DAYTONA BEACH, FL (May 21, 2010) - Marking the eleventh anniversary of employee awards being presented at Commencement, three Daytona State College employees were recognized on Monday, May 17 for their dedication to the College and its students.
Since 1999, a faculty member has been selected to receive the Presidential Teaching Excellence Award and this year’s recipient has been described by his colleagues as a most personable gentleman, extremely knowledgeable in his field and committed to the success of his students. Anindya Paul joined Daytona State in 2003 as a computer science instructor. He has been a significant contributor to a variety of college initiatives outside the classroom and is completely committed to students, working tirelessly as a principal investigator involving various grants, including several National Science Foundation grants secured by the college to attract under-represented students into computer science, engineering and mathematics programs. He holds master’s degrees in both information systems and biology from Georgia College and state University and is Chair of Daytona State’s School of Computer science.
Representing professional employees, Lynn Mercer received the first of two employee excellence awards presented on Monday evening. The Presidential Sterling Award for Professional Excellence is presented to two employees each year to recognize them for their positive contributions and exemplary service to the College. Mercer began her career with the College in 1978 as a part-time Admissions Office clerk and was hired full-time in 1981. Since then, she has worked in a variety of roles within the institution. Having worked under four of the six presidents ever to preside over this College, her many roles have made her uniquely familiar with the College, its policies and its procedures.
Representing career employees the second recipient of the employee excellence awards, Rhonda S. Mitchum is truly one of the College’s unsung heroes in that her work spans so much more than her position as an administrative 
assistant. A top-notch employee, her former boss, Dr. Howard Turner, described her as the heart and soul of the Flagler/Palm Coast Campus. In fact, many folks in Flagler County think she runs the place. Mitchum has been with the College since 1988.
The employee recognition awards were first introduced in 1999 and are supported by the Daytona State College Foundation. Past recipients include: Randall K. Allbritton, Susan Antillon, John F. Banker, Al Bonamy, Gail S. Brown, Marc Campbell, Neal Coates, Bruce Cook, Patricia Dyke, Fred Fathi, Alice Godbey, James Greene, Diana Jabour, Gail Jackson, Angela Kennerly, Linda Lee, Maxine E. Lesser, Kevin McCrary, Dr. Linda Miles, Nancy Morgan, Ram Nayar, Willie Norman, Janet Parish, Sharon Peipher, John Riddick, Roger Rowan, Sandra Session-Robertson, Suzanne Stewart, Linda Sullivan, and Kim A. Titus.
Also announced at Commencement, the Charles Carroll Award for Leadership Excellence was presented to Jennifer F. Campbell, director, Payroll Department. As the inaugural recipient, Campbell was recognized for exhibiting outstanding leadership as demonstrated by successfully completing every phase of the College’s Leadership Development Institute. Campbell is known for her precision, expertise and is a role model for many other employees. A veteran of 23 years at Daytona State, Campbell has served on many college-wide committees. The leadership award was established earlier this year and is named after Dr. Charles Carroll who retired from Daytona State after serving more than 30 years, most recently as Vice President of Planning and Development.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Glyn Johnston, Vice President, Marketing, Communications & Events, (386) 506-4499, johnstg@DaytonaState.edu
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