Two faculty members of Virginia Western Community College received awards at the New Horizons Conference awards celebration on Friday, April 17, at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center.
Dr. Heather Lindberg received the Susan S. Wood Professorship for Teaching Excellence. This award honors outstanding faculty within the Virginia Community College System. This prestigious award, established by the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education in 2013, recognizes a VCCS faculty member who exemplifies the highest standards of faculty excellence and dedication to students.
Lindberg, who joined Virginia Western’s faculty in 2015, serves as Biotechnology Program Head. During her time in that role, she has participated in collaborative grant writing as co-principal investigator for three funded grants. She has helped fulfill Virginia Western’s role in the state-funded Roanoke Blacksburg Biotechnology project, developing a talent pipeline to support this industry’s expansion regionally. As part of this, she led the development of a two-year associate degree program designed to train students for the local biotechnology industry and has initiated opportunities for students to receive nationally recognized credentialing.
Robert Leonard received the George B. Vaughan Leadership Award for Outstanding Adjunct Faculty. This is the premier award recognizing the dedication and impact of adjunct faculty across the VCCS. Established in 2014, this award is made possible by the George B. Vaughan Leadership Endowment Fund through the VFCCE.
At Virginia Western, Leonard teaches Construction Management and Construction Safety courses with a focus on professionalism and high-performance building practices. He brings more than four decades of experience in the construction industry to the classroom and Curriculum Advisory Committees. He supported implementation of Virginia Western’s Plumbing Career Studies Certificate, and he delivers training within Virginia Western’s School of Career and Corporate Training, working closely to strengthen pathways between noncredit training, credit-bearing programs and employment. His teaching emphasizes critical thinking, communication and problem-solving, preparing students not only for their first job but for long-term careers in the trades and construction management.
The New Horizons Conference for community college educators and leaders is hosted by Virginia’s Community Colleges Student Success Center. The April 15-17 conference focused on ”Ignite: Lighting the Path for Future-Ready Education,” aligning with the VCCS strategic plan, Accelerate Opportunity.
