Community/Academic Recognition of Faculty


Dr. Shanee Haynes


Doctorate of Education

Shanee Haynes

Spring 2024

Dr. Shanee Haynes has successfully completed her doctoral studies and has been awarded a Doctorate of Education degree (EdD) in Educational Practice from the University of Missouri St. Louis.  She successfully defended her dissertation, “Student-Faculty Engagement Solutions For Retention of Racially Minoritized Students.”

Katie Holtmeyer


She Asked Me Where

Katie Holtmeyer with her new book, "She Asked Me Where"Spring 2024

Katie’s debut poetry collection She Asked Me Where was recently published through Unsolicited Press. The book captures the pull of several spectrums innate to the human experience: pain and triumph, fear and power, longing and overcoming, the perfect and the flawed, approaching the liminal spaces of these binaries through recurring themes that are connected in their struggle for control and understanding over what cannot be controlled or understood.

Writing has always been a huge passion of Katie’s, and she is so grateful for the support she’s received from the ECC community upon the publication of the book.

Watch Katie’s poetry reading from on campus.

Aaron Bounds


Phi Beta Mu

Aaron Bounds portraitSpring 2023

Aaron was inducted into the Lamba chapter of Phi Beta Mu. Phi Beta Mu is an international honorary fraternity for band directors. Membership is through invitation as voted on by your peers and is selective. It was extra special for Aaron as his father was also a member and was able to be at his induction.

Jessica Van Leer


Outstanding Young Professionals

Jessica Van Leer

October 2022

Nursing Instructor, Jessica Van Leer was nominated by Dr. Bauer, ECC President, for the Outstanding Young Professionals award through the Washington Area Chambers of Commerce. Bauer said, “Jessica leads by example. Jessica is devoted and passionate about nursing education and teaching future nurses. She teaches from the scope of compassion while adhering to the standards of excellence in nursing. She challengers herself to step out of the box, think critically, and deliver excellence in nursing education on a daily basis.”

Bobby Bland


NISOD Excellence Award

June 2022

Welding Program Coordinator Bobby Bland was nominated by Dr. Richard Hudanick, dean of career and technical education for “extraordinary work” he exhibits daily.

“Over and above his duties as a faculty member and a coordinator for East Central’s Welding program, Bobby continuously is setting the bar higher and higher for standards in classroom instruction and industry partnership relations.” Hudanick commented.

“On any given day, Bobby can be found critiquing the quality of weld-joints performed by his students to talking with industry partners to coordinate interviews for future graduates.”