Midland College recognizes teaching excellenceJanuary 29, 2018

“For the past 46 years, Midland College has been successful because of its faculty” said college President Dr. Steve Thomas.  “Thank you for being teachers!”

Thomas delivered those words on Tuesday, January 9, at Midland College’s (MC) annual Teaching Excellence Awards luncheon in the Scharbauer Student Center Carrasco Room on the main MC campus. 

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

• Allison Brown, Instructor, English
• Derek Gasch, Department Chair, Manufacturing Services
• Dr. Todd Houck, Professor, History
• Doug Johnson, Department Chair, Business
• Meredith Martin, Instructor, Speech
• Dr. Miranda Poage, Department Chair, Biology
• Raquel Segovia, Professor, Business Systems
• Dagan Sherman, Assistant Professor, Art

The 2018 Midland College Teaching Excellence Award winners are Derek Gasch (pictured at left), representing MC’s career/technical programs and Dagan Sherman (pictured at right), representing MC’s academic/transfer programs. 

Derek Gasch began taking classes at MC when he graduated from Greenwood High School in 2000. He started working in the Computer Graphics department as a part-time lab assistant in 2003 and then joined the Computer Graphics faculty in 2009. Gash is responsible for establishing MC’s Idea Factory, a technology learning space that allows students the opportunity to collaborate, tinker, learn, design and make projects using a variety of tools and materials. Gasch has an Associate of Applied Science degree in Computer Graphics Technology from MC and a Bachelor of Applied Arts & Sciences degree from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin (UTPB). He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Business Administration from UTPB.

Dagan Sherman has been teaching art at MC since 2010.  One of his first responsibilities was to renovate MC’s printmaking lab into a state-of-the-art facility.  He sponsors the MC art club and promotes fine arts throughout the community through his volunteer activities.  He consistently receives high ratings from students on course evaluations.  Sherman holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Fort Hays State University and a Master of Fine Arts degree from Wichita State University. 

Gasch and Sherman received a cash honorarium and an individual plaque.  Their names are also permanently displayed in the Pevehouse Administration Building with the names of winners from previous years.  They will represent MC at the League for Innovation in the Community College conference in National Harbor, MD on March 18-21.