East Central Faculty Member Receives Top Ivy Tech Award

INDIANAPOLIS – Vesta Whisler, PhD, faculty member and director of FASTNET, the accelerated online instruction delivery system for the East Central Region, is the 2006 recipient of the Glenn W. Sample Award for Excellence, Ivy Tech Community College’s highest honor for teaching excellence. The Sample Award recipient was announced Thursday at the June meeting of the Ivy Tech Community College State Board of Trustees.
Each of Ivy Tech Community College’s 14 regions nominate a faculty member for the President’s award and recognizes excellence in carrying out the College’s mission and impacting the lives of students, their campuses and their communities. Nominations for the award were submitted by Ivy Tech Community College students, faculty and staff. The Sample Award honor, which has been awarded since 1983, is selected from the pool of 14 President’s Award honorees.

Whisler has been with Ivy Tech Community College for 15 years, beginning as an instructor in the Business Division and now serving as both an instructor and as director of the college’s accelerated online course delivery system. She has distinguished herself in the area of online instruction.

FASTNET at Ivy Tech has grown 100 percent in just one year and is now serving more than 300 online learners. As a graduate of an online degree program herself, Whisler has developed not only a program for online learners, but she has also developed a course to orient instructors who want to join the ranks of online educators. Since the summer of 2005, her Online Faculty Certification course has been used to certify 280 Ivy Tech faculty members around Indiana. She volunteered her time to develop and teach the 4-week intense training session to her colleagues because of her concern for quality online instruction.

“No one is more deserving of this honor,” said Acting East Central Chancellor, Gail Chesterfield. “She is a master at utilizing innovative teaching techniques. Her students, whether they are faculty or program students, know that she insists on quality, she is fair and she is respectful of them.”

During her tenure at Ivy Tech, Whisler completed both a master’s degree in Adult Education from Ball State University and a PhD in Education, with a concentration in Instructional Design for Online Learning, from Capella University. She has also taught as an adjunct professor for Ball State and the University of Phoenix Online.

Whisler not only administers a system with approximately 30 faculty, but she has a sincere interest in their professional development as it relates to the quality of instruction in the FASTNET classes. She mentors each faculty member and is looked to in the statewide Ivy Tech system for leadership in the area of online teaching and learning. Earlier this year, Whisler was recognized as a finalist for the 2006 Leading Light Awards in the Distinguished Use of Technology in a Non-Profit or Government Organization category by Women in Hi Tech.

Dr. Whisler is also very community-minded and service oriented. This fall she served as a volunteer with the American Red Cross in Florida assisting with Hurricane Wilma relief efforts. She continues to volunteer for the Red Cross, providing computer training for staff and volunteers at the Hoosier Heartland Chapter. She also serves on the executive board of Delta Phi Epsilon and Pi Lambda Theta and supports local charities, including MS Walk, Amvets and Salvation Army.

Other President’s Award recipients and Sample Award nominees are: Saundra Horne, department chair for Practical Nursing, Gary campus; David Gray, associate professor of anatomy and physiology, South Bend campus; Jennifer Brink, program chair for Respiratory Care, Fort Wayne campus; Dianna Schuster Stair, program chair for Office Administration, Lafayette campus; Daniel Ward, program chair for Design Technology, Kokomo campus; Jeanne Ann Graham, program chair for Liberal Arts, Terre Haute campus; Michael Gorsline, associate professor of Mathematics, Indianapolis campus; Barbara Bechtel, assistant professor of Practical Nursing, Richmond campus; Eloise Lewis, associate professor of Nursing, Columbus campus; Cathy Carolus, program chair for General Studies/English, Lawrenceburg campus; Janette Weiss, department chair for Mathematics, Evansville campus; Robert York, assistant professor of General Studies/English, Sellersburg campus; Judy Steiner-Williams, instructor of Orientation and Career Enhancement, Bloomington campus.

Ivy Tech Community College is the state’s second largest public post-secondary institution with over 73,000 students enrolled this spring. Ivy Tech has 23 campuses throughout Indiana. The East Central Region has campuses in Anderson, Marion and Muncie. The College serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its community along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Published: June 19th, 2006

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