Our faculty are exceptional educators who specialize in student success. They uphold the mission and values of the College and keep up to date on advancements and trends in their fields so that your curriculum is relevant and of the highest quality. You’ll see for yourself how we take extra time to help dedicated students achieve their goals. Below are just a few of our amazing professors:
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Peggy Norwood Professor, psychologist, and TV host of “Perspectives” on CCA’s Channel 54, Peggy Norwood now has added the titles “author” and “publisher” to her repertoire. Her book, “Do Something Different…For a Change: An Insider’s Guide to What Your Therapist Knows (But May Not Tell You),” was recently published by Living Well Press, LLC, another Norwood undertaking. “Do Something Different…” is a self-help paperback offering effective solutions for people to understand and overcome barriers to change. Peggy joined the faculty at Community College of Aurora full time in 2006 and is co-advisor of the Psychology Club. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Brown University and an M.Ed. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Virginia. Prior to teaching full time, she worked as a psychotherapist in a wide variety of inpatient and outpatient mental health settings. Norwood is driven by an important theme in her writing and teaching. “I like to open doors for others,” she says. “I tell my students, ‘I can’t do it for you, but I can help you." |
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Clinton Andersen Taking one of CCA’s groundbreaking initiatives to new heights is Clinton Andersen, director of the Critical Incident Theater. The CIT is an innovative training environment where simulated, large-scale disasters provide hands-on training for students and professionals alike. Clinton has made a profession of preparing for and responding to serious emergencies, and he has on-the-ground experience implementing emergency action plans during tropical storms, hurricanes, search and rescue missions, airplane crashes, chemical spills, and other threats. Clinton also has experience in the U.S. Air Force and in the private sector in Japan, South Korea, Germany, and elsewhere. He holds an Information Systems Technology technical degree from Community College of the Air Force at Maxwell AFB in Alabama; a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration from Bellevue University, and a master’s in Homeland Security with honors from the American Military University in Charles Town, W.Va. |
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Michael Levell Named Faculty Member of the Year in 2009, Michael has been an English instructor at CCA since 2006. His students say that Michael instructs from the heart and gives energy to his classes. He is creative and approachable, they say, and he strives for excellence by connecting with them in a professional but relaxed manner. Michael has a passion for writing, and he teaches as if his sole goal in life is to educate his students in the best possible way. In nominating him for the award, one student wrote: “He is always going the extra mile for the success of his students. He is awesome and very deserving of this award.” Michael holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Southern Indiana and an MFA in writing and poetics from Naropa University. |
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Patrick Schooler As department chair of the Emergency Medical Services program, Patrick has a background in management, information technology, and project management, as well as experience in emergency services implementation. During his career, he has had oversight for the implementation of disaster plans in the recovery efforts of local and regional disasters, including direct responsibility for the deployment of a field hospital during Hurricane Katrina. He is certified by both the Colorado and Texas Departments of State Health Services as a licensed paramedic. A member of the National EMS Management Association, Schooler earned a Paramedic Certification from Texas Tech University and a bachelor of science degree in management from Kaplan University. At CCA, Schooler oversees the college’s nationally recognized Emergency Medical Services program. A forerunner in using simulation technology, CCA has developed dynamic student-focused initiatives in its EMS program to bridge the gap between the traditional student experience and the hard-hitting expectations of the real world. |
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Pony Anderson With a professional background as a firefighter and a paramedic, Pony came to Community College of Aurora in 2003 as an adjunct instructor in the Emergency Medical Services department. She became the program’s clinical coordinator and sponsoring partner coordinator. As one of the founding pioneers of CCA’s Simulation Studios, housed in the Center for Simulation, Anderson became the college’s simulation coordinator in January 2007. She brings to CCA vision, enthusiasm, and dedication, coupled with a hands-on approach and practical experience, to make the pre-hospital training program realistic and educational. Her attention to detail ensures that every sound, smell, and visual cue that a potential emergency responder might encounter in the field is replicated in the Studios. Regarded as a thought leader in the area of simulation, Pony collaborates with the McGraw-Hill Companies to help develop and review learning aids for its educational publishing division based on the foundation of simulation for future pre-hospital health care providers. |
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Stephanie Lawton Stephanie is coordinator of the community English as a Second Language program and lead teacher at the Aurora Language Center. Before coming to CCA, Stephanie worked closely with teachers and students at FLS International, a program providing high quality English language programs to international students. She takes extreme pride in her work with students, offering guidance on everything from the college application process to advice about academic and everyday issues. A former instructor of English as a foreign language at two institutions in Japan, Stephanie is passionate about helping students achieve their goals through education. Stephanie has been recognized with numerous awards for her teaching skills. Armed with a bachelor’s degree in foreign languages and literature from the University of Delaware, she brings more than a decade of experience as an instructor and an administrator in ESL and Adult Education. |
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Wayne Gilbert Wayne has taught composition, literature, creative writing, and philosophy at Community College of Aurora since 1986. A former high school English teacher, Wayne seeks to understand trends and the changing social dynamics of America. One of his recent classes explored issues and themes of contemporary immigration to better understand the lives of Aurora citizens and the city’s growing diversity. The class hosted a panel of experts to explore issues associated with Aurora immigrants, and students read recent literature by and about immigrants and immigration, especially as the literature related to immigration to the United States. “We tried to ‘test’ what we discovered in the literature against what we ‘know’ about Aurora, the community where those in the class work and live,” he explains. “The panel experts, who work closely with local immigrant groups, helped us better understand our neighbors and the dynamic forces at work around us.” |
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Chris Tombari Chris is CCA’s new department chair and instructor for English as a Second Language. He brings to the College more than 14 years of experience, including time spent teaching for the Peace Corps in Mongolia. An innovator at heart, Chris has been a part of numerous partnerships and coalition-building projects designed to improve the lives of others. He has invested in important outreach on behalf of adult learners through programs at Denver International Airport, local colleges, companies, and unions. He truly understands the importance of having his courses reflect the realities of the job market so that students have the best educational experience possible. He has a deep sense of caring for his students’ achievements, right down to seeing them successfully navigate the RTD system or seeing them read a story to their children in English for the very first time. |
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Christopher Jenner Chris joined CCA’s English as a Second Language Department in January 2010 after nearly twenty years of teaching English in Japan, San Francisco, and Denver. He works with his colleagues to prepare ESL students for the rigors that await them in educational and career pursuits. With humor, perseverance, and the perspective of a working writer and lifelong learner, he strives to instill in his students a work ethic and high standards in their writing. Chris brings an eclectic background of ostensibly incongruous occupations: teaching, taxi driving, tutoring, and tour guiding. His educational milestones are a BA in History from Colorado College and an MFA in Writing from the University of San Francisco. He recently published an essay, entitled "The End of the Rainbow," about an iconic Denver music hall of the 70s and 80s, in the online literary and art publication Switchback: http://www.swback.com/issues/012 |
More Community College of Aurora faculty profiles to come!
