Community College
Teacher-Scholar Award
2014
This award was created in 2009 by the ACS
Santa Clara Valley (SCV) local section to specifically recognize
the contributions of community college chemistry educators. It
goes to a person who has been an excellent local chemistry teacher
for many years. It is open to full time, adjunct and emeritus
faculty. The winner must have also accomplished independent
scholarship or given outstanding support to their students or to
the ACS.
Relevant accomplishments include:
Excellent teaching in lab and
classroom
Extensive mentoring and
encouragement of students toward academic success
Collaborations with local high schools
and four year colleges and universities, leading to more student
transfers and better articulation
Supervision of undergraduate research
Published articles and books related to
chemistry education
Participation in projects promoting
innovative teaching methods and undergraduate research
Development and dissemination of
teaching innovations
Exceptional contributions to the
operation of the college’s chemistry department
Public outreach
Contributions to the local community,
for example through the K-12 system or local agencies
Previous award winners are:
Jeanette Medina, Cañada College in 2009
T. R. Dickson, Cabrillo College in 2010
Madeline Adamczeski, San Jose
City College in 2011
Cinzia Muzzi, De Anza College in 2012
Dr. Jose Cabrera in 2013.
The judges for this year's award winner were Linda Brunauer,
Bonnie Charpentier, Ashley Piekarski and Jeanette Medina.
The 2014 Teacher Scholar
Award has been awarded to Professor Robert Tricca of Cañada
College. Professor Tricca received his Bachelor of Science in
Chemistry from Boston College in 1980 and his Doctor of Philosophy
in Physical Chemistry from Tufts University in 1985. Tricca
started his professional career in the chemical industry where he
spent a significant number of years. He has held positions at
Pfizer, Oral B/Gillette, Align Technology and Oral Health
Technologies ranging from bench work to upper administration and
co-founder. In 2008, Tricca decided to pursue his passion for
teaching. His teaching career started as an adjunct faculty at
Diablo Valley, Laney, and Cañada Community Colleges. His
commitment and aptitude for the job were unquestionable and only
two years later, Professor Tricca assumed his current full time
position at Cañada College. In a short period of time, Tricca has
contributed to the advancement of chemical education by updating
the general chemistry laboratory experiments to reflect modern
relevant bench skills; establishing an ongoing undergraduate
student research environment in collaboration with the National
Resources Conservation Service and has continuously promoted
students success by mentoring and exposing them to professional
organizations and professional networking opportunities.
The sixth annual Teacher Scholar Award will be
presented to Professor Tricca at the February, 2015 dinner meeting
to be held at Mission College in Santa Clara on Thursday February
19th. For an account of the presentation, please see next year's
report!
Jeanette Medina
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