Midland College recognizes faculty for teaching excellenceDecember 04, 2019

Midland College celebrated educators for their excellence in teaching at an awards luncheon held on Tuesday, December 3. Dr. Jaime Águila and Reynaldo Salgado were recognized as the 2020 Teaching Excellence winners. This award is presented to select faculty each year who have made significant contributions to the intellectual life of the college through innovation in the classroom and their commitment to students.

The following seven MC faculty members were recognized at the event:

• Dr. Jaime Águila, professor of History
• Melissa Boyce, associate professor of English
• Allison Brown, assistant professor of English
• Dr. Brian Flowers, assistant professor and chair of Engineering, Physics
• Dr. Denise Ross, professor of Nursing – Associate Degree
• Reynaldo Salgado, associate professor of Automotive Technology
• Marty Villarreal, professor of Information Technology

The 2020 Midland College Teaching Excellence Award winners are Dr. Jaime Águila, representing MC’s academic/transfer programs and Reynaldo Salgado, representing MC’s career/technical education programs.

Dr. Jaime Águila has been teaching at MC since 2016. He is a professor of History, receiving his MA in Ancient History from University of California, Davis and his Ph.D. from Arizona State University studying the Mexican Border.

“Jaime Águila is full of passion, energy and ideas,” said Dr. Frank de la O, dean of Social/Behavioral Sciences & Business. “He is not complacent in the classroom and continuously implements new ideas and strategies into his courses.”

“Once I could admit that I did not know everything, I became a more effective teacher for the benefit of my students,”​ said Águila.

Reynaldo Salgado joined the Midland College faculty in 2013. He brought with him extensive work experience in the automotive collision & repair industry and received an AAS degree in Automotive Technology from Midland College.

“From the start Rey showed a unique connection with his students and a true love of teaching,” said Curt Pervier, dean of the Applied Technology Division. “He connects with his students on many levels.”

“My desire as a teacher is to communicate effectively information to students and motivate them to learn and use their skills to their full capacity as an individual,” said Salgado. “When they leave my classroom, I hope they have a sense of accomplishment and are capable professionals in the industry.”

Photo:  Dr. Jaime Águila (left) and Reynaldo Salgado (right)