Assistant professor Russell Stowers with the
College's Physical Therapist Assistant Program
wears the NISOD Excellence Award medal
presented to him during this year's international
conference in Austin, Texas.
Faculty Member Russell Stowers Receives NISOD Excellence Award
International organization recognizes importance of teaching excellence in open-door setting
The National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) is a worldwide consortium of community colleges that emphasizes the importance of teaching excellence in open-door settings. With more than 600 community colleges as members, NISOD focuses specifically on teaching, learning and leadership.
During a recent NISOD international conference in Austin, the organization recognized Del Mar College faculty member Russell Stowers with their Excellence Award. The assistant professor of physical therapist assistant received a medallion specially cast as part of the honor.
“The NISOD Award was truly an honor and a surprise,” says Stowers. “I hold the philosophy of giving my very best to my students and Del Mar College, and it’s nice to receive a ‘thank you’ in the form of this award.”
Stowers joined Del Mar College’s faculty in fall 1997. He earned his associate’s degree from Amarillo College, bachelor’s degree from Abilene Christian University and master’s degree from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
The College’s Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program began from a grant from the Texas Border Health Initiative Grant to increase the number of health science programs in the border regions of Texas.
Under Stowers’ lead, the program received Initial Accreditation in 2000 by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education with the program’s first class graduating in May of that year. Since then, the College’s Physical Therapist Assistant Program has graduated 90 PTA students with 100 percent getting jobs in Physical Therapy and health care facilities in South Texas.
NISOD recognizes more than 1,000 Excellence Award recipients each year. The organization established their Excellence Awards program to further support individual colleges recognizing and celebrating their finest at home and on an international stage.
To contact: Stowers, call 361/698-1847 or rstowers@delmar.edu.