The Collin County Observer

The Carnegie Foundation and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education have named Dr. Tracey McKenzie the US Community College Professor of the Year.

Dr. McKenzie teaches sociology at the college's Frisco campus. In her statement to the selection committee, she wrote:

"More than transmitting knowledge, teaching is about inspiring others to discover their purpose and potential. As a professor, I have the opportunity to impact the lives of students, and I take that role seriously. Each student enters the classroom with a unique and valuable set of life experiences, and my goal is to use the tools of sociology to help students better understand their lives and the larger social world in which they live."

"Teaching requires openness to change. Therefore, I continually examine my teaching techniques and experiment with ways to become a more effective teacher by integrating technology, adapting practices to address the needs of an increasingly diverse student body, understanding different learning styles and incorporating various assessment strategies. I strive to create an active, collaborative learning environment in which all participants are both teachers and learners and where students can discover knowledge rather than be passive recipients."

"I strongly believe that critical thinking and a global perspective are crucial to becoming a competent citizen in society. Rather than teaching sociology simply as a collection of facts, names and theories, I strive to provide students with a set of principles to apply to their everyday experiences. By examining cultures other than their own, students learn to examine and critically analyze their own taken-for-granted realities. My role, then, is to help students learn to address the complexities of an issue, carefully form opinions, and develop and analyze solutions to social problems. Education can be liberating if students master how to learn and how to think. Making that small contribution clearly defines my professional goals as a teacher."

The highly-coveted award is considered the pinnacle of collegiate teaching, and Dr. McKenzie’s honor marks an unprecedented third national winner at Collin College in nine years.

Two years ago, developmental math professor Dr. Rosemary Karr was, like McKenzie, named U.S. Professor of the Year, and theatre professor Brad Baker secured the honor in 2000. The CASE/Carnegie competition also spotlighted Collin College psychology instructor Jennifer O'Loughlin Brooks in 2006 as Texas’ top college or university professor.

Along with the award, Dr. McKenzie won a $5,000 cash prize and a trip to the Washington D.C. awards ceremony.

Bill