January 9, 2015- Albany, GA- Albany Technical College is proud to announce its recipient of the annual NISOD Excellence Awards. Frederia Sampson, English instructor, serves as the 2015 award winner from Albany Tech.
NISOD's Excellence Awards recognize men and women each year who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment and contribution to their students and colleagues. In 1989, in connection with a University of Texas at Austin national study of teaching excellence, NISOD hosted its first ceremony honoring NISOD Excellence Award recipients. The response to that ceremony was so positive that NISOD began what has become the largest and most inspiring gathering that recognizes the contributions and achievements of community and technical college faculty, administrators, and staff.
A native of Albany, Georgia, Sampson has been employed with Albany Tech for over 10 years. Beginning her postsecondary experience at Albany Tech as an adjunct instructor in 1999, she later became a full-time English instructor and advocate for technical education. Currently, she serves as the chairperson for the General Core, Learning Support, and Academic Achievement Center division at the college.
Prior to her employment with Albany Tech, Sampson was employed with Albany State University for over three years as a Grants Specialist in the Sponsored Programs division where she was responsible for receiving millions of dollars in external funding each year for both the university and the community. In addition, she served for over two years as a project coordinator with a Department of Labor/Albany State University partnership grant. After leaving Albany State University, she worked as a high school English teacher with the Dougherty County School System's Performance Learning Center at the Southwest Georgia Regional Achievement Center.
Recently, Sampson has served as a facilitator and presenter at various meetings and conferences throughout the state sponsored by the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) and other organizations. Alongside teaching hundreds of students per year, she served as a board member for the Georgia Council of Teachers of English (GCTE), a member of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), International Reading Association, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Her recent awards include the Affiliate Award recognition from NCTE National Conference, the Albany Tech Teachers in Excellence (TIE) Award, and participation in ASU's 2013 "Big Read" program.
"My philosophy of education is rather simple – Education is a freedom – without it, we are bound to the chains of poverty," said Sampson.
Sampson holds a bachelor's degree in English, master's degree in Education in English Education and an education specialist degree in Reading from both Albany State University and Georgia Southern University.
NISOD's Excellence Award recipients will be celebrated during their annual International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence on May 23-26 in Austin, Texas. During the Excellence Awards Dinner and Celebration, held in conjunction with NISOD's annual conference, each Excellence Award recipient receives a specialty cast, pewter medallion hung on a burnt orange ribbon. The names, titles, and colleges of all Excellence Awards recipients are included in a special booklet that features congratulator ads from many of the recipients' colleges. In addition, presentation at the conference involving Excellence Award recipients are indicated in the Conference Program with a special icon. All Excellence Award recipients and their colleges are also listed in a special multi-page display in a special edition of Community College Week.
"Recognizing those individuals who have contributed to student success and their colleges' mission is something we look forward to doing each year," said Dr. Edward J. Leach, NISOD's Executive Director. "The extraordinary work of these men and women includes, not only what they do for their students and colleagues, but what they do for the communities in which they live and work. We're honored to be able to play a part in celebrating their achievements."
"It is indeed an honor to serve as the NISOD ambassador for Albany Technical College," said Sampson. "To be selected from a plethora of esteemed educators as a representative is a humbling experience. I am thankful and will always be grateful that I am a Titan."
and 2015 NISOD Award of Excellence recipient.