Rowan-Cabarrus Community College

KANNAPOLIS — Rowan-Cabarrus Community College announced its 2016-17 Excellence in Teaching award recipients at a recent board meeting.

The award recognizes faculty who go above and beyond the expected levels of teaching and improving education excellence as demonstrated by student outcomes.

“Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is committed to excellence for our teachers and our students,” said President Carol S. Spalding.

Wayne Laney Jr., a full-time criminal justice instructor, received the 2017 Outstanding Excellence in Teaching Award. Laney is a decorated law enforcement officer who began as a full-time criminal justice faculty member at Rowan-Cabarrus in August 2015.  In addition to teaching criminal justice, he is an instructor for emergency preparedness, the faculty adviser for the Criminal Justice Association and work-based learning faculty coordinator for the criminal justice program.

Laney holds a bachelor of science in criminal justice from the University of South Carolina, a master of science in criminal justice administration and a master in science in emergency services management from Columbia Southern University.

“Student success is my top priority. I believe in using multiple teaching strategies to reach all students,” said Laney.

He lives in Salisbury with his wife and twins.

Tabelech K. Shipp, the college’s part-time recipient, holds a master of chemical and life sciences with dual concentrations in biology and chemistry from the University of Maryland at College Park and a bachelor of science in professional chemistry from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

Shipp joined the faculty of Rowan-Cabarrus in 2002 as an ABE/GED instructor. In 2005, she joined the physical science department as an adjunct chemistry instructor and taught introductory and general chemistry courses. She has also taught general biology and anatomy and physiology labs.

“I was proud to develop and teach the first hybrid developmental chemistry course at Rowan-Cabarrus and the online introductory chemistry course,” said Shipp, an educator with 30 years of combined teaching and education experience. “My passion for science education has allowed me to expand my resume by teaching and empowering youth from pre-K through high school students, and later on the collegiate level, that STEM education is doable, one test tube experiment at a time.”

Shipp is a member of several professional organizations, including the National Science Teachers Association and the Society for College Science Teachers. She is married with three children. She enjoys spending time with her family, reading, traveling, watching movies, running half marathons and mentoring students.

“We are very proud of instructors F. Wayne Laney, Jr. and Tabelech Shipp for the commitment they have made to our community and our students,” said Spalding.

Students initiate the nomination process for this award annually by recommending their top instructors. Students then help narrow that pool of candidates by voting for their favorites. Final nominees are then required to submit an extensive portfolio and letters of recommendation and submit to an unannounced, filmed observation.

“Rowan-Cabarrus Community College has a long and proud tradition of hiring highly qualified and dedicated faculty in all of its academic programs,” said Michael Quillen, vice president of academic programs. “The faculty members selected for this year’s Excellence in Teaching Awards certainly are representative of this tradition. These faculty members, and many others, do a wonderful job of providing high-quality instruction to the students at Rowan-Cabarrus.”

For more information about Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, visit www.rccc.edu or call 704-216-7222.