2010 NISOD Teaching Excellence Award National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development

In her Teaching Philosophy, Carolyn notes that she is proud to be "someone that students feel they can easily approach, that they can trust to help them, and that they see me as a willing and able partner in helping them to be successful." Carolyn, an associate professor of Surgical Technology and Assistant to the Chair of the Parkland Health Professions department, has worked at Parkland since 1989. She has earned consistent praise from her student s, who have commented that she is a "wonderful teacher and mentor, and it’s obvious how much [she] cares about the success and growth of [her] students" and that her students "will learn more than they expected and will know without a doubt that she is their greatest advocate." As a leader and innovator in the Health Professions department, Carolyn continually seeks out and implements new technologies and teaching strategies in her courses. She founded the Surgical Technology Club which provides students the opportunity to share clinical experiences, develop their leadership skills and professionalism, and support each other throughout their growth in the program. Recently, she participated with other program faculty in designing and filming skill sequences on DVD for study aids for students. Additionally,  she helped to develop an outcome tracking system for students that received commendation from the National Accrediting Agency during the last accreditation review. Carolyn’s contributions have helped Parkland’s Surgic al Technology Program to be recognized for achieving the highest level of student performance on the national exam.