PEERS AWARD PROFESSOR FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE TEACHER IS FIRST WOMAN EVER TO WIN HONOR.Byline: Paul O'Donoghue Staff Writer MOORPARK - A Moorpark College Moorpark College is a California-state funded community college located on a 134 acre (542,000 m²) property reclining on a hill in Moorpark, a town in Ventura County, California. professor who also works on NASA's space exploration program has been chosen by her peers for an award that recognizes distinguished service to the campus and the community. Christine Aguilera, a professor of mathematics and computer science, was named Tuesday as the Distinguished Faculty Chair, the first time in its four-year history that the annual award has been bestowed on a woman. ``This is truly a great honor and I'm very, very honored by this,'' said Aguilera, a professor at the college since 1972. ``I'm also the first woman here in the mathematics department, as well, so I've been given a couple of firsts here.'' Aguilera received a standing ovation from about 400 faculty and staff, who packed the Performing Arts Center A performing arts center, often abbreviated PAC, is a multi-use performance space that can be adapted for use by various types of the performing arts, including dance, music and theatre. during a pep rally kicking off spring semester, which starts today. Since 1987, Aguilera has spent her summers working at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory “JPL” redirects here. For other uses, see JPL (disambiguation). Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a NASA research center located in the cities of Pasadena and La Cañada Flintridge, near Los Angeles, California, USA. in Pasadena, developing software to help track and communicate with spacecraft. She also has led Moorpark College students on tours of the facility to spur their interest in math and science careers. ``I really enjoy it,'' said Aguilera, who lives in Chatsworth with her husband. ``I get to meet a variety of friends when I go out there and I've been very fortunate that I have gotten support from faculty during the 10 years I've been at JPL (language) JPL - JAM Programming Language. .'' Char char: see salmon. char Any of several freshwater food and game fishes (genus Salvelinus) of the salmon family, distinguished from the similar trout by light, rather than black, spots; by a boat-shaped, rather than flat, vomer (bone) on the roof of Arnold, president of the Academic Senate, whose members select the Distinguished Faculty Chair, said the fact that Aguilera sacrifices her summers to work at JPL figured highly in her selection for the award. ``Not only does she work here at Moorpark College, but she's tremendously involved with JPL and NASA NASA: see National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA in full National Aeronautics and Space Administration Independent U.S. during the summertime, which increases her knowledge and experience in her own field and adds to her abilities and value as an instructor here,'' said Arnold. ``All the money in the world isn't worth giving up your summer vacations Summer vacation (also called summer holidays or summer break) is a vacation in the summertime between school years in which students are off for 3 months, depending on the country and district. unless you're fully dedicated,'' said Arnold. ``Christine is just an outstanding person.'' Aguilera graduated with a bachelor's degree from the University of California The University of California has a combined student body of more than 191,000 students, over 1,340,000 living alumni, and a combined systemwide and campus endowment of just over $7.3 billion (8th largest in the United States). , Irvine in 1970, and has master's degrees in computer science and mathematics. And she has twice chaired Moorpark College's mathematics and computer science department, in addition to a program to encourage female students to major in math and science. As her prize for the Distinguished Faculty Chair, Aguilera will receive a wooden rocking chair engraved en·grave tr.v. en·graved, en·grav·ing, en·graves 1. To carve, cut, or etch into a material: engraved the champion's name on the trophy. 2. with her name. Bill Furrell, a business professor at Moorpark College for eight years, said Aguilera's award was well-deserved. ``To be acknowledged for what you are doing for the campus and community is always welcome,'' he said. ``I'm extremely pleased with the growth of this campus ... and things like this bring great students and faculty.'' CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Moorpark College professor Christine Aguilera was named by her peers as the Distinguished Faculty Chair. Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Staff Photographer |
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