Our 2024-25 Faculty & Staff Excellence Award Winners
Full-Time Faculty Award
Travis McKinney, English
A part of the BC community since 2015, Travis is a dedicated faculty member in the English department. Nominated by multiple students for the second year in a row, they emphasize his ability to create an inclusive, collaborative, and engaged classroom community – even in online instruction. His innovative approach to English 101 has been transformative for students, who highlight his kindness and patience in working through difficult situations. Congratulations Travis!
“Mr. McKinney develops an excellent community that promotes ideas that although contradictory, promote open discussion, whether it is about topics such as body dysmorphia, mental illnesses, nihilism, and other seemingly sensitive areas. His ability to create a diverse community that encourages open disagreement but still feels inclusive, collaborative, and tight-knit is unparalleled. Through his encouragement, students felt part of a community of thinkers, which reflects Bellevue College’s commitment to creating an open, safe, and accessible academic environment. Hands down Mr. McKinney is the best English instructor I have ever had!”
Nominator
Part-Time Faculty Award
Humaira Jackson, Economics
It’s been more than two decades since Humaira started at BC, and the impact she has made on the campus is nothing short of transformational. From helping to establish the college’s first real-time data dashboard as Data Lead for the Faculty Commons, to the development of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning pilot, to the upgrade of Econ 100, her leadership and achievements have helped raise the bar for Bellevue College. Congratulations Humaira!
“Humaira strives to create impactful courses that promote equity and excellence. I know that she is deeply reflective of her teaching materials and methods as we often have conversations about what has worked in our courses and what hasn’t. This is non-stop for Humaira; she consistently strives to find ways to engage students through the lens of economics. She is a meaningful participant in our department, often volunteering to take on extra work at the department level. She is one of the most kind and humble people that you will meet. She is dedicated to her profession, to the college, and most importantly, to her students and their success. She is a treasure to our community.”
Nominator
Classified Employee Award
Yelena Zlotnik, Basic & Transitional Studies
A longtime Program Specialist in Basic & Transitional Studies, Yelena has helped thousands of students find their footing at Bellevue College. Her many nominations this year (and over the last two years!) highlight the incredible passion and dedication she brings to her work, both in her service of students and in support of faculty. She is a trusted source of guidance and assistance for everyone lucky enough to work with her, and the care she demonstrates on a daily basis is a true hallmark of her many years at BC. Congratulations Yelena!
“Yelena always puts students at the center of her work as Program Specialist. Through her gifts as a listener and her language expertise, she supports ESL students as they simultaneously learn English and engage in college processes such as registration and state-mandated testing. Throughout the years as an ESL instructor, I have observed that the students in my classes consistently have high praise for Yelena. They appreciate her willingness to help them, her knowledge and her kind manner. Yelena’s welcoming and inclusive manner is a key component to the open and safe culture of the ESL Program. Students and faculty are comfortable asking Yelena questions. She is knowledgeable, and importantly, listens with care and patience. Faculty and students “feel heard” when working with Yelena – and this listening quality contributes to the positive culture of the ESL Program.”
Nominator
Exempt Employee Award
Barbara Brodsky, TRiO
Since 2001, and Barbara Brodsky has dedicated her time at BC in service to the TRiO program. She is retiring this year, and many of the peer mentors who serve in the TRiO program under her leadership nominated in her in honor of her outstanding career. Her faith in students and support of their achievements has been transformative in thousands of lives, building bridges to success and providing the wraparound support that truly makes a difference. Congratulations Barbara!
“I joined the TRIO program during my second quarter at Bellevue College seeking guidance because I had nobody to rely on as a first-generation college student. During the same quarter, I had realized that I was struggling to stay on track, juggling life and schoolwork. I reached out to Ms. Brodsky for help and she graciously offered to have weekly check-ins to help me stay focused and get back on track. She helped me create a study schedule (that I still use to this day!), and helped cultivate a healthier mindset around school. Ms. Brodsky has played a crucial role in my time at Bellevue College. Since our weekly check-ins (which is now about a year ago), I can now say that I am a successful college student. I have been consistently showing up to class, getting grades that I am proud of and overall, feel more positive about college life than ever before and I owe most of my success to those weekly check-ins. She deserves to be recognized for her outstanding dedication to better the community at Bellevue College. She has helped guide me and many other students through a time that is unknown to most of us. I am deeply grateful for the positive impact that Ms. Brodsky has had on my life and my experience at Bellevue College.”
Nominator
Thank You and Congratulations to All Our Nominees
We were inspired by the nominations we received this year. We feel humbled to read about the many ways that our outstanding staff and faculty nurture and support our students every single day. Congratulations to all the 2024-25 Faculty & Staff Excellence Award nominees!
Martina Almario • Tina Amaro Stegge • Kalpana Kalpna Anand • Jennifer Anderson • Salam Awad • Gretchen Bird • Rex Bobbish • Ernesto Bowie • Darnita Boynton • Tamara Boynton Howard • Alicia Brender • Greyson Brooks • Michael Broome • Katie Bryant • Kelli Callahan • Dianne Caraway • Tiara Carlson • Annika Carson • Jennifer Celms • Rini Chakrabarti • Ricardo Chavez • Wentao Chen • Teaessa Chism • Thomas Crawford • Beth Crouse • Kattie Phương Dung Dang • Eric Davis • Matthew Edwards • Branden Ellsworth • Sandra Emerson • Oriana Estrada • Myriam Feldman • Jennifer Fetters • Gina Fiorini • Caroline Fitzpatrick • Charlene Freyberg • Colin Gasamis • Jamie Gayden • Laura Gettleman • Bart (Robert) Guyton • Hector Guzman • Minnat Hamada • Elizabeth Harazim • Lisa Harris • Anneke Hercules • Tyler Hersey • Vlasta Hillger • Varik Hoang • Rachel Hutto • Anand Injeti • Katie Irwin • Miki Ishihara • Alice Jenkins • Craighton Jenkins • Jon Jensen • Ciarelle Jimenez • Amy Jing • Shadi Kanan • Allison Kang • Lori Keller • Guzel Khakimova • Supreetha Kumar • Joel Lamb • Li Liu • Celeste Lonson • Jamiiru Luttamaguzi • Melissa Martinez • Narges Masoumi • Amy McCrory • Claire McKinley • Heather Miller • Ann Minks • Daniel Mitchell • Amanda Morris • Max Needle • Alfred Nehme • Renee Nejo • Budimir Nikolic • Eva Norling • Sara Nutsch • Pete Ophoven • Nataliya Perelomova • Pavel Poliansky • Kimberly Pollock • Kolin Poss • Peter Prescott • Michael Pulido • Luke Rawlings • Emiko Rigg • Usman Rizvi • Keith Rowley • Croix Salina • Linda Schinman • Greg Schmidt • Daniel Shade • Layne Shilston • Catherine Smith • David Spataro • Patrick Torres • Timothy Trammel • Michelle Tresemer • Andria Villines • Dana Vukajlovich • Liz Warfield • Cynthia Weintraub • Cole Whitaker • Tim Winchester • Phouvanh Xaya-Outhone • Elizabeth Zahrt Geib
Nominations
Do you know someone deserving of the BC Excellence Award? Learn about the nomination process and how you can be involved in the nomination and selection of the next round of winners.
Last Updated April 29, 2025