PCC Instructor Honored as PTK Faculty Scholar
December 22, 2011
Tucson, AZ – Dr. JodyLee Estrada Duek, a Biology and Honors instructor at Pima Community College, has been named one of only 25 Faculty Scholars for 2012 by a prestigious international scholastic honor society.
Dr. Duek was chosen from among nearly 3,000 chapter advisors for Phi Theta Kappa to serve as a Faculty Scholar. In that position, she will play a key role in helping the society achieve its mission of recognizing and encouraging academic achievement among two-year college students.
“It’s an honor to represent Pima Community College,” says Dr. Duek, who has been teaching at PCC since 2001 and is an advisor to the College’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter at Desert Vista Campus. “Working with Phi Theta Kappa has been wonderful. Watching our students expand their horizons and enrich their lives just makes my heart overflow.”
Dr. Duek is the only Faculty Scholar from Arizona. Phi Theta Kappa is the largest honor society in higher education, with 1,275 chapters on college campuses in every state in the U.S. and in nearly 10 other nations. More than 2.5 million students have been inducted since PTK’s founding in 1918, with approximately 125,000 student inducted annually.
“Dr. Duek’s selection to receive this honor is an indication of the high quality of instructors who teach at Pima,” says PCC Chancellor Dr. Roy Flores. “Our faculty members are leaders – they inspire their students and their colleagues alike to achieve great things. Instructors like Dr. Duek are a precious resource for the College and our entire community.”
As a Faculty Scholar, Dr. Duek will attend a conference at Phi Theta Kappa’s Jackson, Miss. headquarters in February to prepare for the organization’s Honors Institute in June. More than 400 honors students will attend the institute, where Dr. Duek will facilitate discussions by groups of 15-20 students about issues presented by experts on the study topic.
Applicants were chosen based on their knowledge of the organization’s 2012-13 study topic, “The Culture of Competition,” and on excellence in teaching or administration.
CONTACT:
C.J. Karamargin
Vice Chancellor for Public Information and Government Relations
(520) 206-4850