Three PBSC professors selected for 2025 NISOD Excellence Awards

Three professors from varied academic disciplines have been selected as Palm Beach State College’s 2025 recipients of the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development Excellence Awards.

NISOD annually recognizes faculty and staff chosen by their respective community and technical colleges for excellence in teaching and learning.

The professors are Carrie Thompson, Patrick Tierney and Dr. Suzanne Duff, who will be recognized for their outstanding contributions to teaching, leadership, and student success at the NISOD Conference this May in Austin, Texas.

Professor Carrie Thompson
Thompson has served in various roles since joining PBSC in 2008, including English Writing Lab supervisor and SLC manager, until becoming a full-time English instructor in 2017. To foster students' appreciation of literature, Thompson integrates creative and engaging methods in the Introduction to Literature course. A key strategy is a group project spanning half the term, designed to encourage creative expression and deeper literary exploration. Instead of traditional analyses, students reimagine short stories through modern cultural and societal lenses using mediums such as: comic reels, video games, short films and more.

Students are grouped based on their preferences, and the project replaces the final essay exam. By modernizing and visually representing literary texts, students connect contemporary issues with themes and devices in the original works.

In addition, during the poetry unit, Thompson invites published poets to read their work and discuss the creative process. Students are encouraged to share original poetry or recite meaningful poems in an ‘open mic’ style event. This session, held at the end of the term, allows students to reflect on and celebrate literary expression.

Thompson’s dedication extends beyond the classroom to her role as English Department Chair, a position she has held since 2022. Her responsibilities include overseeing curriculum development to maintain academic rigor, scheduling courses to meet diverse needs, and ensuring alignment with institutional goals and accreditation standards. She plays a pivotal role in recruiting, evaluating, and mentoring adjunct faculty, offering guidance and support to uphold high teaching standards. Additionally, she supports full-time faculty by sharing her expertise in online course design and instructional strategies that address diverse student learning needs.

In her commitment to innovative program development, Thompson led efforts to revamp the college-approved ENC 1101 Canvas online course shell. She meticulously aligned course content with revised learning objectives, enhanced the user experience with a streamlined visual design, and updated rubrics and video materials to support student engagement and success. Her efforts not only improved the quality and effectiveness of the course but also demonstrated a forward-thinking approach to instructional design, ensuring that the ENC 1101 shell remains a model for future online courses.

Through her teaching, leadership and program development efforts, Thompson demonstrates a steadfast commitment to enriching the academic experience for students and fostering the professional growth of her colleagues.

 

Professor Patrick Tierney
Associate Professor Patrick Tierney has been a faculty member at PBSC since 1991, initially serving as an adjunct professor of English before accepting a full-time position in 2007. He also tutors in the Lake Worth SLC center during the summer term. In addition to his teaching and tutoring responsibilities, Tierney has presented at numerous educational and healthcare conferences on various topics, and he currently serves as the Honors Program Faculty Advisor for the Sabiduria academic journal.

A notable aspect of Tierney’s pedagogy is his emphasis on the importance of critical thinking over mere compliance. He frequently cites the pilot episode of Matt Groening’s science fiction series Futurama, “Space Pilot 3000” (Groening, 1999), in which a supervisor bluntly states, “You’re not paid to think. A mindless worker is a happy worker. Shut up and do your job.” Tierney argues that this reference to a “happy worker” can be viewed as a “compliant student,” reflecting a broader challenge in American education: the tendency to value obedience over genuine intellectual engagement.

Tierney also draws on popular culture to further illuminate this critique, referencing Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2” (1979), which famously includes the refrain, “We don’t need no education.” He contends that this line underscores a model in which students are often treated as passive knowledge recipients rather than active participants. Despite potential resistance from traditional academic circles, he is committed to cultivating students as thoughtful, inquisitive learners ready to question, analyze, and explore.

Central to Tierney’s teaching philosophy is the belief that students should become engaged learners rather than mere task-oriented pupils. He emphasizes to his students, “I need you to be thinkers. Thinkers are dangerous. I want you to be dangerous.” He acknowledges that fostering such intellectual curiosity can be difficult within educational systems that often prioritize compliance. However, he points to studies suggesting that active learning approaches—such as interactive discussions, group work, and adaptable classroom environments—can significantly enhance critical thinking and performance (Freeman et al., 2014).

To implement these strategies, Tierney regularly holds his classes in the Active Learning Studio (ALS). In contrast to traditional classrooms, the ALS features flexible seating, accessible technology, and collaborative workstations, all of which facilitate participation and dialogue. By creating an environment that encourages discussion and the open exchange of ideas, Tierney fosters the intellectual risk-taking necessary for developing critical thinkers. This innovative spatial arrangement and a shared commitment to nurturing reflective, inquisitive learners contribute to a more profound and more empowering educational experience.

 

Professor Dr. Suzanne Duff
Duff is a licensed mental health counselor and the department co-chair of Human Services at the Palm Beach State. Demonstrating teaching excellence, she teaches counseling, psychology, and human services classes with dedication to her students and the field of human services. She co-created the Bachelor of Science in Human Services program, exemplifying innovative program development. She holds a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Palm Beach Atlantic University and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Research Methodologies from Florida Atlantic University. Before teaching at the college level, she served the community by working with adults with mental, physical, and developmental disabilities and children and families in the dependency system.

At Palm Beach State, Duff has provided exemplary service as the founding and acting advisor to the Psychology & Human Services Club for over 10 years and as the current chair of the Human Services Business Partnership Council, a role she has held for nearly 15 years. She has also led three study abroad trips to Central America, working alongside students to serve people in need by supporting an orphanage, assisting in a small clinic, and improving conditions at a school in a remote village. These initiatives reflect her dedication to students, colleagues, and the broader community.

Duff’s contributions to education and the community have earned her numerous accolades, including the Stewart Distinguished Teaching Award, the highest academic honor at Palm Beach State, and recognition in the inaugural class of the American Association of Women in Community College’s 40 Under 40 list of achievers.

Her passion for teaching and commitment to the well-being of her students and community inspire her to instill ethics, compassion, and integrity in the future leaders who will care for society’s most vulnerable populations. With her extensive travel experiences and deep love of diversity, Duff fosters an inclusive and global perspective in her work, further enhancing her impact on her discipline, school, and community.

 

ABOUT NISOD
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