June 9, 2008

Neal, Waldroupe honored at NISOD International Conference

Cowley College instructors Melinda Neal and Loretta Waldroupe recently received Excellence Awards from the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development in Austin, Texas.

Neal, an instructor in the Natural Science Department and Phi Theta Kappa faculty advisor, and Waldroupe, a math specialist, received the awards during NISOD’s annual International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence held May 25-28.

The conference had hundreds of breakout sessions, which made it easy for those attending to find something they were interested in learning about.

“The experience was very rewarding,” Waldroupe said. “It refueled my desire to help students succeed.”
Neal, who has worked at Cowley since the fall of 2002, previously taught and coached at Dexter High School from 1982-2002. She recently gave the commencement address at Dexter on May 17, and felt fortunate to receive the Excellence Award at the NISOD International Conference.

“The experience was heart warming,” Neal said. “It was truly an honor to be one of the representatives of Cowley College. The sessions were great and the information gained helps to recharge you for next semester.”

Waldroupe, who graduated from Cowley College, has spent a total of 14 years working at the school.
The event was capped by an awards ceremony where the NISOD recipients were honored.

“It was an awesome experience and I felt blessed to be recognized,” Waldroupe said.