Awards
Conference award nominations have closed. In recognition of the excellence of individuals in the field, the International Center for Supplemental Instruction presents the following awards.
Outstanding New SI Leader
Criteria: This award is for an SI Leader who has been in the position for a minimum of 3 months but no more than one academic year. This leader will have been thoroughly involved with the program beyond their role description. They also demonstrate significant personal and professional growth from serving as an SI Leader.
Peregrine (“Perin”) Michael Schray, Marshall University
Peregrine “Perin” Schray is an undergraduate senior biochemistry major at Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia. He is currently serving as the SI leader for CHM 205, a class that covers general chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry, and serves nursing and health science students. Perin has presented his research on the pro-peptide of the apolipoprotein-A1 (apo-A1) and its biological function at several chemistry conferences, including the SERMACS conference held in Puerto Rico, October 2022. He will present his research at the national conference of the American Chemical Society (ACS), March 2024. Perin has won several ACS awards including Outstanding Organic Chemist (2022) and Outstanding Biochemist (2023). He will graduate with a BS in chemistry in April 2024 and go on to pursue a Ph.D. in Bioanalytics/Proteomics. He credits his success to his supportive family, the Marshall University Chemistry department, and the Marshall University Center for Student Success, and in a special way to his fellow SI Leaders.
Jose Martinez-Galvez, California State University, Fresno
I am 21 years old and not only am I the youngest in my family but I am also the first generation soon to be college graduate. I was born and raised in the Central Valley. Coming from an immigrant household, I learned early on from my parents, who both worked tirelessly in the fields, that getting an education was the gateway to better opportunities. I thankfully grew up with the support of my older sister and brothers to keep pushing forward in my education, despite moments where I wanted to give up. Everything I strive to accomplish, I do it to honor my Mom and Dad, because I owe it to them for having immigrated to the US to give my siblings and I a better life.
Exceptional Veteran SI Leader/Mentor
Criteria: This award is for an experienced SI Leader who has been in the position for more than one academic year. They are outstanding in their service as a leader and have made a significant contribution to the overall program through leadership and mentorship beyond their role description. They also demonstrate significant personal and professional growth from serving as an SI Leader.
Sarah Bourke, Griffith University
G’day! I am Sarah, a recent graduate of Griffith University, Australia, holding dual degrees in Business and Political Science, with my current focus on pursuing a Business Honours degree. I have been a SI Leader for 2 years and a Senior Leader for 1yr at the Griffith Business School. Beyond academia, I embrace the role of a devoted mother to four children and find exhilaration in weekends spent racing my drag car, achieving notable success with a 2nd place finish in my last two national level events, reaching impressive speeds of 155mph.
My academic journey and prior mentoring roles have provided me with a nuanced understanding of the challenges students encounter. As an online learner, I navigated the isolating nature of remote study and discovered the transformative impact of SI on academic and personal growth. Inspired by this experience, I set a goal to become an SI leader. In my professional commitment to SI, I am driven by a fervour for fostering academic excellence and cultivating a supportive learning environment. Through leadership, I have developed inclusive and engaging SI sessions that transcend cultural and demographic boundaries. Over the years, my unwavering commitment to SI’s core values has led me to implement innovative strategies, employing collaborative learning techniques that empower students to grasp complex concepts. As an SI Leader, I take pride in serving as a relatable model student, sharing my study journey to inspire others. The experience has allowed me to impart valuable insights to my peers and cultivated professional transferable skills, fostering growth for myself and those I serve.
Outstanding New SI Supervisor
Criteria: This award is for an SI Supervisor who has been in the position for less than two years. The candidate will have led the program to outstanding quality and continuous improvement through adherence to core principles, campus engagement, leader development/support, excellence in quality of service, program evaluation, and integration with other campus activities.
Jillian Rager, M. Ed., Auburn University
Jillian Rager has served as the Coordinator for the Supplemental Instruction program at Auburn University (Auburn, AL) since January 2023. However, her experience with SI spans back to 2018. She served students first as an SI Leader while completing her B.A. in Psychology, then as the Graduate Assistant for SI while completing her M.Ed. in Higher Education Administration. In her experience, Jillian has focused on connecting with SI Leaders and committing to their growth and support by fostering relationships built on trust, consistency, and reliability. Specifically, Jillian enhanced training, automated processes for attendance and reporting, developed new selection procedures and rubrics, restructured program mentorship, and improved low attendance interventions. Professional accomplishments within Supplemental Instruction include presentations at the 2022 ICSI conference, 2022 and 2023 ICLCA (formerly NCLCA) conferences, and achieving CRLA Level 1 certification for the SI program.
Exceptional Veteran SI Supervisor
Criteria: This award is for an SI Supervisor who has been in the position for at least two years. The candidate leads the program to outstanding quality and continuous improvement through adherence to core principles, campus engagement, leader development/support, excellence in quality of service, program evaluation, and integration within the SI community (local, regional, national, and/or international).
