The House/Bruckmann Award for Faculty Excellence: A History
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College has a storied history of faculty excellence. The Clifford C. House and Alice P. Bruckmann Faculty Excellence Awards were established in 1985 to recognize these achievements. Initially two distinct awards, the former to honor distinguished college coordinators and the latter for teaching, they were named after foundational members of the Cincinnati State Community. Alice P. Bruckmann was an original board member of then Cincinnati Technical College and long-time seat holder on the Cincinnati Board of Education. Clifford House was instrumental in the founding of the college and served as its first president.
The inaugural awards were bestowed upon Rosemary Clark (House) and Timothy D. Nolan (Bruckmann). As a leader in the Health and Public Safety Division, Clark worked to transform the colleges medical records program. As an instructor in the Humanities and Science division, Nolan created a legacy of technical communication skills at the college. Merged into a single award in 1994, the House/Bruckmann honor continues to be a tool for acknowledging and preserving Cincinnati State’s tradition of faculty excellence to this day. For a full list of winners, see the commemorative plaque in the hallway outside of the Human Resources office (Main building 186).
Timothy D. Nolan (1985)
First Bruckmann Award winner (1985)
First House Award Winner (1985)
Academic Divisions: Traditions of Excellence
Business Technologies
PAUL DAVIS, 1987 – 2019
Dr. Paul Davis was a valued instructor in the Business Technologies division earning the House/Bruckmann award in both 1990 and 2008. In addition to a career rooted in teaching excellence, Dr. Davis was instrumental in establishing the presence of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) on campus, serving on the Cincinnati State’s first faculty bargaining committee in 1989. Shortly after his retirement from the college, Dr. Davis was elected the AAUP National Vice President.
JOHN KINSELLA, 1983 – 2012
Chef Kinsella was an instructor with Cincinnati State’s renowned Midwest Culinary Institute. Originally hired as the Chef Technology Coordinator in 1983, Kinsella would become an Instrumental contributor to the culinary program for decades to come. Designated Master Chef by the American Culinary Federation in 1985, two-time winner of Cincinnati Magazine’s Chef of the Year Award, and many another accolades, cemented Kinsella’s legacy at the college in a way that still resonates in the continued success the program today.
Learn more about Chef Kinsella and the college’s culinary program from previous exhibit on the topic.
Engineering and Information Technologies
TOM BURNS, 1987 – 2020
Tom Burns was an esteemed Cincinnati State Faculty member for over three decades, winning the House/Bruckmann Award in both 1998, 2008, and 2018. In addition to years of teaching excellence in the field of civil engineering, he is the author of multiple engineering textbooks and two novels. Dr. Burns has been awarded Professor Emeritus status; a title reserved for distinguished faculty who remain active in scholarship beyond retirement.
PREM BATRA, 1976 – 2007
Dr. Batra established the Laser Electro Optics Technology (LEOT) program at Cincinnati State. One of the region’s only such programs at the time, LEOT was awarded the state’s “Ohio Program Excellence” Award in 1990. The following year, 1991, Dr. Batra received the the college’s House/Bruckmann honor. Dr. Batra is an internationally recognized authority in laser optics and spent 30 years in the classroom at both Cincinnati State and University of Cincinnati, leaving a valued impression on the field.
Health and Public Safety
CAROLYN LAEMMLE, 1975
Dr. Carolyn Laemmle was the first person to be nominated for both the Clifford C. House and Alice P. Bruckmann Award in 1986, winning the House award for coordination excellence in medical laboratory technology. Dr. Laemmle held many roles in her time at Cincinnati State: message therapy program chair, clinical laboratory chair, and assistant dean in Health Technologies. Winner of American Society for Clinical Laboratory Service – Ohio’s “Member of the Year” Award in 1990, Dr. Laemmle was an institutional force at Cincinnati State for decades.
Humanities and Sciences
ANDREA CHENG, 1984
Andrea Cheng was an author and an esteemed member of Cincinnati State’s Humanities and Sciences division, serving as an English as a Second Language (ESL) and Developmental Education instructor. Cheng, an accomplished children’s book author and novelist, published over 25 books in her career. Awarded the House/Bruckmann award in 2007, her career at the college is steeped in a tradition of excellence. Like Cheng herself, her books are highly lauded, including a 2004 starred review from the School Library Journal for Honeysuckle House and the Reading Rainbow Recommended Title for Grandfather Counts, in the same year. Visit the Berry Library for access to her works.
CRYSTAL BOSSARD, 1994 – 2016
A licensed social worker, Crystal Bossard began her career at Cincinnati State teaching courses in the Social Work program. She went on to serve as the program chair for the Early Childhood Education and, eventually, the Addiction Studies program. She was honored for her teaching excellence with the House/Bruckmann Award in 2007. Other accolades include the YMCA Black Achievers Award (1998), Ohio Magazine’s “Excellence in Education” Award (2008), and National Association of Social Workers Outstanding Service Award (2016).
cinstatearchives.com 