Chestnut Hill College Announces Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Awards

Monday, June 1, 2009

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Awards were presented to Susan Magee, M.F.A., adjunct instructor in the School of Undergraduate Studies, and Walter Ted Smith, Ph.D., adjunct instructor in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, on May 9, 2009 at Chestnut Hill College’s commencement ceremony.

Announced at commencement for the past two years, the Outstanding Adjunct Faculty Award recognizes the talents and dedication to teaching of an adjunct faculty member in each of the College’s three schools who “is committed to the life of the mind and the spirit with a sincere interest in the temporal and spiritual well-being of students, and whose approach to teaching is intellectually stimulating and challenging.” The award winners were selected by students, staff and faculty, and each received a check for $1,000 from the College.

Susan Magee, M.F.A, has taught classes in the Communications Department at Chestnut Hill College since 2002. Serving as acting communications coordinator in the English and Communications Department for the 2007-2008 academic school year, Susan assisted the department to revise curriculum in the communications major to focus on new areas of study, including corporate communications, journalism, and media production. At Chestnut Hill, Susan has taught classes in journalism, writing, public relations, magazine writing, and research methods.

She is the faculty advisor of The Griffin, the student newspaper of Chestnut Hill College, and is actively involved in the Communications Department.

Susan graduated from Chestnut Hill College with a Bachelor of Science in business administration and a minor in marketing, and later earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Bennington College, Vermont. “A lot of job satisfaction comes from the culture of the College itself and of course the students.” She said, “Chestnut Hill College has an inspiring culture because of the mission of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. It has a very diverse student population, which is important to me. A homogenous classroom is not stimulating. I like to have fun when I teach, and I really care about my students, so winning the award showed me that comes through.” Susan is a resident of Conshohocken.

Walter Ted Smith, Ph.D., has been an adjunct faculty member at Chestnut Hill College in the Accelerated Program since 2005. Dr. Smith has taught courses in corrections, juvenile justice and delinquency, social problems, employer relations and civil liberties in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Dr. Smith has had a distinguished career working in criminal justice, social services and human services, and has spoken at a variety of conventions, seminars and workshops. He is a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and former association executive. He received a Bachelor of Science in special physical education from Wilberforce University in Ohio, a Master of Education in counseling from Antioch College in Philadelphia, and a Doctorate in Public Administration from Nova/California Coast University in Santa Ana, California. “The diversity of the students at Chestnut Hill College brings a challenging and rewarding awareness to the participants,” says Dr. Smith. “Many of our students are parents and working adults who are given the opportunity to upgrade their skills and experiences. It is so enlightening to be afforded the pleasure of being in their presence and exchanging ideas and viewpoints on all social and cultural issues. This is a fair and honorable exchange for all involved.” He resides in Audubon, Pa.