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Hinkle wins regional faculty award
Photos and story by James Hill
Building Trades Instructor Spencer Hinkle has been named the 2007 Pacific Region Faculty Award winner through the Association of Community College Trustees.
Hinkle, who is one of five regional winners across the nation, was honored in September for his achievement at the ACCT’s annual Community College Leadership Congress in San Diego, Calif. Hinkle was nominated by the PCC Board of Directors.
“Students love having Spencer as a teacher and his co-workers enjoy collaborating with him,” said Jaime Lim, PCC Board Director. “But not only is Spencer an excellent teacher and colleague, he is also an innovator.”
Hinkle is the department chair of PCC’s Building Construction Technology program and has been a PCC faculty member for 27 years. His ability to develop community-oriented programs for students is a big reason he won the award. Hinkle said he was stunned about his recent honor.
“It was great to be recognized by the PCC Board of Trustees,” Hinkle said. “One of the great things about getting this award was that I had the chance to spend time with and get to know our board (in San Diego).”
For the past three years, Hinkle has served as the principal investigator for a $700,000-plus National Science Foundation grant, “Framing Student Success,” which aims to strengthen math, science and writing skills among high school students through hands-on instruction in construction technology.
He is a founding committee member of the PCC Foundation’s annual golf tournament, which nets more than $65,000 each year for student scholarships. Hinkle has been instrumental in gaining the financial sponsorship of many construction firms in the Portland area for the tournament. He also has traveled to Mississippi, where he led several students in a serving learning experience rebuilding housing for Hurricane Katrina survivors.
Hinkle has received several awards in recognition of his skills and leadership, including the PCC Faculty/Staff Excellence Award and the Educator of the Year Award from the Oregon Building Congress (the educational arm of the Oregon construction industry). Just last year, he was honored with the Gordon Galbraith Award, an award given by faculty and staff at the Rock Creek Campus for outstanding service to students and community.
“It is nice to be recognized for the work you do for students and the college,” Hinkle said.
ACCT is a nonprofit educational organization of governing boards, representing more than 6,500 elected and appointed board members who govern more than 1,200 community, technical and junior colleges in the United States.
PCC wins national ACCT Equity Award
Also, the PCC Board of Directors and District President Preston Pulliams were honored with the Charles Kennedy Equity Award at this conference. They were recognized for having set the tone for the entire college in assuring the enhancement and expansion of opportunities for women and minorities.
At the district level, the Board has made diversity one of its seven goals and is one of six key areas of the college’s strategic planning – the Educational Master Plan. Diversity is one of five key goals of the district president and the college’s Grants Office makes it a priority to procure funding that helps increase access and success to under-represented populations.
Related Pages
College Diversity Statement, About PCC
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »