Creating opportunities for student success, collaboration and employment was the theme when faculty and staff convened for Ozarks Technical Community College’s fourth annual Innovation Celebration on February 21, 2023. The gathering was the first Innovation Celebration held in person since the inaugural event in 2020.
OTC’s full-time employees got together at the White River Conference Center to celebrate the college’s culture of student-centered invention.
“When you think about it, OTC’s existence is innovative in its own way. Even though Springfield is home to three other colleges and universities, in 1990, voters decided the Ozarks needed a new student-centered institution to fill the educational gaps in our region,” said Dr. Tracy McGrady, OTC provost. “More than three decades later, here we are to celebrate and build upon that spirit of innovation.”
At OTC, faculty and staff continuously create new ways to support students, improve on-campus life and provide opportunities for growth beyond coursework. The 2023 Innovation Celebration showcased ideas generated across the system and recognized people who improve students’ lives.
Trailblazer Award Recognizes Impact of Faculty, Staff
The Trailblazer Award is OTC’s highest form of peer recognition. Annually, faculty and staff across the OTC system nominate colleagues for this honor. A vote of their peers selected five winners. Submissions highlight the exceptional commitment and inspiration that advance the OTC Strategic Plan.
Trailblazer Award Winners – Faculty
- Ryan Friend, Drafting and Design Technology Instructor
- Cara Griffin, Political Science Instructor
- Tony Phillips, Automotive Technology Instructor
Trailblazer Award Winners – Staff
- Deana Davies, Community Resource Specialist
- Jordan Schreiber, College Director of Admissions
Game Changer Grants to Activate Ideas
In addition to recognition across the college, each grant includes $10,000 in funds to bring an initiative to life. This year, seven ideas were selected as finalists and presented. Faculty and staff used live online voting during Innovation Celebration to select three Game Changer Grant winners.
- Active Learning Classroom Design: This program will replace fixed furniture with mobile pieces in a classroom in the Norman K. Myers building on the Springfield campus. The redesigned space will feature an interactive and innovative learning environment with mobile whiteboard-top tables and mobile chairs. The redesign will positively impact more than 250 students each semester.
- Career Success Resource Center: The Career Success Resource Center will repurpose a room on the Springfield campus to expand Career Services’ outreach to students. This project will reconfigure the existing space to include an area for a Career Resource Library, the Dress for Success Career Closet, and an interview space for mock interviews and on-site employer interviews. All of these resources are free for students.
- Flying Eagle Disc Golf: This project will feature a nine-hole disc golf course at the Richwood Valley campus. The course will run along the current walking trail and will provide students, staff, faculty, and the community with enjoyable outdoor activities on campus.
Mini Grants to Boost Student Success
Student Success Mini Grants recognize focused and affordable projects that directly affect students and enhance their OTC experience. Five projects were selected to receive $1,000 in funding.
- Brains for Teachers: This grant will fund the purchase of eight brain models for use in psychology courses. The Springfield campus will receive three brain models, and one each will go to the college’s five other locations.
- Closing the Gap: This grant will establish a food pantry at the Table Rock campus for students experiencing food insecurity. The nutritional resources will close the gap for students before they can visit a food pantry or receive state benefits.
- College Prep Awareness Day: This grant will fund a day-long visit to OTC for students from local alternative high schools. The students will learn to apply to OTC and the financial aid process. The students will also tour the college and learn about the myriad programs they can pursue once enrolled.
- Disability Employment Awareness Month: This grant will fund a series of programs during National Disability Employment Awareness Month in October 2023. The initiative will help disabled students learn to navigate the job market.
- Inclusivity in Anatomy and Physiology: This grant will purchase torso models with diverse skin tones for anatomy and physiology classes. The funding will also buy posters reflecting how diseases manifest between races and genders.
Photos from the 2023 Innovation Celebration
