MCC Daily Tribune

Day 1 of our gratitude series: Kudos to you, MCC Faculty and Staff!

This semester has been extremely challenging. I am deeply inspired by the MCC community. The MCC community is strong, resilient, and united. The Teaching and Creativity Center received an overwhelming number of kudos submissions from students, faculty, and professional staff, highlighting faculty and staff throughout the college. It is my honor to share those kudos with you this week. This will provide us with a great opportunity to celebrate the success of our faculty and professional staff. I would like to take the time to extend a tremendous thank you to everyone who encouraged me, participated, and engaged in conversations about professional development programs at the Teaching and Creativity Center. From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate you—you all rock!

I would like to highlight the faculty members who received multiple kudos from students in today’s post. Please stay tuned for more kudos recognition throughout the week.

Andrew Knapp (Psychology), Receiving 6 Nominations:

Dr. Knapp is an amazing professor and I have been motivated and educated more than I thought I would ever be in the field of Psychology in a Psych 101 class. It is evident that he truly enjoys his profession. He comes to class with energy that one cannot fake. He shows his enthusiasm for the subject as well as the teaching of said subject. He interacts with the students and encourages us to connect to the material and ask questions about it. I'm always glad I ask questions or make comments as he's both motivating and validating. His style of teaching classes makes me want to attend class and keeps me actively learning. I wish I could have more classes with him, as his enthusiasm shines through in each interaction I have with him. It is obvious that this is not simply a job for him but a passion. He also provides optional material that we can use for studying on our own which I have taken advantage of. My grades in the class certainly reflect both Dr. Knapp's teaching and the motivation I feel to study the material. I would recommend taking his class to anyone even mildly interested in psychology. In short, Dr. Knapp is one of the finest professors and teachers whose class I have had the pleasure of taking.
Dr. Knapp has taken the time with myself and my class to not only talk about psychology, but about the master's degree and PhD processes. He has helped all of us to remember the why of why we are here and why we put in the level of effort required to get an AS, BS, MS and PhD.
Cares that his students do well, facilitates an excellent learning environment.
Throughout the three, soon to be four, classes I have taken with Dr. Andrew Knapp, I have heard his story at the start of every first day. Each time, I was baffled that his journey was not plastered across MCC's website. He joined the army straight out of high school, lived in foreign countries with his family, became a talented mechanic for Kodak, and in his 40s decided he was going to sell everything and start over right here as a student at MCC. He would then go to Brockport for his Bachelors, onward to get his Doctorate in Psychology, and then finally make it back to MCC as a professor to show we can all start from right here. With students of all ages and economic backgrounds that MCC has, success stories like this one are what we should be broadcasting. He does however, offer much more than his story. If you could only see the lengths he goes to providing extensive feedback on each of the hundreds of assignments we all turn in to him each semester, you would genuinely think he's secretly hiding a time-turner somewhere. Despite him knowing some students may not even ever look at it, he offers it regardless for the students who are just as passionate about always improving. And as if that wasn't enough, he has helped raise $8,000 in scholarships for students, and is also giving my class a pizza party for the last day of school just to celebrate us making it to the end of the semester. Dr. Knapp truly deserves much more than a Kudo, MCC is beyond lucky to have secured a professor who still has the passion to put in effort even when nobody's looking.
There are no words to describe how much he’s changed my experience at MCC and has improved MCC in general. I’ve had one psych course with him every semester since I started because I’ve realized how remarkable he is as a person. Professor Knapp besides one other professor are one of the only people you can see how much he genuinely enjoys teaching. I’ve learned so much in his classes about life, psychology and he invoked so many class discussions that honestly just don’t happen in my other classes even the smaller ones. He’s made me love psychology more than I already do
Dr. Knapp is an incredible professor who makes learning easy and fun. He goes above and beyond any professor I have ever had. He works incredibly hard to give meaningful feedback to students. He advocates and pushes students to be their best while helping them along the way. His work with his research methods class on Scholar’s Day left students proud of themselves for their accomplishments in research. The Scholar’s Day research projects have given students an invaluable experience that will benefit them in future opportunities at four-year schools.

