Pamela Smith
Pam Smith likes that there is never a dull moment at Cowley. She also takes pleasure in getting to know students and helping them make goals and plans.
“I get a special joy when I see students achieve their dreams, or when I see them years later and they are happy with life.”
Pam is a native of Winfield, Kansas. I have been at Cowley since 1996, and I can truly say that my life has been blessed and enriched by all of my students and colleagues throughout the years. I teach Chemistry 1 & 2 and Organic Chemistry 1 & 2, both lecture and lab sections. I also take care of the chemical storeroom. Every day is an adventure! There is never a dull moment at Cowley, and I get a special joy when I see former students achieve their dreams. I thoroughly enjoy helping the young people, who have been entrusted to us, make plans and work toward goals, both big and small.
My husband, Randy, and I have four children (1 boy and 3 girls) and nine grandchildren (5 boys and 4 girls). We enjoy boating and hanging out at the lake in the summertime. Each year we have a family vacation for one week in July near Shell Knob, Missouri on beautiful Table Rock Lake, where we swim and play on our ski boat. I love to play all outdoor sports, especially tennis and softball. Randy and I also share an appreciation for the sport of hockey, and we are season ticket holders for the Wichita Thunder hockey team. On a more personal note, we are members of Trinity Lutheran Church in Winfield, where I sing in the church choir and the Alleluia choir, and I assist with youth group activities. When at home, I spend lots of time with my cat, Hobo, and my dog, Jemima, and as much time as possible with my children and grandchildren. I feel so blessed to have a position in a profession I love and to have a healthy and happy family!
Smith has been recognized several times for the work she has done as an instructor at Cowley. Her awards include: Who’s Who Among American College Instructors in 1998; U.S. Department of Education Technology Innovation Challenge Grant Participant – PRAIRY Cadre I, 1999-2002; Excellence Award from the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development in Austin, Texas in 1999; National Science Foundation and National Computational Science Institute Grant Recipient, 2003-2006; Cowley College Endowed Chair for Teaching Excellence and Student Learning, 2004-2006; Paul Stirnaman Memorial Award for Teaching Excellence in 2006.
Degrees
- A.S. - Physical Science - Cowley College
- B.S. - Biochemistry, Summa Cum Laude - Wichita State University
- M.Ed. - Curriculum and Instruction - Southwestern College
- 4 Year Doctoral Studies/Doctoral Fellowship, Chemistry Department Wichita State University in Protein Chemistry
- A.B.D. - Chemistry - Wichita State University
Awards
- Paul Stirnaman Memorial Award for Teaching Excellence
- Who’s Who Among American College Instructors
- National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD), Austin, TX, Award for Teaching Excellence
- Two-time NISOD Master Presenter
- Cowley College Endowed Chair for Teaching Excellence and Student Learning sponsored by CornerBank
- National Science Foundation (NSF) and National Computational Science Institute (NCSI) Grant Recipient
- U.S. Department of Education Technology Innovation Challenge Grant Participant
- Host for 2006 Kansas College Chemistry Teachers’ Conference (KCCTC)
- Lab Safety Certificate from Laboratory Safety Institute, Natick, MA
- Research Fellow, Frank J. Seiler Research Laboratory, U.S. Air Force Academy
- One-Professor Award from Pearson Higher Education (nominated by students in Phi Theta Kappa honor society)
Associations
- American Chemical Society; Wichita Section
- American Chemical Society Division of Chemical Education
- ACS 2-Year College Chemistry Consortium
- Cowley College Education Association, CEA (Negotiations Team member, former President and Vice-President)
- National Education Association (NEA) & Kansas NEA (KNEA)
- Kansas Core Outcomes Group (KCOG) for chemistry established by the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR)
- Cowley College Site Safety Team
- Co-chair AQIP Program Level Outcomes Assessment Team (PLO Team)