years. This fall, eight new faculty members and a distance learning coordinator were added to meet the growing demands in the classrooms. They are wrapping up their first semester of instruction and say they like being part of the RCC family. Ian Allred, Dr. Pam Case, Tery Davis, Elgin Emanuel, Sharonda Ford, Toni Goodwin, Dr. Carlos Rodan, and David Townsend bring a wealth of experience to the classroom. Taylor McCaskill will assist them and other faculty with their technology needs for online instruction.

"We are excited to have started this semester with high caliber, student-centered, diverse faculty who are strong believers in the community college mission," said Vice President for Instruction Johnnie Simpson. "They quickly immersed themselves into the culture of the college and provided exceptional learning opportunities for our students. Their backgrounds and credentials provide strong support for ensuring that our accreditations are upheld. We look forward to many years of working with them."

Ian Allred

Ian Allred of Laurinburg earned his associate degree from RCC and his bachelor's degrees in mathematics and computer science and his master's degree in mathematics from UNC-Pembroke. He worked at the university for six years as a mathematics instructor and technology support technician. He teaches algebra, precalculus, and calculus at RCC.

"After teaching at UNCP, I feel I can prepare transfer students for their next level of study at a university. I also feel I can help those students going directly into the workforce reach their goals as well. Community colleges are in touch with the needs of their citizens and offer students courses designed to meet a variety of needs. I enjoy teaching here," he said.

Dr. Pam Case

Dr. Pam Case of Hamlet earned her bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in psychology from Florida Atlantic University. She taught at St. Andrews Presbyterian University for the past 16 years. She teaches general and developmental psychology at RCC.

"I am a long-time fan of community colleges and have done extensive coursework in community college curriculum and instruction. Prior to teaching at St. Andrews University, I taught as an adjunct and served as a guidance counselor at Palm Beach Community College South," she said.

Case has a passion for her students and for the discipline of psychology.

"Because psychology focuses on human behavior and relationships, it is valuable to all of our students," she said.

Tery Davis

Tery Davis of Ellerbe earned her bachelor's degree in business administration from Meredith College, her Early Childhood Education certification from UNC-Pembroke, and her master's degree in reading from UNC-Pembroke. She has taught in the classroom and in the Reading Recovery programs for Richmond and Moore County Schools. She has served as an adjunct faculty at RCC and currently teaches in the developmental reading program.

"I bring a great deal of enthusiasm to my position at RCC. Teaching young students has taught me that a positive attitude is contagious, so greeting each challenge with optimism is my goal. Because I have gained such a great deal of pleasure from reading, I hope I can help students gain the skills they need to make reading a joy. I want to facilitate learning - not just teach the facts - to increase comprehension. When students participate in their own learning, the results are much more positive and long lasting," said Davis.

Elgin Emanuel

Elgin Emanuel of Maxton earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in social studies education from UNC-Pembroke and his master's degree in school administration at UNC-Pembroke. He taught social studies at Purnell Swett High School for over 15 years and feels his background in public education is an asset, especially in working with students in the early college high school programs.

"Community colleges are the best places to work as an educator. Theoretically, students enrolled in a community college have set goals for themselves and are in the process of achieving those goals. I love assisting young people in becoming productive citizens. I especially love seeing the nontraditional student who enters my class with a high level of anxiety, fear of the unknown, and little self-confidence finish my class with a strong sense of achievement and success. At the end of each semester, it is a very gratifying feeling to see all of my students who have begun to believe that they belong in college," said Emanuel.

Sharonda Ford

Sharonda Ford of Rockingham earned her Associate Degree Nursing degree from RCC and her bachelor's of science degree in nursing from UNC-Greensboro. She is current pursuing a dual master's degree in nursing education and nursing administration at UNC-Charlotte.

"I'm proud to be able to work alongside of my mentors. I worked at Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro while I was getting my bachelor's degree and became a travel nurse after graduating. My first assignment was in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I worked at the University of New Mexico for almost two years. However, there is no place like home, and soon I was living my dream as an ICU nurse at First Health Moore Regional Hospital," said Ford.

After accepting a part-time clinical instructor position at RCC, Ford realized her true passion is teaching. She now is a member of the nursing faculty and welcomes all prospective nursing students to her classroom.

Toni Goodwin

Toni Goodwin of Rockingham earned her bachelor's degrees in music and math and her master's degree in business administration from UNC-Pembroke. She has further coursework at the University of Phoenix and Chadron State College. She worked in the purchasing departments at Morrison and Scotland Correctional Institutions before joining RCC as the purchasing agent in 2009. She has taught math at RCC as an adjunct instructor and now teaches math and heads the college's new math lab.

"I use the same concept in the math lab that I use in my classes; I will leave no student behind. I do not believe in giving up, nor do I believe that a student 'just can’t do it!' I think that if given the right encouragement, and with someone believing in them, students will eventually believe in themselves and become successful. I have seen it happen many times over the past six semesters," said Goodwin.

Taylor McCaskill

Taylor McCaskill of Pinehurst earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education from N.C. State University and her master's degree in instructional technology from East Carolina University. She is the distance learning coordinator and supports faculty in the use of Blackboard and other online instructional tools.

"My experience with distance learning and Instructional Technology coursework, along with my internship experience with Duplin County Schools, inspired me to seek a career in instructional design and educational program development. I was able to become familiar with many 21st century learning tools such as the SMART board, Google Apps for Education, learning management systems, iPod touch, iPad, and many Web 2.0 learning tools. With these tools, instructors and students are enabled to collaborate, communicate, problem solve, and enhance creative teaching and learning to adequately develop the needed skills for students to become successful and competitive professionals," said McCaskill.

Dr. Carlos Rodan

Dr. Carlos Rodan of Mooresville earned his bachelor's degree in physics from the Universidad del Valle in Columbia, South America. He earned a master's degree in physics from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. He earned his master's degree in radiological physics and his doctoral degree in physics from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. He taught physics several years at the University of Maine at Machias and was an adjunct physics instructor at two community colleges in Massachusetts for nearly 15 years. He teaches physics at RCC.

"I have a lifelong commitment to learning and a passion for teaching. My teaching experience includes physics, applied physics, astronomy, and mathematics. I am interested in enhancing RCC's physics lab and programs. I think community colleges are outstanding because they offer students a wide range of academic programs at a very low cost. They also accommodate students with a flexible class schedule they can fit around their own needs," said Rodan.

David Townsend

David Townsend of Laurinburg earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in English from UNC-Pembroke. He worked as a tutor at the UNC-Pembroke Writing Center before teaching at the high school level for Richmond and Scotland County Schools. He taught as an adjunct instructor at RCC before joining the English department.

"I am passionate about what I do. I am a lover of the English language, yes, but more than anything, I have a passion for teaching and helping members of our service area, as they embark on their respective journeys to better themselves and become productive members of society. While it is true that I teach English, more importantly, I teach students. I have a student-centered teaching philosophy, and at the end of the day, all roads lead to the student," said Townsend.

He said he is happy to be part of an institution that offers students a warm, inviting environment where they can learn, grow, and thrive.

"We do not adopt a 'one size fits all' approach to education and are fortunate enough to get to know our students not only as students, but as individuals as well. More than anything, the best thing about the community college is that everyone feels like one big family. It's a positive environment, and I am proud to be a member of the RCC team!" said Townsend.