Benjamin Schermerhorn (Engineering Science and Physics), Receiving 4 Nominations:

His videos are well taught and thorough. His in-person lectures are pertinent to current material/tests. He is available for help more than any other professor and is responsive to email. Communicates what will be expected and offers ways to achieve goals. Outstanding in every way.
This professor goes above and beyond for all the students he has. I've seen him help students with material that he doesn't even teach. He makes the hardest classes easy to grasp and makes learning the priority. He has so much passion for teaching and his students that it's hard not to get passionate about doing well in his classes. This man deserves a raise. He does so much for the department.
When I first came to MCC I had failed a class 2 times, and had to withdraw once as well. Just as I was about to quit, unknowing of my situation, Dr. Ben had sent me an email praising me for the hard work I had put in in his Excel and Python class, telling me he was proud of me for not giving up. His two sentences were enough to change my perspective and keep perusing my dream of graduating one day with my masters in Aerospace Engineering from a prestigious university and becoming the best engineer I can be. Fast forwarding a year, Dr. Ben has not changed one bit. He not only encourages me, but every student no matter if they are in his class or not. He goes above and beyond in every aspect and has changed many lives for the better, including my own. His dedication and commitment to MCC is incomparable.
I really enjoy working with you. I learn a lot from you. I truly appreciate your commitment and energy to the Teaching and Creativity Center. I highly enjoy your positive and creative thinking. I am looking forward working with you in grading for equity.

Brigitte Martineau (Mathematics), Receiving 3 Nominations:

Professor Martineau is a great teacher! She is naturally great at explaining things and making them clear! Other than that she is such a positive person and so nice!
Taking on MTH 160 has been super challenging. Professor Martineau has been super reliable with providing me help in her office whenever I needed it as well as providing me with many resources too. She has also been super supportive throughout the semester and deserves to be recognized for it!
Professor Martineau has been an outstanding teacher to her students. Whenever I needed extra help she had no problem setting up a zoom meeting for one-on-one teaching. Every time I emailed she replied extremely fast with great care to answer any questions I had. She obviously cares about her students and wants them all to do well.

Bruce Link (Information and Computer Technology), Receiving 4 Nominations

He taught us a lot about programming and hardware
This person goes above and beyond that of being a professor here at MCC. He's been a pivotal proponent to the creation and direction of the IT Club. Semester over semester assisting students in creating and providing activities that club members can return to each week. Offering projects for students to supplement their education at MCC, where students can gain hands on experience with the process that goes into building and programming integrated circuits. He's expanding the horizons for students here at MCC with respects to the kind of options and opportunities that are out there for ICT Students.
Professor Link has been an outstanding professor this semester. He has gone out of his way and put in tremendous effort to do everything in his power to help me and all of my classmates succeed. He clearly answered and described any questions that I had, as well as made sure I actually understood the material and assignments I was completing. I can confidently say that Professor Link not only cares about his students succeeding, but also cares that we have a deep understanding of the material he was teaching. It’s not often that you find a professor like that.
Professor Bruce Link has been a remarkable instructor through the spring semester, he's made the material in class very understandable, always helped me with lab assignments whenever I'm struggling, but he always pushed me to try harder.

Jennifer Hill (Biology), Receiving 3 Nominations:

Dr. Hill has been remarkable this semester! A&P is a challenging class, but she has made the subject approachable and enjoyable. I am grateful and privileged to have her as a professor!
She breaks every concept down into parts and builds into the bigger picture. Her way of teaching has helped to make concepts make sense.
She is a great professor that does her best to make sure she can help u the best way possible to make sure you pass. She is very patient with the students.

John Striebich (Business Administration), Receiving 3 Nominations:

This professor makes the class enjoyable and worthy to attend each time. Even though the class is an hour and a half long, it feels like it's a lot less than that. Every time, there are new stories that are shared in an exciting way, and every time I leave the class in a good mood. So that's why I believe other professors should be like John.
Mr. Striebich is an extraordinary professor. He, has a wonderful sense of humor and he knows how to keep the class active. I can really tell that he knows really well what he is doing because he is always prepared for everything. I honestly don´t think that there is nothing he can´t answer related to business.
Professor Striebich does a phenomenal job at keeping me interested during the whole class every day. He clearly cares about his students and answers every question we have in a very thoughtful but knowledgeable manner. I have learned a lot from him and really appreciate him as a teacher.

Maria Brandt (English and Philosophy), Receiving 4 Nominations:

