Bristol Community College Faculty Member Dr. Colleen Avedikian awarded Dale P. Parnell Distinguished Faculty Award from the American Association of Community Colleges
Bristol Community College Faculty Member Dr. Colleen Avedikian is the recent recipient of a 2021 Dale P. Parnell Distinguished Faculty Award, from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). The prestigious award will be presented, virtually, on Thursday, May 20, 2021, from 5:30 - 6:15 p.m., on AACC Digital. The Dale P. Parnell Distinguished Faculty Award distinguishes faculty who not only exemplify excellence in an academic setting but who also work outside the classroom to help their students achieve success. Since the program began in 2018, AACC has recognized more than 120 faculty members from across the United States.
Colleen Avedikian is a faculty member in Bristol’s Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences, instructing courses in sociology. She is also the Curriculum Coordinator for the college’s Liberal Arts-Behavioral and Social Sciences Transfer program. In addition to her work in the classroom, she has served as a faculty mentor for students in the college’s Commonwealth Honors program, as an advisor for student organizations and as a volunteer for Bristol’s monthly Mobile Food Market. Colleen has held leadership roles in both the college chapter of the Massachusetts Community College Council (MCCC) union and the Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts (PHENOM), which advocates for the state’s colleges and universities.
Colleen holds a master's in sociology from Northeastern University, in Boston and a master's and a Ph.D. in educational leadership and public policy from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. She is also a past recipient of an Outstanding Women Award, presented as part of the International Women’s Day celebration, at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, in 2013.
The criteria for the prestigious Dale P. Parnell Distinguished Faculty Award includes demonstrating a passion for students in the classroom, willingness to support students inside and outside of the classroom, participation in college committees and going above and beyond to ensure that students are successful in their academic endeavors.
The recognition is named for former AACC President Dale P. Parnell, who was instrumental in establishing many of the foundational concepts for today’s community colleges.
For more information about the 2021 Dale P. Parnell Distinguished Faculty Award and to view the full list of recipients, including Bristol Community College Faculty Member Dr. Colleen Avedikian, please visit https://www.aacc.nche.edu/about-us/awards/dale-p-parnell-faculty-distinction-recognition-2021/.