[Bristol-Birds] Kevin Hamed Named 2009 Virginia Professor of the Year

From: "Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Bristol-birds" <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:12:40 -0500
VHCC's Kevin Hamed Named 2009 Virginia Professor of the Year 
Posted Date: 11/19/2009 12:00 PM 
Kevin Hamed, assistant professor of biology at Virginia Highlands Community 
College, has been named the 2009 Virginia Professor of the Year by the Carnegie 
Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. 

The award was presented to Hamed on Thursday, Nov. 19, during a luncheon at the 
Willard InterContinental in Washington, D.C. 

"We are extremely proud of the many outstanding contributions Professor Hamed 
has made to the biology program at Virginia Highlands," said VHCC President 
David Wilkin. "We applaud the Carnegie Foundation for recognizing him with this 
prestigious award, and congratulate Professor Hamed for his continued 
commitment to students and his enthusiasm for scientific research." 

Hamed joined the VHCC faculty in 2003 after eight years as Nature Center 
Manager at Bristol's Steele Creek Park. He holds bachelor's and master's 
degrees in biology from Tennessee Technological University and East Tennessee 
State University, respectively, and was awarded a 2009 Virginia Community 
College Chancellor's Faculty Fellowship to pursue a Ph.D. at the University of 
Tennessee. As a doctoral student, he is continuing his extensive research on 
Appalachian salamanders. 

The U.S. Professor of the Year Award Program was created in 1981 by the 
Carnegie Foundation to recognize faculty members for their extraordinary 
dedication to undergraduate teaching. Winners are chosen for their impact and 
involvement with students, scholarly approach to teaching and learning, 
contributions to education in the institution and community, and support from 
colleagues and students. 

In nominating Hamed for the award, VHCC Vice President Deborah C. Clear lauded 
his efforts to involve students in research conducted outside of the 
traditional classroom setting. His students often participate in research 
projects in the region's woods and wetlands, she said. And, she added, Hamed 
accompanies a group of honor students to the University of Southern 
Mississippi's Gulf Coast Research Laboratory during Spring Break each year to 
study ocean plants and animals. The USM laboratory is used by students 
throughout the nation, but VHCC is the only community college to conduct a 
week-long study there. 

"VHCC students are not the only ones who benefit from Mr. Hamed's teaching 
excellence," Dr. Clear said in her nomination letter. "In fact, he routinely 
participates in summer camp programs for at-risk youth in our region, presents 
community lectures on a wide variety of topics, judges science fairs, mentors 
Eagle Scouts, and participates in a long list of events led by area 
naturalists. These projects are in addition to his busy teaching schedule." 

Hamed is a member of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, 
the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, and several professional 
organizations in both Tennessee and Virginia. He is widely considered an expert 
on Appalachian salamanders, and his research has been published in a variety of 
peer-reviewed science journals. He and his wife, Misty, live in Bristol, Tenn.
[Bristol-Birds] Kevin Hamed Named 2009 Virginia Professor of the Year

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