The Red Rocks Community College Foundation has named two faculty members Teaching Chairs for 2008-2010 in recognition of their excellence in instruction.

This year's winners are:
•Stephanie Oram Berg, a music faculty member, who will receive the Student Voice Endowed Teaching Chair
•Biology faculty member Steve Kaye, recipient of the Swede Johnson/Coors Endowed Teaching Chair

Each award totals $22,500 over three years - a $5,000 salary enhancement each year and $2,500 per year for professional development.

Nominated faculty are reviewed by their peers on the faculty. Semi-finalists are selected based on portfolios of the nominees' work and finalists are chosen after a teaching demonstration. The foundation's board committee selects the two winners based upon a second teaching demonstration.

"Steve is a dynamic instructor who not only keeps the attention of his students, both in lecture and lab, but makes them genuinely interested in learning about the topic at hand," said former student and teaching assistant Elizabeth Brittany Skewes. "He is easy to approach and eager to help a student who needs extra guidance. Steve encourages his students to be analytical and resourceful by asking the student pertinent questions without giving away the solution and directing them toward helpful reading material on the topic."

Comments from Berg's students included:
•"Thank you, Stephanie, for your superb music effort in leading this class - not only instructing, but mentoring and bringing us to a place where we can give and move forward in our lives with a richer sense ... of music appreciation."
•"I was amazed by the breadth and depth of knowledge and skill she brought to the learning atmosphere.... I'm not sure anyone could be more enthused. This made my learning experience amazing!"