2 April Edwards receives Unsung Hero award April 2, 2017 By Thomas, Donna S. General 0 Elizabeth Edwards of Houlka, director of institutional research and accountability at Itawamba Community College, has received the Unsung Hero Award from the Mississippi Association for Institutional Research. “This is our first time to bestow this honor on a deserving member, and Liz is more than deserving,” said Eric Atchison, director of System Analysis, Research and Enrollment Management, IPEDS State Coordinator for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, who is also MAIR vice president and 2017 program chair. “She has long-served the Association in numerous capacities, including president in 2012-2013. The award is presented to a MAIR member outside the executive committee to show appreciation for their contributions to the organization. Edwards, who is also the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Committee on Colleges liaison for ICC, has 15 years’ community college experience with the last 11 in administration and institutional research and effectiveness. Her first four years at ICC were as a program director in credit career and technical education institution and non-credit workforce training. She is a graduate of the University of Mississippi and Delta State University with a master’s degree in business administration and undergraduate degrees in MIS and finance. She is a Fellow of the Education Policy Fellowship Program/Institute for Educational Leadership and Mississippi Community College Fellowship Program. Edwards is the past officer of the Southeastern Association for Community College Research, the Mississippi Association of Institutional Research and the Mississippi Community College Board’s Council of Institutional Research and Effectiveness. Related Articles ICC Surgical Technology students prepare to be 'unsung heroes' In the 1940s, surgical technology became an official career path due to the demands of operating rooms in World War II although the first public use of anesthesia was in 1846. Extreme cleanliness and sterilization weren’t normal household words until COVID-19’s extensive global impact. Masks and hand sanitizers became the norm for every individual as well as using cleaning solutions to prevent the spread of disease in homes across the world. However, those words, cleanliness and sterilization, have always been a significant part of the vocabulary of Surgical Technologists, who have made them a priority since the late 1800s. With this awareness comes an enhanced appreciation of the unsung heroes of operating rooms worldwide. According to the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, individuals who are interested in becoming a Surgical Technologist must be detail-oriented since errors could be life threatening. Additional qualities include working well under pressure and having great communication skills. Surgical Technologists serve as members of the surgical team and work with surgeons, anesthesiologists and certified registered nurse anesthetists, registered ... ICC receives 2019 Halbrook award Itawamba Community College has received the 2019 John C. and Earnestine McCall Halbrook Improvement Award from the Mississippi Association of Colleges. The award, which was presented Oct. 1 at the conclusion of the association’s annual conference in Bay St. Louis, is presented to the single college or university that has shown the greatest increase over the previous year in the percentage of athletes graduating. ICC also won the award in 2013. “At ICC, we continue to strive to provide an educational foundation that allows our students to succeed and reach their maximum potential,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “This wouldn’t be possible without our outstanding faculty and coaches who make it a priority to excel both on the courts and fields as well as in the classroom.” “I am proud of the academic success of our student-athletes,” said Carrie Ball-Williamson, ICC director of athletics. “Hopefully we can continue improving the graduation rate of our athletes.” In addition, two ICC student-athletes received the David M. Halbrook certificate for academic achievement among athletes. They were Jake Kirkpatrick of Amory, men’s soccer; and Samantha Conley ... ICC's CR staff receives record number of CPRAM awards Several Itawamba Community College staff members received awards from the College Public Relations Association of Mississippi, which were presented during a recent virtual conference. The 21 awards were the most in the Community Relations Department’s history. They include C.J. Adams of Fulton, first place in View Book for “2020 ICC Recruiting Lookbook;” first place in Admissions and Recruitment Piece for “ICC Recruiting Trifold;” first place in Television Spots for “ICC SkillUp Commercial;” third place in Television Spots for “ICC Tomorrow Commercial;” first place in Radio Spot for “SkillUP Radio Commercial;” third place in Radio Spot for “Start on Time, Finish Early:” first place in Public Relations Campaign for “A New Look for a New Decade: A New Identity for ICC;” second place in Public Relations Campaign for “Navigating the Pandemic: The First Six Months;” grand award in the junior division in Electronic Media for “ICC SkillUP commercial;” second place in Advertisements for “ICC Veterans Day Ad;” Lee Adams of Fulton, first place in Single Piece artwork – Sports for “2020 ICC Football Poster;” second place in Single Piece Artwork – Sports ... ICC student receives 2024 Mississippi Radiologic Society's scholar's award Sydney Wiggins of Caledonia, a student in Itawamba Community College’s Radiologic Technology program, is the recipient of the 2024 Mississippi Radiologic Society’s scholar’s award. At ICC, Wiggins is a member of the Beta Tau Sigma chapter of Phi Theta Kappa. Her honors include Merit scholarship, president’s list and Outstanding Achievement Award for Radiologic Technology. At East Mississippi Community College, she received the Outstanding Baking and Pastry student award for 2021-22. She serves as a volunteer for numerous church and community events. Her parents are Mitch and Stephanie Wiggins. The purpose of the Mississippi Society of Radiologic Technologists is to advance the profession of Radiologic Sciences disciplines and specialties, maintain high standards of education, enhance the quality of patient care and further the welfare and socioeconomics of Radiologic Technologists. ICC's Upsilon Sigma Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa receives multiple regional awards The Upsilon Sigma chapter of Phi Theta Kappa at Itawamba Community College received multiple awards at the organization’s Mississippi/Louisiana Regional Conference, Mar. 2-3, at Mississippi State University. They include, all for 2023, Horizon (advisers Robin Lowe of Amory, Jay Humphries of Vina, Ala. and Bradley Howard of Saltillo); Distinguished Chapter Officer (Lexi Tabbs of Red Bay, Ala.); Distinguished Adviser Team (Robin Lowe, Jay Humphries, Bradley Howard); Order of the Golden Key (Lexi Tabbs); Honors in Action second place; Theme 6 for Honors in Action, The Nostalgia of Play; Regional Reporter Emory Reinhard of Mantachie; (Distinguished Chapter Finalist (ranked sixth in Region) and Five Star Chapter. The chapter has had a regional officer every year since 2010. Upsilon Sigma selected The Nostalgia of Play: Theme 6 from among seven Honors in Action themes. The projects require substantive academic investigation of a theme related to the Society’s current Honors Study Topic. Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society for the two-year college. Its hallmarks are leadership, scholarship, fellowship and service, which are the criteria for selection as recipient of the Golden Key ... ICC’s Allen receives statewide Champion Award for educational attainment Itawamba Community College President Jay Allen received the 2026 Champion Award for Ascent to Educational Attainment Oct. 22 during the Ascent to 55% Convening at the Trade Mart Center in Jackson. The award recognizes sustained leadership, collaboration and impact in advancing postsecondary attainment in Mississippi. Allen served for several years as chairman of the Mississippi Education Achievement Council, including through the COVID-19 pandemic, and helped lead the development and adoption of the state’s initial postsecondary attainment goal. He remains an active member of its successor, the Mississippi Postsecondary Attainment Council. Under Allen’s chairmanship, the council adopted a resolution in October 2020 establishing goals to increase the share of Mississippi’s working-age population with a postsecondary degree, certificate or workforce credential to 55% by 2030 and 60% by 2035. Those targets established a shared direction for education, business and government partners working to strengthen the state’s workforce and expand economic opportunity. His leadership helped maintain the council’s focus during the pandemic as institutions navigated disruptions to instruction, student support and workforce training. That work laid a foundation for continued statewide collaboration to help more Mississippians ... Comments are closed.