Taylor Shook, Florida Southern College
Taylor Shook is the Assistant Dean of Academic Success at Florida Southern College. She oversees FSC’s academic support initiatives including the Academic Fuel programs, peer tutoring, supplemental instruction, writing coaching, and academic success coaching. Additionally, she advises undeclared students, instructs college success courses, and operates the academic recovery program for students below satisfactory academic progress. Outside of her day job, Taylor is an adjunct in the English Department and a doctoral student. (Send prayers and happy wishes – she’s in the dissertation phase!)
Taylor is a wife and mom to a full house of four sons, two cats, and two dogs. In her free time, she volunteers as a youth sports coach in her local community, and looks forward to the rare sleep-in on Saturday. She enjoys reading, particularly YA fiction, which is entertaining and informative for our already-dystopian society. She is a Ravenclaw despite some Gryffindor tendencies.
Exemplary New SI Program
Criteria: This award is for an SI program established after 2019 award that has demonstrated excellence in all areas of program activity. This includes programmatic improvement/development, adaptability while maintaining adherence to core principles, and campus integration and collaboration.
Minnesota State University Mankato
Laura Jacobi is the MavPASS Program Director and a Communication Studies Professor at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Laura’s passion for supporting students and closing equity gaps led her to serve on the team that developed and implemented the MavPASS (SI) program in fall 2019. The program grew from serving 5 courses and 8 professors to 25 courses and 51 professors in just 4 years. In addition to directing the MavPASS program, Laura enjoys teaching and research (in recent years, upon academic support!). Teaching interests include courses in communication pedagogy and interpersonal communication. Research pursuits include academic support, instructional communication, and intercultural communication. She has published articles in various journals including the Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, the Journal of International Students, Journal of Educators Online, and the Journal of Pedagogic Development.
Exemplary Veteran SI Program
Criteria: This award is for an SI program established prior to 2019 that has demonstrated excellence in all areas of program activity. This includes programmatic improvement/development, adaptability while maintaining adherence to core principles, campus integration and collaboration, and collaboration the larger SI community (regionally, nationally, or internationally). Only Accredited (US-based) and International (outside of US) SI programs are eligible for this award.
University of North Georgia
Supplemental Instruction (SI) at the University of North Georgia (UNG) has a rich history marked by the dedication and commitment of its team. Since its inception in 2007, UNG SI has continually expanded to serve the growing UNG community across six campuses. The journey from the first group of student SI Leaders (SILs) in 2007 to the inclusion of the UNG Online campus in 2020 reflects the resilience and adaptability of this program. UNG SI earned accreditation through the International Center for Supplemental Instruction (ICSI) in 2018 and again in 2022, which is proof of a commitment to maintaining high standards and effectiveness. Among the program’s proudest achievements are the SILs themselves. This dynamic group of leaders contributes energy and creativity to their students, the program, and their own personal development. The UNG SI program emphasizes leadership development, positioning itself as a program that not only supports academic success but also develops leaders both inside and outside the classroom.
UNG SI continually strives for excellence in all areas and their goals are focused on creating an impactful experience for their SILs and students, adapting to ever-changing student needs while upholding the standards that make SI effective. Additionally, UNG SI looks for ways to engage with the full UNG community through various initiatives such as hosting campus community events, hiring “Social Media & Marketing Assistants” from departments not directly supported by SI, community service events, and more. Overall, UNG SI’s mission is to be a leader and source of encouragement within its communities and to those they support, including faculty, university staff, SI Leaders, and all students.
SI Campus Champion
Criteria: This award is for an individual who is not employed by the SI program but is in another role on campus (faculty member, advisor, or other administrative staff) whose advocacy enhances program support among departments, units, and the campus community.
Dr. Clay Kitchings, University of North Georgia
Dr. Kitchings currently serves as Assistant Dean in the College of Science and Mathematics at the University of North Georgia (Oconee Campus), where he also teaches mathematics. He earned a M.Ed. and Ph.D. in Mathematics Education from the University of Georgia. He has taught mathematics from grades 7-12 and also at the collegiate level since 2002. At the secondary level, he served as a student-teacher supervisor and he served as a mentor teacher for prospective mathematics teachers in high schools.
Because his collegiate and graduate programs focused on mathematics teacher education and because of his experience mentoring prospective teachers, he gladly accepted (and celebrated) Supplemental Instruction facilitators soon after he arrived at UNG. He has witnessed SI help so many students, facilitators, and instructors. He has won awards for teaching at UNG including the institution’s Supplemental Instruction Campus Champion award from UNG in 2022, and he received the Ann Matthews Purdy Outstanding Full-time Faculty Member Award for the UNG-Oconee Campus in 2023. His research interests include mathematics pedagogy and andragogy, technology in teaching mathematics, and problem posing in mathematics classes.