Maria is a kind, caring, and encouraging professor. Her love of creative writing is evident in all that she does with and for her students. She has a broad knowledge base of the subject matter that she enthusiastically imparts through instruction time and classroom workshops. She is a clearly passionate about student work and related events. I can't recommend her enough!
Maria Brandt, quite honestly, altered the course of my life. I walked into her college comp course in my first semester filled with dread, because I didn’t think I was capable of writing, but Maria is the kind of teacher who knows how to make things make sense to you, no matter where you’re coming from, and the kind of person who cares so deeply that she will give her all to help you get where you need to be. She’s such a positive person, and so good at helping her students find our way when we get lost or stuck. Everytime I’ve found myself struggling with a piece, all it takes is a meeting with Maria to get me back on track. When my brain feels like a tennis ball bouncing back and forth between ideas, Maria is the person who can grab that tennis ball out of the air and hold it still, showing me where I need to stop and place my focus. I’ve been in a class with Maria every semester that I’ve been here, and I can’t imagine how different my time at MCC would’ve been if I hadn’t found myself in her college comp class by chance that first year. I think I would genuinely be a less comfortable and confident person, less sure of where I belong and what I’m good at. I’m immensely grateful to have met, gotten to work with, and simply gotten to know Maria.
Maria has been a wonderful and encouraging teacher. She has helped her students in her Publishing and the Profession class create a full class magazine and set up a reading where they will all be able to read their work at a live venue. These students now have a head start on their writing careers because she has aided them with their author websites and submitting their pieces to publications.
You have inspired me to share my works a little more. Instead of, keeping the pieces to myself, I am more comfortable sharing my work. I also appreciate the workshops because for the most part we are all on the same level. Thank you.

Scott Rudd, (English and Philosophy), Receiving 3 Nominations

Professor Rudd was an awesome professor to have. Not only was he exceptional at teaching the material in class, but he was super easy to communicate with and very understanding. He made me a more sound writer and helped me master skills that I will use throughout the rest of my college career. He also helped me a ton with the college application process and even wrote my recommendation, which helped me be accepted into The College of the Holy Cross.
Professor Rudd is an extremely knowledgeable and dedicated individual that encourages class discussions and connection between students and the material. His Mythology class has been my favorite course I have taken in my entire academic career because he pushes me to think critically about concepts that have plagued humanity for thousands of years and he incorporates those concepts from classic literature and guides the class in dissecting it through a modern-day lens. He is a professor I would recommend to anyone who asked me due to his level of engagement and enthusiasm for the material.
Not only does Professor Scott Rudd encourage his students to dig deep and find meaning in our work, he does so in such an engaging and thought provoking way. We've spent the semester trying to understand what it is to be human, trying to comprehend how even stories from a thousand years ago still have lessons for us to heed. It's been a little over a decade since I have been in school and the professor pulled me right in, commended my efforts, and inspired me to devote myself more firmly to an academic lifestyle. This teacher is accepting, validating, and genuinely wants to see his students succeed and it's a brilliant thing to both witness and be on the receiving end of.

Suzanne Long, (Biology), Receiving 3 Nominations:

Professor Long was a fantastic professor who stood out to me because of her dedication to student success. She took the time to explain difficult concepts and answer questions. She was available to meet with before and after class, and she answered emails quickly and readily. The study guides for exams helped me prepare for exams with critical questions that helped me study and understand the material. She made lecture and lab fun and interactive. She was so friendly and welcoming and overall fantastic. I was nervous about taking Microbiology because I heard it was difficult, but she taught in a way that made difficult concepts easier to understand. I would recommend her to anyone taking microbiology and I would love to have her as a professor again!
I want to thank Professor Long so much for being a teacher. She does such an incredible job of getting all of her students engaged in learning about microbiology. Typically class attendance for all disciplines drops off as the semester goes on, but her lectures remain full even as the class draws to an end. Her passion for microbiology and extensive knowledge of the subject shine through and inspire her students to not just do the assigned work but really think about what we are learning and how it will apply to our future. I was nervous to take the class because I thought the material would be overwhelming, but she breaks down even the most complicated topics in a manner we all can understand. I have never been sad to be done with a class before, but here I am wishing I could spend another semester learning about microbiology!
Professor Long is an amazing teacher. She provides you with everything and more to help you succeed. She is kind and compassionate. I am thankful for all of the things she has taught me over the last semester. Thank you, Professor Long.

Yolanda McKinney, (English and Philosophy), Receiving 4 Nominations:

Professor McKinney has challenged me in ways that I will always remember and carry with me throughout my career as a writer. I will never forget the support she gave, and the lessons I learned from her to push the envelope, be a thorn in the snakes side, and use my voice to advocate for those who are silenced. I’ll forever be grateful for all the amazing authors she introduced me to this semester. Professor McKinney tells me she can’t wait until she can attend an event honor me, but I can’t wait until I get to attend one honoring her. Thank you.
What she does is working hard, push her students to do their best and pay attention to the class. Having the courage to do so and knows that her students can do it no matter what.
Professor McKinney is the most thorough and straight to it professor I have ever had. I have been in college twice now for another career and I can honestly say this time has been easier with her as my professor. She teaches with passion and care not only for the subject but for the actual aspect of teaching. You can see the way she teaches she truly believes her students are capable and that's what some students need, someone to believe in them. McKinney believes. I am so grateful to have come across Professor McKinney and have been able to be taught by her.
I believe she give she very best every class

Melis Kural
Teaching & Creativity Center
05/20/2024